Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1911-05-27
THEFREloHT DEPoTs.

~ \
he allowed to stand In the way OF W
tumwa's securing two new frelgnt ue
nots. The Rock Island company sous
time ago prepared plans for the erec.
tion Of a $50 900 freight house mere ~.
tha nroiect was abandoned for the
time. Since then fire has destroyeu .n
old freight house, and the CoLnM u NC -
association and shippers OF Ott 3lmd
certainly hope that the ROCK 80. ,si ~
company will proceed now WIN ~, .nd
erection Of the new building tney na'
planned. ~ no.
Negotiations are now on, TOO W
tween the Burlington railroad con.
pany and the city council and properly
owners interested with a view 10 Sc
curing the vacation of College street
and the title to certain property LOT
the erection OF freight depot for tnat
road The Burlington desires 10 erect
a building costing 100000. The pres
ant Facilities for handling freight are
inadanuate. Both the railroad company
and the shippers will benefit by me
anlar9ements planned, and the Guy
will henefit by being afforded larger
outlet for its shipping. :, a.
. All nartfes concerned will Deneh'
greatly II the differences stanolhs W
tween the city and the railroad com.
nanies are adjusted. The Burlington
freight depot proposition has many aI
features that will prove OF benent u, 70
the city. The present freight depot 10
between Jefferson and Green streets.
The proposed Burlington frelgnt mousse
/. 10 be east of Jefferson street eA'
tending across College street. Inc re-
movaI Of the present building between
Green and Jefferson. will permit the
naa, a. this block for trackage pur'
poses and will go far, to end the s"l'cil'
Ing nuisance at the busy Market stree'
On the other hand, there has been
objection that the property owners ~
the vicinity would be Inconvenience y
! Nv the vacation Of College street IN
thas block in which it is planned 10
hnild the depot. However. the lncon,
veniance that will come from tnis
source can not be great because ,ne
neirhborhood below the track on COZ
iaee street is not populous, and there
.till remain outlets at Union ana 'el'
Serson streets and College street IS so
.tasn that ia IL not generally used LOT
~
= .aeems TO be case where all the
interested parties should work 10
. aathers In order that Ottumwa may SO,
cure this Improvement. The grown o.
the city demands better freight mouse
facilities and the opportunity TO secure
this needed improvement will never DC
: hetter one than is the case right now.
TIE city council in vacating College
street n order to spremit this improve.
.mei,t. should, however, take every saIe.
e,,ard to conserve the future interests
81 the people and the city. The .ordi'
nance yacating the street should pro.
vide, that the railroad company puilo
and maintain adequate sewers under
5+ha tracks and on the land 1t Will Sc
cnra for trackage. Provision should be
made for the future installation OF gas,
electric light and water service
through this property whenever 1u'
tire need appears. Room should also
ha provided and agreed upon for via.
dnct across these tracks, as 1t Will
require little trouble to make sucn
nroyision for use II the future growth
az the city should demand it.
Ottumwa needs these. two new
freight depots. 1t has needed them
for some time. The negotiations have
now proceeded to the point where a
definite settlement Of the matter
should be reached and the needed I'M
provements constructed.