The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1914-10-15
SOUTH S|OERS.
ASK HEARING
ON BRIDGE SITE
Mass Meeting Names L. H.
Smithmeyer and w. H.
Kelley to Present Petitions
for T. Street.
GIVES NEW HIGHWAY
Proposed Span Location
Adds to Fire Protection in
West Richmond, Giving
Quicker Access.

Perfect harmony reigned on one
question, that of the location of the
south side bridge. at the mass meet
ing held in the court house last night.
Among more than one hundred men
whom the weather did not keep away
there was not dissenting voice.
The petition for the e street loca-
tion is even bigger than expected.
When about $50 pages were turned in,
1t was found to contain about 1000
names instead of 5000 and a number
of the petitions are still out. 1t ia con-
coded to be the biggest improvement
petition ever filed in the county.
The outcome of the meeting was the
---~~~~ 80 ree~,.-+'~r ASKING the
board of county commissioners to set
=. tine Ior hearing Oh lne bridge To-
cation and the appointment of a COM
mittee of Louis II. Smitnmeyer and
Attorney w. H. Kelley to incorporate
in the resolution the reasons for want
ing the e street location.
Repeats Other Fights.
The fight now on for the location
Doran bridge and Main street bridge
fights, according to John Schwegman
who says he has been a resident of
the first ward for sixty-five years.
Forty years ago the center Of Rich
mond was in the south end" said Mr..
Schwegman. when the Doran bridge
was proposed it looked to some people
like a wild scheme. They wanted the
bridge at South E street. The same
was the case when the Main street
bridge replaced the old National road
bridge. stood tor both those bridges
and now I stand for the South E
street bridge"
President Kelly. Professor True
blood and other Earlham men who
stand for the e street location were
not present. BY a unanimous vote,
Attorney Kelley was made chairman
and Louis H. Smithmeyer, secretary.
Mr.. Kelley stated the purpose of the
meeting and listed some Of the reasons
the committee has for wanting the
location asked.
To Eliminate Danger.
I'VE are here to lend encourage
ment and intelligence to those who
have judicial power to act, the board
of county commissioners" Mr.. Kelley
said. in making our discussions, we
must lose sight of the advantage the
bridge will be to any individual and
make 1t a question of the most con-
venient place at which the most
people can cross"
Mr.. Kelley then explained a new
plan permanently to eliminate any
danger from the railroad. In his in
vestigations he has found that the
west bank Of the river is ten feet
lower than the railroad on the east
bank. Fourth and South E street is
a high point and by removing this
point, the slope from Fifth street to
a bridge under the railroad would be
scarcely perceptible.
This would mean a lower bridge
built on a level and probably at ten
per cent less cost than a bridge and
grade crossing at the railroad would
cost, Mr.. Kelley said. He suggested
that this would bring to Richmond
new thoroughfare, South E street
which would be the only street to run
on straight line from city limits to
city limits.
This would also mean that south
west Richmond would have fire pro-
lection from company which would
have a straight run, the company To-
Gated at Ninth and South E streets.
The large number of persons housed
at Earlham college, should be consid-
cred in this too, Mr. Kelley said The
Joseph Moore school house at the end
Of the proposed site, would also be
protected.
In speaking of the opposition Mr..
Kelley said he believed there was no
opposition outside of the South Side
Improvement association and the i'm
provement association Is divided with
in itself on the question.
Timothy Nicholson. who has ap-
peared before the commissioners be-
fore in the fight for the E street
bridge, spoke few words, saying that
as far as he is concerned. the question
of the bridge location is settled and
that r street Is the only practical
point,
N. c. Heironimus compared the To-
cation Of the bridge with the building
Of railroad.
"If we look to the immediate pa
tronage. we select e street If we
look into the prospective business, E
street is the logical point" he said
Charles Carpenter endorsed the
bridge location and stated his willing
ness to fight for it.
Folger P. Wilson suggested that by
the time the future generations the
South Side improvement association
would prepare for, are here, there will
be money enough to build another
bridge to take care of the additional
growth.
The work Of Levi Peacock, county
engineer was an important one. He
said that e street is the only location
where the span can be made on a due
east and west course. He said e
street is the logical location.
Richard Sedgwick declared it a mat
ter Of civic economics for the city to
advocate the e street location and
prevent a gap in the city's growth.
However Alfred Bavis, of the board
of works refused to voice his ideas,
declaring he came merely as a spec.
tator and could not as a public official
express himself ON a question which
has caused the growth of such fac
tons.
George Bishop spoke of the advan-
tages the location will be in opening
up territory surrounding the Joseph
Moore school, Earlham college and the
back part Of Earlham cemetery.
The committee consisting of Mr.
Kelley and Mr.. Smithmeyer will ap-
pear before the commissioners with
their resolution some time this week to
ask for date of hearir-- on the ques-
ton. At that time, the her commit