The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-01-04
TIDEWATER TO ASK
S7-BLOCK FRANCHISE
Viii Ask Commission For
Permit To Build Numer-
Gus Feeders For Line
WILL OFFER TO BUILD
SUBWAY ON 18TH STREET
Abandoning Avenue Company Will Ask Franchise Avenue
Past Emweod Cemetery to Cleveland Station in
West End-North Birmingham Line to
Enter on 18th Street
BY CLYDE w. ENNIS

The sum between Sl.0O0.0c0 and H,500,00o
will be spent in this city by the Birming
ham Ensley and Bessemer railroad during
the next is months II the franchise which
| is now being prepared by Forney John
ston, attorney for the company, is granted
| by the city commissioners The franchise
that Is now being prepared will ask for
over 81 blocks in the city of Birmingham,
all of which are under the direct juris-
diction and assessment of the city COM
mission. At the rate charged by the
city recently. $1,000 per block. sum equal
to $4,000 would be secured II the Tide
water company gets the franchises asked
Probably Largest Ever Sought
The franchise which is being written
is the largest and most extensive that
! has been arranged In this city for some
years. In fact it is believed that this
franchise is the most extensive that has
been arranged since the original fran
chise was given the Birmingham Rail
way Light and Power company
From what can be gathered unofficially
it is said that the company expects the
city to act without the loss of time on
the franchise as the company has been
unable to construct any feeders for its
Fifth avenue line now running between
East Lake and Ensley and out to Fair
field. For this reason, il Is said that
the Tidewater wishes to secure speedy
action on the franchise that / sto be filed
during the next few days so that work
may start Immediately on the feeders that
are needed.
The map that has been arranged for
the Information of the city commission
indicates that lines are to be constructed
from West End that is to say Cleveland
station to Avondae unedr the new ar
rangements to connect at the latter place
with the present Fifth avenue line which
passes Avondale park within one block.
Seek Two Cross Town Lines
Operating north and south. the fran
chise will ask for two crosstown lines
The company also intends to ask for
operating rights on the principal down
town streets One will be ON Third ave-
nue. from Eighteenth street to Twenty
second street, connecting In this way
with the two crosstown lines, Another
downtown line will be on First avenue.
from Eighteenth street to Twenty second
street, while ON Twentieth street the conf
teth street from First to Third avenues.
The downtown business blocks which
are to be made a part of the franchise
requests of the Tldewater company are
occupied by the Birmingham Railway,
Light and Power company, and may be
refused by the commission On the other
hand 1t is probable that traffic arrange
ments may be forced upon the Birming-
ham Railway. Light and Power company
for the Tidewater in the event the latter
company agrees to pay n reasonable COM
pensaton to the Birmingham Railway,
Light and Power company for the trae-
fic rights thereon. That is a subject thai
is to be threshed out.
Will Abandon Avenue +
In the application that will be filed
the Tidewater company WILL much to
the surprise of a great many, abandon
its request for franchise west on Ave
nue. + from Twentieth street, which has
been the subject of more or less fighting
for the past 16 months on the part of
the Kelley interests. the Birmingham
Railway. Light and Power company. the
Tidewater and lately William Mudd Wa
ker. The company will abandon that lin
and go out Avenue II, until within one
block of the Louisville and Nashville
crossing at Avenue L, where the COM
pany hopes to bring it's rails back and
go under the proposed underpass at that
point, cOntlnulnR on TO Elfn%OOd cemt-
terry by way of the remaining portion of
that avenue.
Tho Tidewater company Will continue
out the Montevallo road to the Munger
home and down Cotton avenue to Ceve-
land. The lines will loop back on Vine
street, thence on Elm to Owenton avenue
ano thence across the Atlanta, Birming-
bam and Atlantic tracks to the Fifteenth
avenue line of the company now operat- |
ing near Owenton. That line win enable
re sidents of West End to reach Ensley
for work at convenient hours on a reas-
orable schedule. it is affirmed
Subway at Eighteenth Street
AS to the cross town lines the company |,
will indicate a spirit of fairness and CO.
operation. II is asserted by the officials |
that the company Will offer to construct
a subway at Eighteenth street for the |
cross town line on that street under the
webb of railroad tracks free of cost to the |
city or all interests excepting the Tide
water The only exception is that the citv |
shall authorize the company to construct
the subway, exempting the company from
possible adjacent property damages. and
that the Louisville and Nashville railroad !
shall take care of its surface track at !
that point In this way the city, 1t is
aaid, can folve without much trouble one