The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1910-10-25
COUNCIL VOTES TO PAY $I5,OOO
 FOR NEW PIER
Stone R. R. Pier on Congress St. to be Removed to Permit
 Street Widening

C1tyO Attorney Thomas M. Cullinan swas empowered and directed by the Common. Council last evening to en- ter into an agreement with the rail road for the removal of the stone pier supporting it's tracks on the north side of Congress street, at cost of not more than $15, 800 to the city. The tcity attorney in a report to the coun- icil gave the information that the pier tencroaches upon the street but as the result of agreement entered into III t1903 the plan of construction of the spier was accepted by the city. The Iestimated cost of the removal of the fpraisal of Benefits and Damages is f$21, ,00O City Attorney CulIinan re- kported that about $6, 900 could be saved Eby substituting a steel superstructure Efor the masonry type of pier which Enow stands. The city attorneys re- tport in full follows:
 FTo the Honorable Common Council of 1 The City of Bridgeport.
 Nentlemen:-
 A resolution was adopted by your honorable body at your meeting of kattoTAey to determine whether or not 1.-the stone pier supporting tracks of 1.-The New York New Haven & Hart kford Railroad Company, which pier is affected by the widening of Congress tStreet, encroaches on Congress street las laid out prior to August 1, 191O and also authorizing the city attorney to negotiate with the said company kfor the removal or relocation of said Epier and make report to. your body: k1n compliance with said resolution, l bwould report as follows:
 ] As to the location of the pier in ! question would advise your honor liable body that in 1908, an agreement Erwas entered into between the said Erailroad company and the City of EBridgeport for the adjustment of sew Eera1 matters, including the elimination of the grade crossings: at Congress street and East Washington avenue. j The railroad company agreed to do the
 Tg-I-s- oI elevating its tracks in accordance with g. plan which was agreed upon by both parties. This plan, which was made a part of said agreement, show ed the proposed location of said pier. To assist me in this matter, the city engineer has made measurements to determine whether the pier was con
 structed in the position indicated on said plan. He informs me that while said pier did extend over the north line of and encroach upon Congress street. still it was located and con structed substantially in the position agreed upon between the city and the with the said plan and would there fore so report to your honorable body.
 AS to my negotiations with the rail- road company for the removal of said pier I would state that I have had several conferences with officials of the company relative to this matter. The represen ntatives of the company have expressed readiness to make an agreement with the city for the re- 1novaI of this pier from the place where it now stands. They say that they are willing to adopt the plan most economical to the city provided, of course. that it meets with the re- quirements of good engineering. The estimate given by the company to the Board of Appraisal of Benefits and Damages for the removal of said pier, namely $21, 900, contemplated the eli animation of said pier entirely and the rebuilding of a similar pier along the north line of the new layout of Con gress street. asked the representa- tives of the company to make an es- timate of the cost of substituting steel construction for masonry. They have done so and have reported that a fground level with a steel bridge or Supports thereon sustaining the rail- road tracks, could be constructed at j an expense of about $15NOo- This tgwouId mean a saving lof about $6, GOO from the cost of the plan esti- !Tnated by the Board of Appraisal. The company is willing to substitute this cheaper construction if it is so de- sired bv the city.
 MT Moses w. Manwaring, Chairman of the Congress Street Bridge Com mission with his characteristic inter est in all municipal problems, suggest ed to me that he had a plan which road company. He accompanied the city engineer and myself on our last visit to the officials of the com pany and laid before them the plan which he had in mind. His idea is to bring tie existing stone pier, which is in question, down to the level of the ground and on that place steel pillars or supports. He would then nave a stone pier built about forty feet to the north and for the span between said steel supports and said new pier he would have the company use girders which were removed by the company a short distance below when recent changes were being made. The sidewalk would then be on the north side of said steel bridge or sup ports and the roadway would be cor responding1y widened. This plan would materially lessen the length of the span which the company would