The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-05-21
AN UNMITIGATED NUISANCE.
How the Business of the City Is Restricted by
the Passage of Freight Trains.

The South Side resident has frequent expert
ence of the obstruction on the Union tracks
encountered by a Journal reporter yesterday.
He wanted to cross at the Illinois street end Of
the Union Depot, and found in his way freight
train going west but at the time resting
squarely across the street, covering half the
length of the depot, and most of the square
west to Tennessee street. Behind it was
shorter train, going east and to the west was
another train halted across Tennessee street,
waiting for chance to go east After standing
five minutes, the long train started west,
very slowly, the train behind it stood
Still till the other was clear Of the depot Then
it started east, and the waiting train came right
up after it and halted across the street the first
long one closed it. Seeing no chance of crossing
in any reasonable time, he went square west
and crossed, leaving the halted train still block
ing Illinois street, after losing nearly ten min
utes' time in waiting for clear passage. This
sort of obstruction is not only of daily but
almost hourly occurrence Passengers vehicles,
children on errands, women with marketing,
men hurrying on business, are stopped dozen
times times day, sometimes oftener, by these
passing waiting freight trains. Passenger
trains make less and usually very little trouble,
as they are soon out of the way, but freight
transfers that should go round the Belt in most
cases, are an almost constant obstruction, de-
cidedlv worse than navigable river with a
reasonable provision of bridges. One of the
roads refuses to the Belt at all, because of
some disagreement with the Union company that
controls lt-an act OF mere wanton interference
with the business and convenience Of the city.
This is bad enough, but is not the worst of the
trouble the railroads make for us, with no excuse
or reason but their own caprice. Once, some
years ago, funeral procession, 90 Meridian
street, going to the Catholic cemetery on the
Three Notch" road, was halted by a freight
train for fifteen minutes; and once couple of
engineers differed as to which was entitled to the
track that both held, one going east the other
west, and blocked Illinois street for half hour.
Both of them should have been arrested and
lined months wages. At another time a con-
test arose between two trains the same
track, at Tennessee street, and one of them got
an engine to come up in the rear of the other
and pull while it pushed, and forced the train
between them back to Mississippi streer. where
the blockade was maintained for nearly an hour.
There was no excuse for this, no palliation. 1t
was sheer deyiltry. But the city had TO suffer
all the same. AT the last Council meeting, Mr..
Pearson introducedan ordinance requiring safety.
gates at all street crossings, and a Waterman
to attend them. But what good will that do
when some of the most important crossings are
but half protected by the gates! At the Ten
nessee Illinois and Merdanstre crossings, the
most used of all, the safety gates are inside of
the Union tracks, and don't protect them whit
more than if they were in the moon. Both the
tracks on Louisiana street are outside of the
north gates, and ON Tennessee street the south
track of the Vandalia depot is outside, too The
crossing Is not protected at the very points
where protection is especially needed. Anyone
can see this whenever he peases. The safety
gates are south of the Union tracks at all
three crossings. Only those are pro-
tected that enter the Union Depot, and
transfer freights never 20 through the depot,
or so rarely that they need not be cons idered.
Here is constant, and often wanton and puer
lie obstruction of the city's business, and of
the convenience necessities of its citizens, and
a nero sham of safety gates at the chief points
of peril. If the city was ever under any olga
ton to the railroad companies, they have more
than discharged it by their distractions, and it
is full time that they were taught that Indian
apolis has some rights that railroad company
is bound to respect Just now. she seems to
have none. Between railroads and saloons, In
dianapolis tax payers are between the upper and
neither mill stones, and needs little relief.