The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-06-04
ROAD OFFICIALS
CONSIDER PROJECT
City's Proposition to Acquire
Southern Railway Property Is
Subject of Consultation.
WANT EIGHTY-FOOT STREET
Solution of Scheme to Widen
Fourteenth Is Believed to
Be Almost in Sight.
WANT EIGHTY-FOOT STREET

II. Herman, chief engineer. mainte-
nance OF way OF the Southern Rail-
way Company, held a consultation yes
terday with the local authorities of the
( system on the city's proposition for ac-
curing from the company a strip OF
its property on Fourteenth street for
me purpose OF making that thorough
rare eighty feet wide from the abut-
nont of the Mayo Bridge to the north
wall of the Dock
the consultation was attended among
! others by Attorney Thomas b. Cay
who represented the road at the several
council committee hearings on the
matter Mr.. Gay said that the whole
pan was gone over in detail with
Mr. Herman. and that he expected the
matter to be adjusted ut an early date
Unless complications occur. said Mr.
,'aE' the Southern Railway will make
known its answer to the city's offer
! by next Monday or Tuesday
Members of the Council subcommit-
tee. which has wrestled with tho
; bridge approach for almost n year. are
confident that an early solution of the
diiiicuity is in sight. Chairman Morgan
IL. Mills. Of the subcommittee is par
tcuiarly opthnistic, ana believes that
the Southern Railway Company will
CO. Operate in making possible the
Fourteenth Street Improvement by
transferring the needed s;rip or land
on the terms offered by the city.
WILL. MAKE CONCESSIONS
IL TERMS ARE ACCEPTED
If the Southern accepts the c;ty's
terms it will, in turn for certain i'm
portHnt concessions, deed To the city
without cost enough of its property
to make Fourteenth Street eighty feet
wide from the bridge to the north wall
of the Dock, and sixty feet wide from
the Dock to Cary Street. The prin-
cipal concessions are:
That the city agrees 10 place no
curb in front Of the proposed freight
terminal building which the road will
shortly erect on Fourteenth Street on
The site until recently occupied hy the
passenger station and yards. thus Civ
ing the road the right tn maintain a
teamw"r on what would have been the
sidewalk.
That the road be permitted to lay n
spur track in front OF the southern
wall OF the proposed freight terminal
and that il he given the right to lay
additional sid"tracks on Virginia street
That the city assume all rcsponsi-
biltty for the reconstruction and main
tenancc Of the wooden bridge over the
Dock at Fourteenth street Tho re-
*ponsibiiity for the maintenance of this
I bridge Is disputed and is now in III
/ cation.
That the right o: the Chesapeal, ma
! ohio railroad Company to maintain
nc Two tr"SiieS supporting It's via :
| ddct, located in the strip which 1t is
proposed to cede to the city. remain
unimpaired.
! Several OF the conce ssions are re-
| i:arded by ;he City Attorney as of the
iirSt Importance and rs amply reward
me the road for dedicating the strlp
hceded by the city for mn Improvement
"hich VIII greatly enhance the value
OF the railroad property. Tie c;tv's
ptopos'tioii was drawn up by city AZ
torneN l'ollard. city Engineer Boiling
ana Chairman Mills, OF the subco,nm,,
zee having the matter In charge, ana
mas been submitted in writing to the
southern Railway Comnany's operating
! authorities in Washington.
APPROACH PROBLEM
~, REMAINS UNSOIVED
The widening OF Fourteenth Strccr
| VIII leave still unSolved the par.n1
problem OF an approach to the briu,ro
| from Main Street For months there
nav: neen before the bridge approach
| committee two rival plans. One. in
"orsed by the City Engineer, contcm-
pla'eS inc opening of an cighty-foot
thorou2htare from Main street along
Fifteenth Street. and the Dock TO
Fourteenth street and along that street
10 the bridge
inc rival plan, supported by Il large
numhcr OF business men In South Ricn-
mond and in the Cary Stree, wholesaI.
district, proposes TO open Il direct an
proach from Main street TO the bridge
along Fourteenth Street The mos,
important drawback to this plan rs
that The Southern has Indicated >s,
1t Will be impossible for the road 70
give UP enough land to make -Four
teenth Street between the Dock ana
cary street more than sixty feet wide.
The high value of property on Four
teenth Street. between Cary and Main
streets. ii Is stated, will forbid
Widening II
tween these two streets.
AS soon ms matters are arranged
witch the southern Hallway Company
the committee Will enter actively upon
the work of arranging for the rest
of The approach to the bridge <nc
outlook now is that an effort will he
made to widen both Fourteenth ana
:'ifto cnth Streets.