Grade Separation Is Not Yet Dead

GRADE SEPARATION IS NOT YET DEAD

The question of grade separation is not dead, but will receive the consideration from the special committee which it did not seem to from the council Monday evening. The committee met Wednesday in the city clerk's office, Mayor Copeland, Ald. Fischer, Hamilton, Schlenker and Moses Seabolt, Michael Brenner, Titus F. Hutzel, Attorney E. B. Norris being present. The matter was discussed and a resolution was passed asking the ordinance committee with the city engineer to go over the ground and amend the proposed ordinance and report to the joint committee.

Ald. Fischer said there were lots of people opposed to grade separation. There was Mr. Gundert, who lived on W. Madison street. While it would only raise the grade of the street about six inches at his house the back part of his lot would be very low.

Mayo. Copeland said they might ask why the hurry in taking action. If they had rubbed up against three railroad men as he had, each one putting the responsibility on the other, they would understand the necessity of passing an ordinance. Before they could do anything that had to be done. It seemed to him as if everyone would favor grade separation. There was the Washington street crossing of the Ann Arbor road that was one of the most dangerous that could be found. He only wondered that dozens of people had not been killed there. Ald. Hamilton asked if there was no watchman there.

Ald. Schlenker said the city was naturally laid out for grade separation, and he would much prefer raising the tracks of the Ann Arbor road to bridging the streets. If it was done right everybody would be satisfied. The expense to the city would be worth the improvements to the streets. Titus F. Hutzel said they should meet Mr. Ashley, the general manager of the Ann Arbor road, on a fair basis. Ald. Hamilton expressed himself in favor of grade separation.