Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-12-01

10 admit of II four.trnck line and 1T
III" same tim. the statement is made
by the president OF the railroad com
rary that although The present sin.:,e-
track James River brdg. has TO he
replaced. only II double track structure
will lie substituted
II. The depressing % the streets be-
Meath the railroad tracks. as proposed
by the railroad company. is hardly TO
be considered a proper solution Of THIS
question on accOun; Of the topography
OF the territory which makes !; cN-
trcmcly iuadviSabl" 20 lower the sur
face OF the streets below the surround
ing ground. and the same reason would
suggest the building Of the streets on
AN "nbantmcn; and above the sur
rounding territory, which is possible
in the track depression plan. The four
teen foot vertical clearance which the
railroad company proposes to furnish
for tho streets passing underneath their
tracks, is hardly sufficient. as the pres
cnt tendency ia still further 70 increase
the height OF such vehicles as NOV
ing vans and vehicles for III" trdnspor-
tation Of light matter.
y. The Iankins plan does not re-
Guire the entire expenditure. OF the
money estimated In his probable cost
OF construction, but only makes It
necessary to complete the depressing
ii the Belt Line tracks 20 his grade
and the construction 1T the present
time of one bridge at Monument Az
cuue. and ar additional bridge when
traffic demands the same. Likewise the
bridges over the remaining streets may
ne constructed through q period OF time
For at least ten years, unless this ter
ritory unexpectedly develops within tho
next few years.
EASIER THAN PRESENT
Up AND DOWN GRADES
- Under the Hankins plan il must
be borne in mind that there Is uni
form descending grade from the "S'
at .Acca to the north end o. the James
River bridge. which will undoubtedly
facilitate and make easier the moving
of heavily loaded trains than Ii is pos
sble to do over the present broken
and choppy grades. The traffic moving
north will do from n very slight
ascending grade as far AS Monument
Avenue and from Monument Avenue
to tho "Y'' at Acca over > per cent
grade. Under tho plan as proposed by
the railroad company there will be an
ascending grade from Ncca, with the
summit near Monument Avenue. and
also Il descending grade Of about the
corresponding gradient from Monument
Avenue TO the James River bridge, so
=
proposed by the railroad company, will
be confronted from either the north
or the south with very much greater
grade than that proposed under the
Hankins plan. and as this grade VIII
reach it's highest point at or near
Monument Avenue, any engine Will be
more than likely to cross Monument
Avenue under a full head of steam
with ACCOMMODATING clouds of smoke,
thereby creating Il nuisance in the most
select portion OF Richmond's West End.
EXPECTS ELECTRIC ENGINES
TO DE USED IN CITIES
"a It has been suggested by the
chief engineer OF the railroad company
would to some extent mitigate the
smoke nuisance and be less objection
able than when trains were operating
in a deep cut. In this connection 1t
should not be lost sight OF that the
probabilities are that within very
short time all trains operating through
populous cities will be operated by
electricity. and the smoke nuisance
entirely abated
10 II Monument Avenue in time
is to be smooth paved with any kind
of asphalt pavement II will be extreme
u inadvisable to lay pavement of Thu.
kind beneath any overhead bridges
that will cross Monument Avenue, or
other streets. as these bridges will un-
doubtedly keep the surface Of the
streets below In n damp and wet con-
dition AT all times, and conditions OF
this kind are not conducive to the
life of asphalt paving. and II is very
likely that the continuity Of the char
acter OF any paving on the future
Monument Avenue and other streets