Four Railroads, One Street Grid, and a Deal Seattle Had to Approve

The conferences between the officials of the Great Northern, Northern Pacific, Lake Shore and Columbia & Puget Sound railroads during the past five days have not yet resulted in any definite or any contract signed, current rumors to the contrary notwithstanding. Negotiations have been completed, however, with satisfaction to all parties concerned, except in the matter of two or three details which are yet in abeyance.

When General Manager Warren of the Great Northern and party arrived in the city Saturday evening, on their return from Fairhaven, he met the officials of the several railroads in Judge Burke’s office, and the dispute concerning the terminal trackage was discussed. There were present at the conference Receiver Brown of the Seattle, Lake Shore & Eastern railway; L. H. McHenry, chief engineer of the Northern Pacific; General Manager Smith, General Superintendent Bush and Attorney Burleigh of the Oregon Improvement Company; General Manager Warren, General Superintendent Farrell, Chief Engineer Miller and Assistant General Traffic Manager Shelby of the Great Northern.

The general features of the proposition as far as agreed upon run to the shifting of the tracks between Yesler and King streets, so that the two tracks of the main line of the Seattle & Montana railroad will be on the east side of their franchise; these two tracks to pass across the tracks of the Columbia & Puget Sound and Northern Pacific railroads into the Jackson street terminal grounds. It was agreed that the Seattle & Montana road should put in the crossings where necessary and establish an interlocking system, so as to enable the crossings to be passed without delay to the trains of the several companies. This was all conditioned, however, on the modification of the franchises of all three companies. It will be necessary also before a final agreement to take the matter up with the city council, and that the plans be discussed and approved; the council to be asked to grant a modification of the franchises. All this will be necessary before the agreement can be ratified. The railroad men “struck a snag” at the meeting of Saturday on two or three details, and a deadlock resulted, the meeting dispersing without any definite agreement being arrived at. An agreement within a few days, however, is looked for.

There may be such a thing as the city standing in the way of a speedy settlement of the crossing proposition. As the matter now stands, the city will not consent to certain of the provisions contemplated by the Great Northern people. The latter’s original franchise for tracks to the depot called for two tracks across Commercial street, the right-of-way to widen so that by the time South Third street should be reached there would be four tracks. The company has submitted a revised franchise which does not call for any specific number of tracks, but specifies that there should be a wide track space, which will require the grade of Commercial and South Third streets, between Jackson and King streets, to be made so heavy as, it is feared, would prove a hindrance to traffic, also rendering the approaches dangerous to life and property.

Saturday evening the Great Northern people had a half hour’s talk with City Engineer Thomson concerning the matter. Mr. Thomson said that the city would certainly protest against the franchise as revised, but Chief Engineer Miller of that road assured him that the matter could be arranged satisfactorily to the city and to the company. He said that as soon as he returned to St. Paul he would draw up revised plans of the crossings with profile, which will do away with the objections, and mail the same to the city engineer.

General Manager Warren and party left on a special train Sunday morning for the East. Thomas R. Shepard, who had gone to Wenatchee the night before, met Mr. Warren again at Leavenworth on Sunday, and the general manager was then more sanguine than ever of the difficulty being amicably settled in a very short time.