Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1871-08-31
From the Springfield Republican.
RAILROAD Crossings ut Grade.

There is no other 80 prolific cause OF
railroad accidents as the crossing OF com
mon roads at grade More lives are lost
YEARLY bv such accidents, than other
kinds Of railroad casualties put together.
We have to record such accidents almost
weekly. and the statistics show that IN
Massachusetts alone there are, on the
average, eleven persons killed yearly by
accident at railroad crossings, to say
nothing of those injured, bnt not fatally.
It il high time that, in a community
like New England, at least in and near
its cities and populous towns, all railroad
crossings at grade were abolished. The
people should demand it, and the railroad
companies ought to cooperate willingly
with the proper authorities IN putunR
their tracks over or under every important
highway All new railroads, certainly,
ought 10 be chartered with the under
standing that they are not TO cross other
roads atgrade, and old companies should be
compelled to do something yearly toward
changing grade crossings, beginning with
the most dangerous. In some casea, to
be determined by competent authority.
COMMITTEES aud towns might we'll be called
on to bear part of the expense of making
| the necessary change, but ordinarily,
when the railroad has crossed an existing
street or highway, it ought, by good
RIGHTS. to bear the cost of making the
crossing safe.
Some ten or fifteen years ago, we be-
Iieve. the Massachusetts Legislature did
nass law prohibiting crossings at grade,
Int each newly chartered railroad
pleaded 80 hard to be an exception, that
the law very soon became dead letter,
and was repealed. Then board of state
commissioners was instituted, with pow
er to allow or forbid grade crossings, as
they saw fit. But the railroads also
proyed too strong for this board of COM
missioners, and it was abolished. leaving
railroads to cross existing highways al
their discretion. These crossings have
become so numerous now, however, that
people realize, much more forcloIy than
ten years ago. what a nuisance they are
: and if new law could be passed, II
could, undoubtedly, with the help OF rail-
.,ad commissioners, be sustained.
i In the case of the laying out OF new
roads, crossing an existing railroad, th'
county commissioners now have power Il
saw whether the crossing shall be at grade
or not the statnte allowing them, how
ever, to permit such crossing only wher
they can say, upon their oaths, that tn
public convenience requires It, Ii al
county commissioners could be relied OF
TO have correct ideas about the public
3 convenience and its demands,there would
/ he very few crossings at grade on new
roads-none, indeed. where much trave
I is expected, or bridge over, or a tunne
> under. the railroad is possible. Th
Hampden county commissioners hav
shown by their laying out of fifteen hun
:. bred feet of new road in Westfeld, to d
away with dangerous crossing on tn
: Northampton and New Haven railroad
that they take just view of their dut
in the premises, and we hope to see
sharp refusal to all requests for crossin
at grade, in this county hereafter.
other counties have less judicious con
missioners it is their misfortune.
When those powerful corporations, tt
Boston and Albany, and the Hartford an
= New Haven railroads, will become gel
Ierous enough to relieve the citizens
Springfield of the delays and dangers
the Main street and Bridge street eros
inps.-or, the generosity of the compani
L. having failed entirely, when the peopi
en- masse, or through their proper repr
sentatives, will get to the pitch OF d
manding that these crossings be relieve
we dare not predict. But it is pleasal
to note that some of our railroads see no
much their own interests are conserve
and the convenience and safety of ii
y public are promoted, by having the
tracks unobstructed. The new railros
from Holyoke to Westfeld is being Co
: structed without single grade crossin
and come years ago the Connecticut Riv