Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1909-11-16
TRUCE REACHED
IN TRACK CLASH
Council Delegates Committee
to Negotiate Terms With
Burlington
COMPANY STATES POSITION
Willing to Abide the Action of the
CounciI-ConsideT1ng the
Filter Contract.

The white flag has been raised in the
rail collision of the city of Rock Island
and the Chicago Burlington & Quincy
Railroad comnany At the meeting of
the citv council last evening Aldermen
Schmid, Holzhammer anu thompson
were named as peace commission.
They are to act with the mayor and
city. attorney in reaching an adjust
ment with the representatives of the
comnanv Of the track problem at Sec
ond avenue between Twenty-third and
Twentv-fourth streets, where the road
was IN the act, with force of 100
men Of laying rails to connect up its
south main track early Sunday morn
inc when Mayor McCaskrin interven-
ed, backed up by squad of police
officers. Just as the force was in the
act of placing the last span of rail to
complete the connecting stretch of
track.
Right; Then Go Ahead.
In a special message Mayor McCask
rim reviewed his action and explained
the legal features as he understood
them, including the clause, as shown
in the story in last evenings Argus, in
the sale to the city of a strip of the
Timothy A. Babcock property, which
provides that an additional $1,000 shall
be paid by the city to the Babcock
heirs in the event that the property is
ever occupied for railroad purposes.
The mayor stated that 1t was not the
rni1rnoA in fhA
proper facilitation of it's traffic here.
He simply wanted to be convinced that
things were as they should be, in or
der that the interests of the city and
of the owners of contiguous property
be properly protected. c. L. Walker
and ]. ]. Ingram Of the firm of Sweeney
& Walker. attorneys for the road, were
before the council. Mr.. Ingram gave
the roads side of the case. He said
that existing ordinances gave to the
company the right to maintain two
tracks from Twenty-ninth street to
Thirteenth streets. The Burlington
could get along without the second
track, but it must have the added ia
CITIES to take care of the traffic of
the Milwaukee and the Davenport,
Rock Island & Northwestern, both of
which lines share in the use Cf its
tracks. A condition + the ordinance
giving the Burlington its>-two main
line tracks through the city was that
they might be used by any railroad
that may in future wish to enter the
city on the payment of a proportion
ate share of construction.
Two More Lines.
The Milwaukee and the Davenport,
Rock Island & Northwestern, as was
their right, had taken advantage of
this privilege. Mr.. Ingram understood
that it was the original purpose to To-
cate the second main track on the
north side Of Illinois street, now Sec,
ond avenue, but that the road had been
prevented from doing so because an.
other road had gotten there first.
Mr.. Ingram protested that no men,
Der of his firm had knowledge of the
clause in the BabcOck deed, and assur-
ed the city that it need have no fears
as to the position Of the company in
that matter. The Burlington, he said
would assume the 81 600 Obligation If
1t was established as a fact that the
occupancy of she property on which
the new tracks are located incurs that
liability on the municipality. Answer
ing the inquiry of several aldermen.
that it seemed strange that the com
pany, if it was acting within it's rights.
should slip it's track forces in to do
the work under cover of darkness. Mr..
Ingram said personally that he had
nothing to do with the laying of the
tracks, but that he had been informed