Free trader-journal and Ottawa fair dealer. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1920-1927, 1921-10-28
C., D. & P. ATTACKED
IN WEEKS PETITION
TO STATE BOARD
MAYOR DEMANDS THAT STATE
BODY TAKE JURISDICTION OVER
FOX RIVER BRIDGE CONTRC
VERSY WITH CITY OF OF.
TAWA.

Mayor Weeks threat to take the
! city's controversy with the Chicago.
Ottawa q Peoria railway over the new
Main street bridge across the Fox
river before the Illinois commerce
commission was carried out this morn.
ing, when the mayor forwarded to the
commissions office at Springfield a
petition asking that body to assume
jurisdiction over the squabble and de.
termine which OF the two parties Is
right
In hi9 communication to the Illinois
commerce commission, successor to
the public utilities commission, the
mayor sets forth that the interurban
has refused to enter into a Joint agree
ment with the municipality for paying
costs of constructing the bridge, while
pointing to a recent opinion handed
down by a state engineer that the
present c., o. & p. structure was in |
hazardous condition and should be re-
placed by a bridge safe for general |
purposes expected Of it by the elec
trio line.
The petition asks that the commits.
sion compel the line to pay its share
of the expenses of building a new
100000 structure. getting in return
right of way across it,
The Petition.
The petition TO the Illinois com.
merce commission sets forth the fol-
lowing counts against the interurban,
while setting forth the citys claims
for recognition on the matter:
The City Of Ottawa, Illinois, pet'
toner, respectfully represents to this
honorable commission that it is a mt
nicipal corporation, organized under
the general laws of the State of Hi
nOis and that it maintains and oper-
ates a wagon bridge over and across
the Fox river on Main street, in said
city.
Your petitioner further represents
that the length Of said bridge is about
225 feet, that its total width is about
twenty-five feet, consisting about |
about eighteen feet roadway and four
feet of sidewalk on the north side
thereof. That said bridge was con
structed about the year 1871, and at
the present time is worn out and must |
be replaced at the earliest possible |
moment by new structure.
Your petitioner further represents |
that Main street, as above described |
at its point of intersection with the |
approaches to said bridge is about |
sixty feet in width that Main street |
is one of the principal business |
streets and thoroughfareS in said city, |
hat the passenger and foot traffic |
over said bridge is large at this time |
and will materially increase in the i'm |
mediate future, due to the fact that |
the paved state road connecting the |
City of Ottawa with the City Of Chi |
cago will enter the City of Ottawa at |
a point that will make it necessary
for all traffic coming into and out of ,
the city to pass over said bridge.
That two public institutions, to-wit:
The state armory and the Ottawa
Township High school, are located on
Main street, Just south and east of the
approach of said bridge, and both in
stitutions are largely used by the pub
lie, and the public to reach said insti-
| tutions must pass over said bridge,
| due to the fact of the present location
of the Chicago, Ottawa & Peoria rail
road tracks on Main street, and the
| further fact that said wagon bridge is
wholly north of said tracks, five hun.
| dred school children attending the
Ottawa Township High school must
cross said tracks to cross said bridge,
with the attending dangers incident
thereto, which danger would be re-
moved by a street wide bridge with
a sidewalk on the south side thereof.
| Your petitioner further represents
that just south Of the bridge above
described the Chicago, Ottawa & Peu-
ria Railway company owns and oper
ates railroad bridge which is used
for the transportation of its passen
ger, express and freight cars in and
out of the City of ottawa. That said
Chicago, ottawa q Peoria Railway
company's bridge crosses the Fox
river at a point just south of the
above described wagon bridge, ami
Continued on Page 3, Coz. 4