The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-08-16
Some of Aldermen Insist ON
Subway and Arguments
Grow Spirited
ACTION TOO HASTY IS
CHARGE OF MINORITY
Several Thought Moore and Purdue
Were About To Have Serious Mis-
understanding-Wa Fight Ex-
pected ON Floor Of Council

perhaps featured with more wrangling
and differences of opinion than any ever
before held by committee of the City
Subcommittee to be made the railroads
to build viaduct was adopted by the
committee as a whole.
The meeting lasted two hours and a
half and near the close three or four
aldermen with evident disgust arose from
their seats and quietly left the council
chamber, where the deliberations were
being held
The discussion started when Alderman
]. r. Copeland made speech in which
he charged that the committee had not
looked into the plans thoroughly and he
called upon the city engineer to state
that the engineering officers had not fig
ured earnestly on a subway plan in lieu
of a viaduct.
The plan which was finally adopted
when Aldermen Copeland. Morgan and
Perdue left the room Is as follows:
The Committees Proposal
ITO the Committee of the Whole on the
Question of Considering the Proposition
Submitted by the Railroad Companies
and the Sloss-Sheffield Steel and Iron
Company of a Viaduct on First Avenue
or Twenty-eighth Street.
Gentlemen: We, your subcommittee,
to whom was referred the matter of for
mulating a proposition on behalf of the
and furnace companies. in lieu of the
proposition submitted by them to the
city. would respectfully report as fol-
lows. We recommend:
=. a viaduct 90 feet wide and not a
subway shall be constructed on First
avenue between Twenty-sixth and Thir-
ty-fourth streets.
''2. The city undertakes to provide a
right-of-way for this viaduct, and further
agrees to assume all property damage
consequent upon the building of the
same.
Close Streets 20 Years
SO. The city agrees that for term OF
20 years from the date of this agree
ment that the following streets, avenues
and alleys shall remain unopen, as they
are now. viz: Twenty-fifth street, TWEEN
ty-siKth street. Twenty-seventh street
Twenty-ninth street, Thirtieth street and
Thirty-first street from First avenue tc
Avenue B; First alley, Second alley, Third
alley and Fourth alley between the north
or west line of the South and North
Alabama railroad right-of-way and the
west line of Thirty-second street; Thir-
tieth street and Thirty-fourth street from
the north line of First avenue to the
west line of North and South Alabama
railroad right-of-way; provided, the afore-
said Sheffield Steel and Iron COM
pany and the Alabama Great Southern
Railroad company do not sooner vacate
the location now occupied by them as
furnace and railroad shop properties, re-
spectively.
Fourth. The city agrees to keep In
repair after completion the paving on
the roadway and sidewalks, except the
right-of-way of any railroad or street
which they will maintain as on streets
provided, however, that If said paving
on roadway and sidewalks have to be
reconstructed 1t shall be done at the
expense of the railroad and furnace
companies.
Construct 2Sth Street viaduct
Fifth. In consideration OF these
agreements by the city the railroad and
furnace companies in interest agree to
construct the aforesaid viaduct and
approaches and all necessary turnouts
on First avenue between Twenty-fifth
and Gath streets, the construction work
to begin on or before January /, 1911,
and be completed by July l, 1912
Sixth. The railroad and furnace COM
panies in interest agree that on or be-
fore January L. 1915, that they Will be-
gin to construct a viaduct and ap-
proa ches on Twenty eighth street be-
tween Avenue and Third avenue
north: the repairs on the paving on the
roadway and sidewalks after compile
ton upon this viaduct and approaches
to be kept up and abutting property
damages to be paid by the city provid-
ed, however, that If said paving on