The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1889-05-13
Two Gigantic Corporations
Struggling Over the
Junction Railroad.
MYSTERY OF THE BRIDGE BILL.
The Pennsylvania and the Standard
Oil People Meet in Battle
Array.

"It's the greatest railroad fight in
years." said Lawyer Asa w. Dickinson
| in referring to the contest going on in this
city between the Pennsylvania and the
Junction Railroads.
The Junction wants to pass under the
Pennsylvania where the new car yard is
building, but the Pennsylvania doesn't
propose that the Junction shall If it can
prevent the crossing, and to put as many
obstacles as possible in the way of the
junction, it is dumping tons of coal,
ashes and dirt just where the road pro-
poses to pass as fast as the filling can be
brought. Besides, it is fighting the conf
pany vigorously in the courts
just this side of Point of Rock, the
Pennsylvania road is carried for short
distance on an iron trestle work instead
of an embankment. Ifs while crossing
this trestle, you look to the northward,
you will see the Junction Railroad curv-
ing around to join the Pennsylvania. At
the point where the curve begins, a trestle
work starts out apparently with the in
tention of running under the Pennsyl
vania trestle; but it stops short. The
junction people are fighting to advance
this spur, while the Pennsylvania people
are dumping rocks in its way.
THE LITTLE GAP.
If the Junction people could, they would
take the spur under the Pennsylvania
Railroad past the new car yard and con-
meet it with the National Docks Railway
1f 10 tlar
would be O junction railway running
from the West Shore on the north to the
New Jersey Central and the National
Storage Company's warehouses on the
SOUTH At present there is a gap about
1000 feet long and the fight is over 200
feet of it.
POWERFUL OPPONENTS.
The Pennsylvania people and the juno
tion people were once friendly and the
former replaced the embankment by the
trestle referred TO in order that the juno
ton might pass under. Now their rela-
tions are strained One reason is the dis
| covery by Pennsylvania that it had lost
control of the National Docks Railway.
| The Pennsylvania did hold at one time
| an option for ninety-nine years. lease of
| the road, but it allowed it to lapse and
when it wanted the privilege renewed
| the owners of the road had concluded to
keep charge of it themselves. These
owners are the Standard Oil people. The
| fight is therefore between the Pennsylva-
MIA Railroad and the Standard Oil peo-
pie. The Junction road is practically
owned by the New York Central, but this
corporation is not doing the heavy fight
ing.
The National Docks and Storage and
New Jersey junction Connecting Railway
Company was organized to build the link
between the two roads. 1t applied to
Judge Knapp to appoint Commissioners
to condemn land, and Marcus Beach,
Peter Henderson and Mayor John New
man, of Bayonne, were named. EX-Gov-
ernor Bedle and Lawyers Vredenburgh
and Irwin opposed the application for the
Pennsylvania road, on the ground that If
the junction is permitted torun under it's
property the new car yard would be
spoiled In behalf of the Junction, Law
yers Emery, Thompson and Dickinson ar
gued that the new car yard would not be
affected at all.
COMMISSIONERS APPOINTED.
Judge Knapp granted writ of certio
rari to the Pennsylvania road to appeal
the case, but reserved his decision on an
application for stay of proceedings
pending appeal The Commissioners have
therefore gone ahead in their condemna-
ton proceedings Notices have been
served, and May % has been Set for an in
spection of the ground.
The Pennsylvania road is said to have
temporarily altered its plan for the eleva-
ton of it's tracks in order to prevent the
Junction from passing under 1t. The
original plans provided for an up grade
road from the terry to Varick street, and
thence on level According to the new
plans, the grade will begin to descend
again from Varick street, it is said so that
the junction road shall not have head
room to pass under.
One great objection which the Pennsyl-
yania has to the junction is that it would
be likely to divert traffic from its line. 1t
would open new route to the West.
Steamships could discharge their cargoes
at the wharves to be built south of the
New Jersey Central, and the cars could be
run direct from the vessels to the Della
ware, Lackawanna and Western, the Erie
OF the West Shore, and by the latter to the
New York Central
DOES IT WANT A BRIDGE9
A suggestion of still greater possibili-
ties is given in the application for COM
missioners to condemn lands for the right
of way of the Junction road through the
property purchased for the Pennsylvania
Railroad by Mr.. +. +. G. Young at Green
Vile, and it is possible that solution has
at last been found to the mystery of
the bill introduced in the AS
sembly last winter by Assem-
blvman O'Neill for Speaker Hudspeth,
DefmlCL1uG tue Ol TWO
bridges to Staten Island. 1t looked as if
there might be an intention on the part of
the projectors of theJ JUNCTION to continue
the road down to Constable Hook, and
thence across the Kills to Staten Island.
The bill failed to pass at the end of the
session, owing to the objections of Mid
dleseX county members, who are afraid
that the bridges would injure South
Amboy. One bridge was to be built at
Constable Hook.
If such road were constructed itwould
connect all the trunk lines which have
their terminus atsthis port. 1t will be in
teresting to watch the contest between
two such corporations as the Pennsylvania
and the Standard Oil Companies, neither
of which is accustomed to be beaten.
A POLICY OF DELAY.
The Pennsylvania is pursuing policy
of delay at present. If it can dump
enough rock in the way of the Junction
it may make it physical and finan-
-cial impossibility for the latter road to get
through, as the amount to be paid by the
condemning road is fixed according to the
situation the day when the condemnation
is made.
IN THE CIIANCERY COURT
Chancellor McGilI Hears Arguments
About Railroads.
~. f,, 10 ,f