Waterbury evening Democrat., 1908-02-24
MATTATUCK STREET
Lively Hearing Before The Rail.
road Commissioners.

One of the liveliest hearings evei
held in the aldermanic chamber took
place there this morning over the
! proposed relocation of Mattatuck
street before the railroad commission.
ers. Besides Commissioners Fyler
Gates and Seymour, there were pres.
ent Engineer Eastabrook and Attor-
ney B. |. Spook of the railroad com.
pany, Mayor Thoms, City Attorney
Kellogg and City Engineer Cairns
Edward l.. Seery, Valentine BOIL and
several others.
| Three years ago the railroad COM
missioners ordered the discontinuance
of Mattatuck street and relocated a
highway to take the place of the old
one quite close to the new railroad
track. Now the company desires tc
make another change and carry the
street about $50 feet farther easterly
but in doing this condition has been
created which the city considers very
Instantaneous inasmuch as it makes
transverse grade of ten per cent and
an advancing grade of four and halt
per cent for a distance of about fifty
feet at the point where the proposed
new street intersects with West Main
street.
Mr. Kellogg wanted to know if En-
gineer Eastebrook considered this
safe, but the engineer kept giving an
evasive reply until finally the city
attorney acclaimed in no uncertain
terms and finally got the information
he desired. 81 beg your pardon, Mr.
Eastabrook," demanded Mr. Kellogg,
when | ask plain question I'm en-
titled to an answer. | want to know
the side grade and the advancing
grade at different points within that
fifty feet"
Mr. Eastabrook: "You don't state
the question right according to the
map"
Commissioner Seymour: "The
question is all right. Mr. Kellogg de-
sires to knew the transverse grade at
this point and the advancing grade
up to West Main street"
Mr. Kellogg: That's exactly what
we wish to know"
Mr. Eastabrook: 81 haven't that
figured OUT
Mr. Kellogg: "Will you please fig
ure it out then before we proceed fur
Their"
Mr. Eastabrook figured out the
grades and found that they were sub
stantially nine and eight-tenths from
one side of the street to the other
and over four per cent advancing
along towards West Main street,
This is substantially the situation for
a distance of fifty feet when the UNI
satisfactory grade disappears and the
rest of the street is level.
In reply to question from Mr.
Kellogg as to whether he considered
this safe, Engineer Eastabrook replied
in the Affirmative, after which Mr.
Kellogg shook his head and remarked
that there was disposition on the
part of the city to do what was right
but they objected to a layout of a
street which was bound to be a pub
lie menace, something which would
be intolerable. He didn't see any ex-
cuse for creating such condition
since the trouble could be remedied
at a reasonable outlay on the part OF
the company.
Attorney Spock argued for the
plan as submitted by Engineer Esta-
brook and referred to the situation
Town there as something which the
,ity always thought of remedying
,ut was deferred from so doing on
of the expense. Mr. Kellogg
claimed that there was no evidence
o substantiate the statement that the
,ity ever contemplated making a
,hange in the location of Mattatuck
street.
Valentine BOIL said he had no OBJ
lection to offer to the proposed
,hange.
Edward L. Seery was very much
opposed to the change and stated that
nasmuch as the commissioners had
,nce located the street they could not
AXE it up again except on petition of
he city government. He did believe
{ could be changed simply because
he railroad company might desire
Even IL the railroad COM
nissioners have the power they would
lave to show legal and practical rea-
IONS on which to base their action
ind he knew of nothing that could
,e advanced which would show that
his change was an improvement on
he plan adopted three years ago.
Gates and Mr. Spock
lad doubt of the right of the board
o amend the original order.
City Engineer Cairns and Mayor