The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1882-03-30
Of the Valley R. R Company

Petition of the Valley r. R Company
AT the last meeting of the City Council a
petition was presented to that body by the
Valley Railroad Company for permission TO
run Its road under the Arch Bridge OF the
Chesapeake and Ohio Company, ntar tie Ola
Tilthammer and the petition was referred to
the Committee on Streets, consisting OF
Messrs. Marquis, Elder, Ably and Gooeh,
which very competent and public spirited gen
| tlemen have the subject now under considera-
ton. 1t is understood that on Friday next
s. Spencer, ESQ, President, and James H.
Randolph Esq Chief Engineer of the Com
pany. will meet on the premises the Commit
tee on Streets and such members OF the CITY
Council as may wish to be present, Tor the
purpose Of explaining the manner IN when
the patent movable gates, now in universal
use in the most crowded .horoughfares OF the
cities Of the country operate, and how they
assure to travellers, passengers and trains 40
solute security at street crossings.
Ii may be that the Committee on Streets
may feel inclined to recommend that instead
of the track being laid through the arch open
ing, the company shall acquire by purchase or
condemnation the Clark o. Plunkett property,
so as to tunnel under the Chesapeake and
Ohio road west of the Arch Bridge, and to
cross the public road south of the bridge, over
Lewis Creek more directly and with less seem
ing hazard to travellers. If so, we doubt not
The company will yield to this, although, in
the opinion of the most skilled experts, abso-
lutte security can be secured either way. We
are very sure that the members OF the street
Committee, as well as the members of the
Council of our public spirited city, which
stands in the front rank of enterprising com
munities, will cheerfully grant the request
made by the company if the occupancy of the
street or road, at the point designated, can be
guarded by satisfactory arrangements for the
security of the public.
1t will be remembered that in 1878 Judge
Mclaughlin decided that the Lunatic Asylum
properly is not subject to condemnation for
railroad purposes and to pass over the Ches-
aifeake Ind Ohio road at grade, and over the
corner of the asylum lot, with bridge or tres
tie work, will require at least the consent CT
the Board of Directors of the Asylum, if not of
the General Assembly.
Whether such consent can be secured or
not is a matter, to say the least, OF grave
doubt. And so it might happen that if the
City Council should decline TO allow the street
to be crossed by the railroad, with the protec-
ton of the patent movable gates, quick and
easy in erection, and affordmg, as the most
skilled and experienced engineers assure US,
and as common observation demonstrates,
complete and absolute safety, the Valley Rail
road enterprise south of Stanton, which it
was so difficult to induce the Baltimore and
Ohio Railroad Company to furnish the money
to complete may be suspended. We trust on
every account, that nothing of this sort shall
become possible. Staunton cannot afford to
incur the responsibility of such q result ex-
cept under the influence of stern necessity and
supreme duty. According to our recollection
the Valley Railroad crosses five streets in the
town of Harrisonburg without any guards or
protectors, and thus far without accidents or
casualties.