The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1912-01-31
80. statement Defining Agree
ments Between the City and
power Company Regarding
New Levee Layout.
~ WAS ASKED TO DO so
c,.... His Statement With compli.
r,sntary Reference to Elders
Ability to Get Valuable
Concessions.


chief Engineer Hugh l.. Cooper
..ye out the following interview to-
day:
ont defining the agreement between
mo city and the power company re-
s.rding the new levee layout.
The negotiations between the rail-
nov companies and the City of Keo-
r,k have in large part been made nee
.sary by the changes in grades occa-
sioned by the building of the dam
ghe q. b. & @. railway company has
YER eight miles Of track which will
he raised, at our expense, and the
,roblem of getting their tracks from
The new level down to the union de-
lot ON plan satisfactory to the city
has been made a matter Of careful
study for the past two years.
At first it was though that 1t would
Z. necessary to have the Burlington
tracks elevated to the union depot
md for considerable distance below.
The power company finally consented,
however, to build the sea wall just
above the lower lock thus enabling
the tracks to reach their old level
before reaching the union depot.
haze no knowledge Of any of the
ancient history existing between the
t,ity Of Keokuk and any Of the rail-
reads, Burlington, Wabash or Rock IS
land.
Cannot Afford Delay.
Tho trade between the q" and the
city was made after the railroad and
tire power company agreed upon the
grades that were necessary and pos.
sible and the power company was not
Represented or present at the negotia
lions between the railroad company
and the city.
The Burlington railroad in our ne
gotiations with them have been emf
nently fair in every thing, and the
water power company is committed te
the present plans and grades to the
| extent that any interruption to thu
present plans would cause serious
rttback to our works because of thu
limited amount of time between nov
and when We must complete, read.
Ter navigation in March. 1918. and W,
cannot possibly consent to any delay
or changes in present plans as far a
We are concerned.
have had good many years es
perience in dealing with public Of
fcials, and this is the first time
ever saw mayor of city require
water power company to reassign tn
property previously dedicated to tn
liower eomany.. Mayor Elder insiste
n the negotiations that we should II
assign TO the City of keokuk for pull
lie uses all the rights that We ha
acquired from the old council to tn
water frontage between the north lin
OF Concert street and the governmer
property He said he wanted this &c
lark and roadway purposes, and sal
also We should build a road thirt
feet wide from the bridge to the loci
'iacadamized up to the very best col
lltion, and that we should also pay tn
expense of the change in elevation
Hlondeau and Water street. He ais
required that we should furnish mate
lal as far as practicable to fill I'll
levee. transporting the same by OIL
equipment, the city to pay the actu
cost only of such work and materia
The railroad company pays us prot
for exactly this same class OF VOL
nat Mayor Elder required us to
without profit.
In the public Interest.
To all Of these requirements of NJ