The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1924-12-23
VIADUCT PLANS
FOR 24TH STREET
UP TO SOUTHERN
r. B. Pegram Is Lone Rail
Executive Now Hold
ing Out

r. B. Pegram of Atlanta, vice presi-
dent of the Southern railroad. Will de-
eide whether the construction OF a VIA
duct at Twenty-fourth street is to be-
gin Immediately or the matter thrown
into another endless progression Of dis
putations.
This fact developed Monday when 1t
became known that committee OF SIX
leading business men, who have been
working on the project for six weeks.
are expecting reply from Mr.. Pegram
within the next few days to plan for
financing which has been agreed to by
the Louisville and Nashville and Sea-
board railroads aud three of the city
commission 1890 ---
The plan offered by the committee
deyiates somewhat from the original
proposaI for financing. Under its terms
the city will bear 30 per cent OF the
cost and a like proportion of the abut-
ting property damage. The previous
stipulation by the commissioners was
that they would foot Is per cent Of the
construction bill and bear all OF the
property damages. The bone of conten-
ton between the city and railroads for
the last three months has been over III
Der cent of the expenditure necessary,
or approximately $4,000.
Predict Acceptance
While the citizens committee cannot
anticipate Mr.. Pegram's answer it is
believed he will accept since refusal
will not only align the Southern against
the public and commission but the two
other railroads as well. In its en-
byronic state the plan was turned down
by attorneys for. the Southern but in
the light of recent events it Is declared
that railroad executives look with more
favor on the proposition. The last let
ter to Mr.. Pegram from the committee
was in the form of an ultimatum. The
Southern is the road most affected since
it has greater trackage and its burden
of cost will be comparatively greater.
The committee of six is composed Of
outstanding commercial figures who en-
tered the controversy unSelfishly. After
several conferences at which the pre-
viously mentioned plan was worked out
they appeared before the city commits
sion. Fearing that publicity might re-
act as a detriment to a successful con-
clusion they requested that the confab
be kept secret. The conference was at
tended by Commissioners McLendon,
Cloe, Harrison and Dickson and lasted
from 10 in the morning until l in the
afternoon. AS result it is said that
all of the commission represented, with
the exception of Harrison, agreed to
the plan. Mrs. Mary Echols was not
in the city at the time of the meeting.
Steep Grade Denied
Another development Game Monday
in the form of an emphatic city hall
denial OF statement by Julian Ken
drick, former city engineer, that the
city's plans for the Twenty fourth street
span proposed a grade of 6 per cent
on the north approach, or 20 per cent
sleeper than that at the highest point
on the Twenty-first street viaduct.
"The maximum grade on the plans
we have drawn is 3 per cent for dis
lance of approximately 80 feet-just
the same as the grade on the viaduct
which was built while Mr. Kendrick
was city engineer, declared Street
Commissioner w. f. Dickson.
On the south approach MIR. Dick
son said, "the maximum grade is 3.15
per cent. At no point do we provide
for greater grade than 5 per cent,
and that is only for so feet on the north
approach"
All commission members at city hall
Monday expressed confidence that the
Twentyfourth street plans will be con-
summated in the next few weeks, or
before litigation begins with the rail-
roads over the underpass program.
FavorS Both Viaducts
Il am in favor of getting both the
Twenty fourth and Twenty sixth street
viaducts settled amicably before we go
into the underpass litigation" McLen-
don said. 1T looks very much like a
complete agreement is in sight"
Property owners cooperating on the
Twenty-fourth street plans are headed
by H: N. Mallory, chairman of meet
ing held several days ago. The TWEEN
ty-sixth street plans are in charge of a
committee headed by D. e. Menasco.