The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1913-12-26
RESIDENTS OPPOSE
PAVEMENT OF MAIN
STREET WITH BRICK
Vest Siders Object to I'M
provement of Big Hill
By City.
ADVOCATE RAISING
OF PRESENT BRIDGE
Expense of Filling in Hill and
Making Change
$4,000.

Through its president, DR.. E. B.
Grosvenor, the West Side Improve
ment association today formally pro-
tested against the paving of Main
street from Fourth street to the
bridge at the present grade of that
section of Main street land announced
its advocacy of a plan of filling in
Main street east of the river to point
about twenty feet east of Second
street and raising the east end of the
conform to the new Main street
grade west of the river.
Dr. Grosvenor says this plan has
been thoroughly investigated by the
association and is advocated because
1t is believed to be practical and pos
sible to carry out at an expense of not
pense could be assumed by the coun-
ty government If it SO desired,
includes Pavement.
The estimated expense of this inn
provement, DR.. Grosvenor says, in
cludes the cost of paving the new
grade of Main street from the bridge
to Fourth street.
Even if the plan we propose is not
adopted, West Richmond people will
be opposed to paving Main street
from Fourth to the river" said Dr.
Grosvenor. "The slope of the bridge,
with it's cement floor, now provides
one toboggan slide for us which has
to be kept cindered in winter and is
even then dangerous for horses, and
if Main street hill is paved we will
have another toboggan slide. Two at
torneys have informed us that in the
event this hill is paved the city will
be liable for damages for all horses
injured and vehicles damaged"
Denies Charge.
That the c. & o. railroad could
block any plan for such an improve
ment because it constructed its bridge
over Main street on a grade estab
lished 9y the city is also emphatical1y
denied by DR.. Grosvenor This phase
of the question, he said. had been in
vestigated by Attorney A. M. Gardner
who had given the opinion that rail-
roads must conform with the grades
of streets established by cities at any
time.
The elimination of the Main street
hill, DR.. Grosvenor also contends,
would put the c. & o. railroad to but
tirely with the railroad bridge for
the street fill at that place would be
on level with the present floor sur
face of the railroad bridge and the
tracks could be placed across the
street.
No Fatalities Expected.
This, of course, would provide an
other grade crossing" said DR.. Gros-
venor, "but this should not mitigate
against the improvement plan pro-
posed by the association. Under the
railroad bridge, which is always dark
three people have been killed while
there has never been a fatality on the
G. & 0. grade crossing on North ID
street"
Former city engineer Harry Weber,
prior to the construction of the Main
street bridge over the river estimated
that the cost of filling Main street to
the grade now proposed, bricking the
street and paying damages to proper
ty owners would cost $50 900. This
did not include the estimated cost of
raising the east end of the bridge to
conform to this grade.
Damages No Item.
This latter cost DR.. Grosvenor esti-
mates would be about S5,000 and he
points out that in figuring on the eX-
pense OF making the fill it will not
now be necessary to include the item
of damages. He says all the property
owners on the south side of Main
street will be benefited to an extent
that will equalize the damages to be
paid to the few property owners on
the north side of the street, whose
properties would be slightly below the
new street grade.
In figuring on the probable expense
of raising the Main street bridge the
West Side Improvement association
members have taken the figures of
John w. Mueller. the bridge engineer.
in the estimates he prepared on the
expense of removing the bridge to
South L street and reconstructing it
there, when that plan was under con-
sideration.
This expense Mueller estimated
would total $4,000. but at least
$4,000 can be eliminated when only
figuring on the cost of raising one end
pf the bridra