Congress St. Sure Now

A special meeting of thé eommon council was ealled for last Tuesday to again tackle the Detroit, Ypsilanti and Ann Arbor railway question and all were present except Mayor Harding and Aids. Gaudy and Huston. The special committee made their report, which was substantially as follows: That they had looked over the plans for the Congress street route and the Cross street route, and reeommended in favor of the Congress street route from Washington street to the west end of the Congress street bridge, and from the east end of the bridge to the city limits; as to the bridge the company was asked to submit plant: and specifications widening the structure before they could recommend anything definite in this portion of the route; the eompany to provide tubular iron poles, jointed and painted, from Washington street to River street; the eompany to be requiied to pave with paving brick inside the rails and with concrete eighteen inches outside the rails on all extensions made within the city limits; and the eompany to give a good and sufficient bond in the sum of $10,000 themselves to lócate and maintain during the life of their franchise a power house in the city. Aid. Worden - I move that the report be accepted and adopted. Carried unanimously. Secretary John Russel, of the eompany, was asked in regard to the eompany crossing the bridge, and he referred the council to Mr. Griflin,. the eontractor, who was present. Mr. Griffin - Mr. Hawks has had an engineer examine the bridge and he fmds that the present structure can be used for our purposes if the il oor brams are strengthened. The trusses are plenty strong enough to put on a car. In order to build a new bridge it will take 60 days' time. We can put an extensión in the side of the bridge by putting in another truss and widening the abutments. From present indications we will be ready to run cars over the line by May 1. All the iron has been ordered and it will bc bore in a week. President Shaffer - It was the sense of the committee to have the bridge widened. Mr. Griffln - We could put in another truss and do so. Aid. Moore - Can your engineer furnish plans for us by next Monday night? Mr. Griffln - Tes, sir. Mr. Russell- Would it not be Veil to flnd out what the city is going to do or what it wants us to do? Aid. Worden - It seems to me that it would be proper to let the eompany run over one side of the bridge for the time being. We will soon have to have I a new bridge at Forest avenue and by replacing that one with the present Congress street bridge we can save the cost of half of one bridge. The eompany agrees to stop at the top of the hill and at the power house. before pro, ceeding over the bridge and there is i no chance for any accident. Aid. Moore - I would suggest that the : engineer furnish us some plans and show them up here. Aid. Shaefer - If we move the Ccngress street bridge up to Forest avenue i we will have to shorten the width of I the stream at Forest avenue. Aid. Meanwell - We measured the two : bridges and the Forest avenue bridge is 36 feet shorter. Aid. Van Fossen - It would be a good ! idea to appoint a committee to investígate the matter. We will have to have a new bridge soon at Forest avenue, and if we can use the Congress streel bridge so much the better. Aid. Davis - I think the Congress street bridge is good enough for the city for the next twenty years. I don't believe the city wants to build bridges for the railway eompany. If they want bridges let them build them. Aid. Van Fossen - I move that the committee on bridget, together with the city engineer, be íippointed to estímate the cost of moving the Congress street bridge to Forest avenue, and see what can be done with the two bridges cnJ report at the next meeting. President Shaffer- I do not favor thls plan. It will cost more to take the bridge down and move it and flll in than it would to build a new bridge. Aid. Van Fossen - It is all gue&s work now and will not mean anylhing until the committee reports. Aid. Worden - As far as rilling in is concerned, it is the policy of the Michigan Central railroad to make their bridges as short as possible. i Aid. Moore - I am in favor of the eompany poing across the bridge as easily as possible. The Congress street bridge is all riveted together and would be hard to take apart. I would suggest Mr. Griffin, that you make plans for an ■ extensión on the nor them side of the present bridge and with a sidewalk on the northern side of the car track. The matter was finally referred to the committee on bridges, consisting of Aids. Worden, Davis and Moore and the city engineer. The council then adjourned. During the year 1897 there was received for deer licenses by the county treasurers of the several counties of the state, $7,003.25. The amount received from resident hunters was $5,914 and from non-residents, $1,089.25.