Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1912-07-30
COMMON COUNCIL. MEET.
An Important Session to Take Imme-
diate Action in Relation to Re-
pairing Damages.

council was held last Friday evening,
being called by Mayor Ringle, for the
purpose of taking action to repair
damage done by the, food, and a reso-
luton was adopted authorizing the
board of public works to proceed at
once with the work of replacing the
tannery bridge and repairing the high
bridge, and also such other repairs as
they deemed necessary to have made
at once.
In calling the meeting to order
Mayor Ringle read the following mes
sage:
Gentlemen of the Common Corn
| Gill have deemed it necessary to
call this session for the purpose of
taking immediate steps for the repair
| Of damages to bridges and other mu-
nicipal utilities caused by the recent
| floods in accordance to the recon-
mendations of the board of public
| works.
| 1.-THE loss to our city, to our ousi-
ness enterprises and citizens has been
| severe. We are fortunate, however,
that it is not beyond repair. There is
no cause for discouragement, but true
to the Wausau spirit we should aim
| TO build better and more permanently.
| l am pleased to state that it is being
planned to reconstruct the guard lock
so as to permanently secure the water
| power of our city and avoid the pos
sibilities of future disaster from that
| source
"We hope to be able to devise a
| plan for protecting our water works
| apparatus from future floods, and in
all our building and improvement the
lesson of the hour should be needed.
Sat the next regular meeting you
will be asked to submit to the people
at the primary election on the Sd day
of September the question of issuing
bonds, not only for the expense Of
present repairs, but also for the pur-
pose heretofore contemplated to cover
deficiencies in the school funds, for
water works improvement. sewerage
betterment, ard the rel nder re-
quired fer the city hall builulng.
SAT this Time it will only be nee
essary to authorize the board of public
works to proceed with all possible
dispatch to repair the damage caused
by the recent food.
This message was supplemented by
Mayor Ringle with the statement that
work on the high bridge could not be
proceeded with at once, for the reason
that the city would have to await the
action of the railroad and also of the
owners of the guard lock, which latter
would undoubtedly be rebuilt of con-
crete, which would form the founda-
tion for the high bridge. Thematter
of Strengthening the bridge and wide
ming the approaches was also dis
cussed.
A petition signed by the Curtis &
Yale Co., the Jacob Mortenson Lum-
der Co., Wausau Box & Lumber Co.,
Wausau Canning Co., and Wausau
Concrete Block and Supply Co., was
presented, setting forth the fact that
by reason of the destruction of the
railway bridge across the river their
mills and factories were hampered in |
the getting in and out of freight,
causing them loss and necessitating |
the cancelling of many orders unless
they were given relief, and asking
that the Northwestern railroad be |
granted the privilege of temporarily |
laying tracks on First avenue to con-
meet their line with the switch tracks |
near the Curtis & Yale Co. plant.
The following resolution was then
introduced:
Resolved, by the common council |
of the city of Wausau, that permits |
sion be granted to the @. & NV. Ry.
Co., and the c., M. & st. Paul Ry. |
Co. to lay temporary track on First |
avenue in said city connecting the |
Curtis q Yale switch with the main |
line of the @. q NV. railway, to be |
used for freight shipments pending |
the completion of the railroad bridge |
across the main Wisconsin river, de- |
stroyed by the recent food such tenn |
porary track to be removed when the |
necessity therefor has ceased, in the |
Judgment of this council"
Before the adoption of the resolu-
ton Alderman Peters moved the fol- |
lowing amendment, which after |
sharp debate was carried:
"And within thirty days after notice |
given by this council; provided that |
this permit is granted upon the con-
dition the said railroad companies en-
ter into a written agreement with the |
city that they will save the city harm
less nom any and all damages that |
may arise by reason of the laying of |
said track and the use and operation
thereof"
During the discussion of the amend
ment Mayor Ringle pointed out that
it was not the railroads that were
seeking the track extension, but in
dustries of Wausau which would be
crippled if they could not ship out
their product and might be forced to
close down, throwing men out of en-
ployment; that no franchise was being
granted and that if unnecessary res
trictions were imposed the railroads
might not build the spur, or if they
did would take time to consider the
matter. This was really an emergency
matter and should be dealt with in
that way.
DEATHS.