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Dkar Sir, — Asa matter of interest in con- nection with the subjects that are at present occupying the attention of your committee, 1 beg to transmit to you herewith a copy of a report made in July, 1853, by Mr. Fred Cumberland, then chief engineer of the Ontario, Simcoe and Huron railway, pro- posing a plan for the arrangement of the water front of the city of I'oronto. This report was made 33 years ago, when the city of Toronto had but 30,763 inhabitants and when there were no railways whatever along the water front. The present arrangement of Esplanade streat was at that time under consideration under the rthen proposed Esplanade Act of 18.53. The alternative proposition made by the report was that the natural position of the level of Front street as being above that of the lower, or wharf level, should be taken advantage of. That a retaining wall should be constructed along the south side of Front street so that the railway tracks passing from east to west through the city should run at the foot of this wall similarly to the way in whicli (as afterwards constructed uflder his directions) thev now run at the foot ol tlie bank between Bathurst and Brock streets. Cummuuication with the water front was to be made from the streets running north a^d south by means of bridges over the railway tracks in similar manner as is done at Bath- urst and Broik streets. It is to be remem- bered, however> that the levels of Front street, east of Simcoe, while sufficient to pass w.w. v>>u iy»>4nugr vtaOtvS e»re leSo tliuu at (ve proposition, and I think it will be admitted that the prophesies of the proposer have been most completely fulfilled. The Esplanade has become " neither more nor less than a street, although dignified by a higher name. " Tho use of it for railway trafiic was submitted to be " unwise in the last degree, and justified by neither common sense nor professional opinion," and the fore- cast has been fulfilled that if it were so used " the Esplanade, either as an esplanade or a street, would be ruined, and the railway seri'ice obstructed ; while further the city would b? cut off from its water frontage on the bay except under the permanent hazard and embarrassment of crossing, say, five lines of railway on the level !" The Crials ARain Arlaes. Again a crisis has arisen in the history of the water front of the city, and you are now endeavoring to relieve the community from the embarrassment which it was foreseen 35 years ago would be certain to result from the adoption of the scheme of placing the tracks upon Esplanade street. As the position stands an end must be put to level crossings, and either the railways must be carried over the roadways or the roadways carried over the railways. The first of these is what is termed " The Viaduct Scheme." Its adoption involves very considerable difficulties, partiuulsrljr in the way of retaining the convenience af lbca.1 car deliveries along the front of the uity tu the advantage of our merchants nui'. tflitufi- facturers, and also in the conpe<;iJiig of tbe " throiigh cracks " with the railw/iy paSHcu- ger and freight depots and with the exlsiing or proposed shunting yards. Theae oiftj i>e overcome, but they present a variety of Wc\\ nical problems wiiicn will need two uivi-^r.-i.' investigation. The second ib but an aduptiitioii of the .proposal made by Mr. (yiiinberlantl in 18.)3. The Windmill line has been moved out into the buy and between Esplanade street and ii a new east and west communication, "Lake street " has been tormed, which is ap- proxin.ately as far fioni Esplanade street as E8[)lanade is from Front. The streets run- ning liorth and south can, tiierefore, be con- tinued upon bridges leading from, and at or about the level of Front street, until such time us they have passed over tlio railway tracks, and tiien by a cradual descent reacli the new east and west line of communication to the docks and water frontage along Lake street. There should be no more difficulty in getting from the Front street level to Luke street than there is in getting from the present Front street level to Esplanade street. Comnuinicatit)n witti the water can be thus maintained free of danger from railway tracks byallstreetsalong the city water front, while the present facilities for delivery along Esplanade street and the connnunicatiim with the rail- way shunting yards would remain undis- turbed, and the citizens have freest and safest acces3 to the water front. A Further Suggestion. Might I make a further suggestion ? The city water front divides itself naturally into four sections. From the Don to Scott street is " business frontage," mainly usefl for manuiacturing, storage and freight forwarding purposes. From Scott to Bay may be considered the '•steamboat passenger centre," and here, perhaps, might be placed the "city diick," to which reference has been frequently made. From Bay to Simcoe is the " railway pas- senger centre," and events seem to point in the direction of its being entirely handed over to the railways for that purpose. From Simcoe to Brock street is the " rail- way shunting centre," including both the (irand Trunk yard and local freight sheds and the water lots which were granted by the city to the Credit Valley, and now belong to the Canadian Pacific, for the self-same purposes. Til rough the aniddle of this section exists Esplanade street, impossible of use to the citizens, and not fully availed of by the railways, while the right of communication north and south f''om John and Peter streets is a constantly vexed tpiestion betwten the city and railways. Might it not be possible, in connection with the new Windmill line extension, to place along the water front a real " Esplanade " or " street facing on the water," with boat- houses, ferry landings, wiije grass plots and broad promenades from Simcoe to Brock, forming a water side resort, which would be u prop " companion to the Island Park, which t o city is now creating on the other side of the bay ? ]5ridges from Simcoe, John and Peter, pass- ing over the shunting yards, could give direct cunumiuieation, and iu consideration of the construction of these and of the new water front, or of whatever may be a fair value of Esplanade street, the latter may be trana- terred to the railway companies. The nucleus of this " Esplanade" already exists in the gardens of the city Water Works, to which aeccRS is now attained only at the liazard of life l)y climbing thrmigh railway trains, but which under tiiis proposi- tion would be the centre of an unique water side promenade. Importance of the Ouestion.. Pardon this communication, but as the city's future depends so greatly upon the subjects M hich you have under consideration, I conceive it to be the duty of every n.ember of the board to olfer whatever information he m>'.y have for your cominittte's consideration, and I trust that whatever conclusions you may arrive at they will be come to in this light — that whatever the increase may have been to the city during the past 35 years it will be immeasurably extended during the years that are to come, and provision must be made not simply for the present require- ments, but as was submitted, bat not accept- ed, in 18o3 for the future growth of our popu- lation. Your ol)edient servant, Barlow Cumijeri^nd. COL. CUMBERLAND'S REPORT. An Accurate Forecast of the Dlftlculties Since Encountered. The report of Col. Cumberland, above re- ferred to, is f'S follows : Enuineek's Office, O., S. and H.H.R., July 23, 1853. Ontario, Simcoe and To the Directors of the Huron R. R. Co. Gentlemen, — In pursuance of your order of the 25th ult., that I should consider and report a general scheme for the railwaV ser- vice of the frontage of this city, I beg to sub- mit the accompanying plan prepared on the basis of the company's works now under con- struction at the Queen's wharf amplified and extended to general purposes. The plan comprises the full extent of ,thc city water frontage from the Garrison Com- mon to the River Don. Front street from Bathurst street on the west to the Custom House on the east, has been set out on a line parallel to King street. From the Custom House it bears north-easter- ly to Palace street at George street, and thence is continued again on a line parallel to King street. This broken course in the original location of the street was doubtless induced by a similar break in the water line of the bay shore, and it is observable that from the angle thus formed to the Don river all that par't of the bay lying between tlte present shore and the line of Front street truly pro- jected easterly is comparatively shoal water and therefore, in its present conditiou, of 1 ■i --• -/-."^-jBaii.'j b _^^ ^.^.. - commercial value, hut more readily available for in^provemcnt. What was Proponed. I propose then to extend the line of . Front street easterly to George street in the rear of the City Ifall and tiali market, to be continued thence to the eastern limitii of tiie city liy a very open curve (say half a mile radius) crossing the Don at rij^ht angles, and followinc the course apparently necessary in connection with railway gradients in that vicinity. The width of this street would 'oe main- tained throughout at 66 feet, and immediately to the P'^jth of this and parallel with it through its entire length I propose to set out an esplanade (colored green upon the plan) also 66 feet wide, en- closed and planked as a continuous avenue stretching from the Queen's wharf to the Don. This avenue would be devoted to pedestrians and interrupted only at inter- vals and at right angles by the streets from the north projecteil to the wharves. A soutiiern sidewalk to Front street would therefore be unnecessary and the roadway might accordingly be widened out. The general level of Front street is from 13 to 14 feet above the level of the wharf lines, or in other words, from 23 to 19 feet above the mean water line, but the gradients of Front street might be very materially im- proved so as to give a more uniform level and in places ari increased iieight above the wiiarf and water lines. It will be remembered, too, that this bank is broken not only in regard to height but projection from the line of Front street, and my suggestions contemplate true alignment as well as improved levels. A Retaining Wall. Assuming, then, tho southern b(mndary of the Esplanade to be true in alignmei.t tluoughout the frontage of the cir.y and at a regular lieight (of say 16 ft. 6 in.) above the railway and wharf grade?, I propose to build on that boundary a retaining wall, having its coping fenced by an iron railing (as at the Montreal wharves), with a general railway track at its base of width sufficient for the number of lines considered necessary, which, for the present purpose, I assume at five. This general railway track being thus 16 ft. 6 in. below the level of Front street, and the Esplanade would be bridged over in one span opposite each of the intut.secting streets from the north, whereby direct and safe com- munication would be preserved from the city to the wharves and water frontage. The southern limit of the railway track on the lower level would be fenced throughout its length and to the south of this again, and parallel with it a common road would be constructed to facilitate communication on the wharf level. Beyond this line I submit no propositions. The ariangement of the wharves in breast- works or inlets must be dependent on tho iu- tentiona of the respective individuals or com- panies m possession of tlie water frontage. 1 have, however, set out pier and dock work on the plan, not as dictating them in detail, but simply to illustrate my vievs as to the best ma.iuer of their railway service and con- nections. Considerations Subn.'ttjd. Having thus described my propositions hi outline, for a full understaniling of which, however, I rely upon your examination of the plan, 1 will now submit some considerations as to the practical and comparative value of such an arrangement. It is, I believe, well understood that " the Esplanade," as originally designed and in- deed as contemplated even under the Act of last session, was intended to be built on tho wharf or lower level on a line nearly parallel to Front street and equi-di«stood as an official duty undertaken by your instruc- tion. This is desirable, lest it might appear that I was gratuitously intruding upon mat- ters already engaging tlie consideration of other public bodies. I have the lienor to be, gentlemen, Your most obedient servant, FitEi>. CuMBEKixA,>rD, Chief Engineer.