The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1889-07-11
HH FAV0RS A TUNNEL.
President Bonn Writes a
Letter to Mayor
Cleveland.
UNDER THE ERIE'S TRACKS.
They Really Mean 10 Make an Under
ground Way at the Grove Street
Crossing.

SIcdb ThIlfOHu ulON6n1eub LII uHlS CITY. lue
d., L. & WIS tracks are elevated. The
Pennsylvania are to be. The Erie tracks
still remain to obstruct travel. Mr..
Bonn thinks that they can and
should be ~tunneled He has
had several conferences with the Erie
railroad officials, and they seriously en-
tertain the proposition. 1t is not unlikely
that the project broached in Mr.. Bonn's
letter will be carried out, and the tracks
of the Erie run in a tunnel under the
streets to the mouth of the tunnel.
Mr. Bonn's letter is as follows
HoBoKEN, July 8, 1889.
To His Honor, Mayor CleUetand:--
DEAR SIR:-I take the liberty to ad-
dress to you few lines on the following
subject
You have, no doubt, on your frequent
passages through Grove street observed
that that important street, the main
thoroughfare of old Jersey City from
south to north, suffers from two great de-
fects to make it what it should be, a great
business street.
The carriageway is only thirty feet
wide. This is too narrow for double
track railway. A single track railway,
with a dozen turnouts, is only an apology
for railroad. We hear that Grove street
Is 10 nave IL new stIlu llTSI-ClASS pHVtIuGub
When this is done, would 1T not be possl-
bic at the same time to have the carriage
way widened? If it were widened only
eighteen inches OH each side it would give
room to the widest truck to stand be-
tween the curb and a passing car. Public
travel by street cars and by all
other vehicles would be much better
accommodated and the whole character
of the street would improve. Our COM
pany would assist in accomplishing it.
The second defect, and very serious
one, is the steam railroad crossings.
They not only cause frequent and very
annoying delays, often making passengers
lose their boats and trains, but are a con-
stant source of danger to life and limb
for everybody who has to pass over them.
There would be general feeling of relief
if they could be overcome in one way or
another 1t would really prove great
blessing all around.
The Delaware, Lackawanna and West
ern Railroad was elevated some years ago
The Pennsylvania Railroad most likely
will be overhead shortly. The Erie eros
sing, with its six or seven tracks and enor-
mous passenger and freight traffic, is go
ing to stay, / am afraid, for another gen
Grafton or longer. To raise it would not
only be very expensive. but probably i'm
practicable, as their tunnel is so low.
have given the subject much thought,
how the crossing could be avoided. An
overhead plan would be too expensive, re-
otyire too steep grade and would
damage the street too much. The
only way left open would be to
tunnel under it. l spoke to some
engineers and contractors about it, and
they agree with me that it is feasible. Its
cost would not be excessive, unless the
adjoining property was greatly damaged.
I am told the soil is good underneath and
needs no piling. OF course. the water
TyoI1ld have to be taken care of now and
hereafter by steam pumps, as there is no
The plan would be about as follows:--
Make tunnel under the Erie tracks
deep. with clearance of about IL feet
inches. and 25 feet wide Put in 4 feet
wide sidewalk on each side, connecting at
both ends by stairways with the side
walks above. Divide the carr1ageway
by q curbstone in the centre. Horse cars
and other vehicles to pass up one way
and down another.
From the ends of the tunnel extend
open cuts both ways, long enough to make
rhe grade not exceeds 3 feet. This would
require about 500 feet.
On the southern side the open cut
would have to commence at point about
100 feet north of Pavonia avenue, and on
the northern side on the south side OF
JThirteeuth street. At Ninth and
Twelfth streets, Grove street could not be
crossed by vehicles They would have to
go to the next cross streets. Tenth street
Mud Eleventh street would remain open
Inv putting bridges over the cut. The
bridge mlght neeu " pe soiiAe" i0'
"iTheuI The cu< need to be only twenty feet
in width. outside measure. The sides
should be nest brick or stone walls, with
stone coping and iron railing on top me
width OF Grove street being twenty feet
between the property lines, the cut
wo,,ld leave twenty feet on each side, say
twelve feet for the sidewalk and eight
feet for a wagon to pass, load and unload;
The vehicles would pass up one way and
return another by crossing az Ienth OF
Eleventh streeth.
The cost of the Work WouAu pe niauo aP
as follows:-
First-By damages to adjoining prop,
erty in depriving it of the use OF twenty
feet of the carriage way.
Secondly the cost of the work ltseiI-
tunnel, open CUTS. bridges, sideWalks
staircases, paving, fagging, curbing, etc
The annual expense would consist .i1
keeping the work in repair, Lighting ano
draining the tunnel, which, as sald
would have to be done by steam pump,
IL you ask me who should pay for all
this, / would say. the parties benefited;
Railway. They could fence in theil
tracks, as everybody and every vehicle
would go underneath; They could dis
pense with gate tenders. They would
have no further accidents to fear or pay
for. They would save time
They should pay the greater part.
The North Hudson Company, although
II did not create the nuisance, and iti
moor horses would have to pull up grade
Of three feet per 100 four hundred or tive
hundred times day, often with loaded
cars. would nevertheless be willing te
contribute fairly. :,
Whether any other parties are benefited
business firms who have much trucking
foslo. or the owners of property on Grove
street away from the open cut, or whether
fhe city at large could be called upon
inasmuch as their citizens receive a safe
and unobstructed passage where hereto
fore there was much delay and greai
danger, would leave to others to deter
mine and say. -
ment. a double tracked street railway
and without any steam railroads to cross
would no doubt be a greet improvement
= The Object q this letter is TO present