The Wilmingtonian., 1884-09-13
FENCE THE TRACKS.

Railroad over the Company's tracks within
the City Limits has revealed in the most
emphatic way the truth of the testimony
given by Independent citizens respecting the
speed at which the P. w. & B. trains have
long been run, in violation OF the City Ordi-
nance. We pointed out at the time of the
inquests on Alexander Hill and Captain
Osborne thai the Company was convicted Of
violating the City Ordinance by the showing
of its own schedule. The trip through the
shows that eighteen minutes were occupied
in the transit which is fully double the time
hitherto taken by the express trains, includ-
ing sometimes a four minute detention at
the depot. OF course eighteen minutes is a
considerable loss Of time on express TRAINS
but the Company's interests or the public
convenience must not be set down as of
| higher price than the lives of citizens. The
| whole difficulty Ii IS in the fact that not only
do the tracks between Madison Street and
Railroad Bridge pass through the most fire.
quented business centre in the city, but
nearly every street OF Importance tending
north and south crosses the track at right
angles. However little regard the Railroad
Company may have shown in the past for
the convenience or safety of citizens, we do
would not gladly meet the officials half way
IN the matter, if such step can be taken
without imperlling the first and foremost
interests of the inhabitants viz, the safety
of life and limb Hence when the Company
propose to fence the tracks, provided they
are allowed to run trains at a sufficient rate
Of speed, the simple question is-To what
extent would traffic be impeded by the
change?
For we are unhesitatingy of the opinion
that it would be better to permit the Com
pany to increase the rate of speed under the
conditions named than TO wink at the con
tinued violation of a law with which the
Company virtually profess themselves
unable to eompy. Wilmington is in the
direct line of transit between Washington
and Baltimore on the south and Boston,
New York and Philadelphia on the north.
There are many and weighty reasons, nay
between these points should be as expedi-
tious as possible. The city authorities
would be justified in making the Company
every reasonable concession, and we are
free to grant that the prescribed rate of
speed (six miles an hour within the city
limits) is serious impediment to rapid
transit. But as long as the ordinance is
law, so long it must be enforced, and under
existing conditions au increase of speed
could not be permitted with proper regard
for the public safety.
Experience of the most expensive and
conclusive character has demonstrated that
there are three points within the city limits
where accidents are prone to occur. 1t is
therefore to these points that attention
should be chiefly directed.
The first is the level cl tossing at the foot
of West street, opposite the shinyard of the
Earlan and lIollingsworth Company. Here
there is not only large amount ofvehicular
traffic but many hundreds of persons who
use the crossing daily in going to and
returning from their regular avocation. The
chief source of danger is the sharp curve
just above the crossing, whereby it becomes
| difficult to reach place Of safety on the
] track when swiftly moving train turns
the corner at moments notice. To this is
added the vastly greater risk when an out
bound train comes up at the same moment,
in the manner which proved fatal to Captain
Osborne. In these cases the noise of one
train masks the approach Of the other. For
this reason we are of the opinion that what
ever other action may be decided on, the
Company should be called on to provide an
elevated foot bridge at this point.
The Market street crossing is not so dam
gerons because there is clear view for
several hundred yards up and down the
track, but, Notwithstanding this, accidents
have been painfully numerous in former
years. and the placing of foot-bridge at
this point also would be great accommo.
dation to the thousands who daily use the
crossing on their way to and from the south
side of the city.
Although fatal accident has not ye
been reported from the crossing at Fourtl
, and Church streets, it is only by what mus
be regarded as Proyidential interpositiol
that such an occurrence has been averted ol
several occasions. The width Of the cross
ing and the fact that it is the convergin!
point of four roads demands that special pre-
cautions should be taken here, but this is s
far from being the case that but one man i
stationed at the safety gates, which are ii
0 motion every few minutes, owing to th
b large amount of freight shifting going o