The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1913-10-05
THE CITY ENGINEER.
His Communication to the Caucasian
on the Greenwood Road.

The Caucasian has received from
George Wilson, city engineer, a COM
municatiOn and a ''prO1iie and align
ment of the Greenwood road from
Healne avenue to corporation Hnf.
The profile, owing to its size. can mol
be published but ii Will be kept a,
No 203 Milan street for the public :
| inspection.
The city engineer in his statement
declares: 4 take entire responsible
ity and Will invite further crltI-
cism.,
1t would seem that the city en-
eineer,s disapproval OF the Caucas-
ian's criticism 9Of the condition OF
the Greenwood road is to the por-
ton Of the article as he quotes:
The tearing up and grading of the
Greenwood road to accommodate the
Traction Company should never
have been tolerated, ETC., and should
have been compelled to follow the
natural grade Of the roadway as if
it was a street of Shreveport, To
| be exact and definite, this is what
| the Caucasian said: -"The Traction
Company should never have been
granted the right of way over the
-; Greenwood road, which cost the par-
sh for its Improvement approx
mately $4,000"
In part of the criticism the Cau-
casian said: The tearing up and the
grading of the Greenwood road 10
| accommodate the Traction Company
should never have been tolerated,
and While the Traction COmpany's 5
! right to the Greenwood road is in a
sense limitless. it could have been
compelled to follow the natural
/ grade of the roadway as it would a
street in Shreveport.
The city engineer explains in the
phrase reading: Being the city en-
/ gineef, I feel it my duty to say that
(! the change of the grade OF the
| Greenwood road was left entirely
with me by the Commission, and as
to the Traction Company [ have my
doubts if they ever saw the profile.
/ This statement is somewhat re-
markable, especially in its reference
to the Tgaction Company, which evi-
| IDENTIFY, has been remiss in this in
stance in not having applied it:
characteristic scrutiny to all its af-
fairs and interests, even to the min
utest details, but as this declaration
is from a gentleman of unquestioned
veracity, it is accepted fully and I'M
/, reservedly.
/ AS indicated by the profile there
, are two lines, one red and one black
y! which demonstrate the grade as es-
!, tabhshed by the city engineer and
the original surface Of the oil road
The city engineer explains that s'the
!, surface of the oil road has only been
changed where the drainage has de-
manded it,
II Indeed we would not dispute sin
gle engineering point and would ac-
cept as did the Council, who are not
engineers, the profile Of the road
but there is an amazing divergence
from the demonstration of the grade
outlined in the profile and the grade
for the Traction Company as now
fixed.
|. Suppose, as a relative comparison
that mans nose is reduced in pro
file an eighth of an inch. On profile
/ this defect would scarcely be no.
L. ticeaEle, but how strikingly amaz-
ing would be this Disagreement il
the man had suffered such a CLIP
from off his nose.
The difference between the profile
on paper and the actual condition OF
i the roadway is that the red and The
black lines of the profile are traceC
neatly and attractively, while tht
! roadway as reduced to the grade .
the city engineer is viewed viii
amazement in its Disagreement
which will entail, eventually. suit
against the city, as resulted from tn,
!. grading Of Laurel street. on Which
! a double track Of the Traction Com.
panv is being operated.
In referring to the city engineer
responsibility suffice it TO say tha
he is a subordinate and is respon
, sible to the Mayor and the commits.
sioners for his official acts for tn
city, and when his pgotiIe and align
1nent Of the Greenwood road from
Hearne avenue to the corporation
line was accepted and adopted b.
! the City Council May 13. 1913, hi
T responsibility ceased as it wa
5 transferred to and assumed by til