New Britain herald., 1915-04-12
START BIG PROJECT
 AFTER MANY DELAYS
Widening of Chestnut and Stanley Streets Held Up Over Four Years.
WORK COMMENCED THIS MORNING

City Fearing Injunction, Keeps Plans
 Secret Until Last Moment-Propcr-
 ty Owners Block Double Tracking
 Through Courts.
 After a delay of over four years, the. city of New Britain commenced this morning the work of preparing Chestnut, Stanley and Dwight streets for the laying of double trolley tracks by the Connecticut company. This is one of the biggest projects the city ever attempted and it is expected that the final spike in the new tracks will not be hammered home until the fall.
 Plans for the commencement of the work have been guarded religiously by the city officials as even up to the last moment it was feared that some of the property owners on Chestnut street would bring injunction pro- ceedings to hold it up. City Engineer William H. Hall has laid out his plan of campaign and it is expected that within a short time big gangs of laborers. will be put to work cutting down trees, moving back curbs and catch basins and doing other neces- sary work.
 First Work Done This Morning.
 Assistant Engineer Mccarthy and two aides were on the ground early this morning laying new curb lines on both sides of the street gang of pick and shovel men attacked the north sidewalk east of the railroad tracks bringing it down to grade. Superintendent BeardsIey of the Con- necticut company said today that a start will be made tomorrow morn ing owing back trolley poles. Before the work is finished manhoIes, fire hy- drants, service boxes, telephone, tele- graph and trolley poles and catch basins must be moved and with a big force at work this is to be rushed. The Connecticut company will lay T rails weighing ninety-five pounds to the foot similar to those laid on West Main street. The rails have already been ordered.
 May Lay .imcsitc Pavement.
 Chestnut and Stanley streets will be built thirty-four feet from curb to curb, the minimum distance allowed by law on thoroughfares where there are double tracks. Dwight street is already sufficiently wide for a two- track system. On Chestnut and Stanley streets the curbs will be moved back two feet on each side. The board of public works has not decided on the nature of the pave ment to be used, but it will probably be amesite. All the expense with the exception of the city's share for pave ment will be borne by the Connecti- cut company.
 Held Up Since January, 1911.
 Surveys for the widening of Chest nut and Stanley streets were made by city engineers on January IA, 1911, following a hearing given by the board of public works on petition for a wider roadway on Chestnut street. The matter was referred to the board of compensation and assess ment and an appeal to the court of common pleas was taken from the boards finding by property owners on Chestnut and Stanley streets. Many interesting questions were brought up in the appeal but probably the most interesting was that of the value of the trees that must come down before the improvement is completed. This appeal was handled for the property owners by Judge B. F. Gaffncy and Judge George w. klett and for the city by Corporation Council J. F.. Cooper.
 William IT. Maltbe was appointed committee to take tho evidence by the court of common pleas and in his finding he increased the award of damages on the Webb, Lacey, Charles Steele, Howard Steele and Fitzgerald properties by considerable amount. It is understood that the Connecticut company has reimbursed the city for all damages. A number of hearings were held by Mir. Maltbie and each i proved to be of unusual interest be- cause of the many phases of the case.
 Although the work is started there arc some city officials who are fear full lest tine property owners who are dissatisfied may yet resort to an in- junction. As far as could be learned today no action in this respect is be- ing planned.
 CONCERT TOUR OF BELGIUM,