The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1913-06-14
STRAIGHT LINE FROM NEW YORK
 TO NEW HAVEN
Old Parallel Road Scheme Re- called by Frequent Accidents

day the suggestion appeared that per haps the New Haven railroad was try ing to do too much on the tracks now operated and that more trackage might lessen the number of accidents on the road. The statement calls to mind the efforts to obtain a railroad parallel to the New Haven line which extended over a period of about 20 years and in which many men prornt- nent in Bridgeport's public life were interested Although the desirability of such line had been discussed fre- Quently the first organized movement was made in 1871 or 1872 when a charter was asked of the General As sembIy.
 A survey was made by this com pany under the name New York and Connecticut Air Line. A reorganiza- ton five years later kept the com pany alive but no work was done. In 1881 there was another reorganization under the same name and work was begun in earnest. The articles of in corporation were filed with the secre- tary of State on October 20, 1881. The this company:
 Bridgeport-P. T., Barnum, Henry R. Parrott. David Trubee, F. w. Par rott, 2d and A. L. Winton.
 Norwalk-S. B. Olmstead, B. K Lockwood. George R. Coles, H. F. Guthrie, c. B. Cooledge, Levi Warner.
 Stanford-W. T. Minor.
 Providence-W. w. Douglass, N- B. Schubarth.
 New York-Char1es D. Ingerso1l, C.. V. SfdeL, Sheldon Collins, Silas w. Lutre11, s. J. German, Frances W. Ford, H. c. Hepburn, Vim. G. Black, James R. Jesup, R. M. Lambeer, H. Walter Webb.
 New Jersey-John c. Shaw, Wm. F.
 About this time the Boston Rapid Transit company came into existence and obtained charter to build from Boston to New Haven and the Parallel road, as it was commonly called, pro- posed to connect with it at the latter city. S. E. OImstead of Norwalk was then president of the Parallel. The surveys were perfected and the right of way secured. Grading was done at different points along the line. It was finally discovered that the Bos- ton people were unable to fulfill their promises to finance their proposition. No work was ever done by them. An arrangement was then made with the New York capitalists who were in control of the Housatonic, the Dan bury & Norwalk and the New Haven and Derby lines. This plan included the merging of all the roads with the Parallel road and the completion of the latter. Henry R. Parrott of this city was then president but the plan fell through after a year of patient waiting.
 Succeeding companies were named and the New York, Bridgeport and Eastern. The affairs of the company were closed up in 1891 and those who had invested lost the money they had ventured in the enterprise.
 The proposition of this company looked good to everyone along it's line. The surveys laid out a line practically straight from Bronxdale to New Ha- ven. No curve greater than two de- grees was made in the lay out. At BronxdaIe the steam road was to con meet with a rapid transit line then proposed into the city of New York. The line crossed the New Haven road at Pelham and ran well to the north of that line all the way to New EIa- ven. This survey allowed the elini- nation of all the troublesome draw bridges with the exception of that across the Housatonic. As almost ali the towns along the Sound have ex- banded northward the wisdom of the promoters in selecting this route has been fully demonstrated. The line practically para1leied the New Haven road through Mamaroneck, Harrison and Rye entering the Connecticut short distance from that line and in plain view of it. It avoided the curves which have cost the New Haven road many thousands of dollars since that time.
 This survey entered Bridgeport at Moody's Mill, crossed the property of F. w. Parrott in the North End, ran across the Berkshire Mill pond through Old Mill Green and striking the Housatonic river at Pope's flats where 1t was proposed to erect the draw bridge. This line was straight deep. cuts were, required, however. Work was done in Stratford, at Raw enstream, now the Pine Tree Inn, at Berkshire, also in Norwa1k and Stam- ford. Only enough work was done to answer the requirements of the charter. When the affairs of the com pany were closed in 1891 the right of way was turned back to the original owners.
 An effort was made in the early nineties to induce the New Haven road to adopt the survey of the New York and Eastern connecting their main line with 1t at the Acid Works in Fairfield and meeting it again at the bridge across the Housatonic. This plan would have eliminated the heavy curves through the city of Bridgeport and would have avoided the expendi- ton Of the four tracks through the city. Some of the New Haven off cials were strongly in favor of this plan but it was finally defeated by the Bridgeport men then prominent in the New Haven company.
 A mistaken idea existed for years