The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1890-10-04
BOUNpS PROPOSITION.
Full Text of the Letter
Which the Fraudulent
Mayor Pigeonholed.
TO TUNNEL ERIE's TRACKS.
The Hudson Company's Scheme foJ
the Apportionment Of Cost
and Damages.
o TUNNEL ERIE'S TRACKS.

Asd4AV dyS w WA0cA oEOf0 SbIcSb Do tAtetb
his road could lay double tracks on Grove
street. on Thursday, The JERSEY CITY
NEWS spoke of letter which President
Boon wrote to Orestes Cleveland asking
him to make the scheme public. Below
will be found copy Of that letter which
is made public for the first timer
HoBoKEE. July sth, 1889
To His Honor Mayor C7ereiamd:--
DEAR SIR--I take the liberty to address
to you few lines on the following sub
ject:-
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
defects. to make it what it should Be. q
great business street.
The first defect is.
The carriage way is only thirty feet
wide. This is too narrow for a double
track railway. A single track railway
with a dozen turnouts is only an apology
for railroad. We hear that Grove street
Is to have new and first-class pavement
When this is done would it not be possi-
Bile at the same time to have the carriage
way widened II it were widened only
eighteen inches on each side it would
give room to the widest truck to stand
Public travel by street cars and by all
other vehicles would be much better ac-
commodated, and the whole character of
the street would improve. Our company
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 passen-
gers lose their boats and trains, but are
a constant source of danger to life and
limb for everybody who has to pass over
them. There would be a general feeling
of relief if they could be overcome in one
way or another. 1t would really prove a
great blessing all around.
The Delaware. Lackawanna g. West
ern Railroad was elevated some years
ago. The Pennsylvania Railroad most
likely will be overhead shortly. The
Erie crossing, with its six or seven
tracks and enormous passenger and
freight traffic. is going to stay. am
afraid, for another generation or longer.
To raise 1t would not only be very expen-
sive but probably impracticable, as their
tunnel is so low. have given the sub
ject much thought. how the crossing
could be avoided An overhead plan
would be too expensive. require TOO steep
grade and would damage the street too
much The only way left open would be
to tunnel under Ii. / spoke to some
engineers and contractors about it, and
they agree with mo that 1t is feasible. It's
cost would not be excessive, unless Jne
adjoining property was greatly damaged
am told the soil Is good underneath and
needs no ptling. or course the water
would have to be taken care of now and
hereafter by steam pumps, as there is no
natural fall
The plan would be about as folIows,--
Make a tunnel under the Erie tracks
somewhat over 100 feet long. 15 feet deep,
with clearance of about eleven feet six
inches, and rs feet wide. Put in q 4 feet
wide sidewalk on each side connecting at
both ends by stairways with the side
walks above. Divide the carriageWay By
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 the grade not exceed three feet.
This would require about five hundred
feet.
On the southern side the open cut would
have to commence at point about one
hundred feet north of Pavonia avenue.
and on the northern side on the south side
of Thirteenth street AT Ninth and
Twelfth streets, Grove street could not be
go the next cross streets. Tenth street
and Eleventh street would remain open
by putting bridges over the cut. The
bridges might need to be somewhat
arched.
The cut need to be only 20 feet in width,
outside measure. The sides should be
neat brick or stone walls with stone cop
ing and iron railing on top. The width
of Grove street being 60 feet between the
property lines, the cut would leave 20 feet
on each side, say 10 feet for the sidewalk
and feet for a wagon to pass, load and
unload. The vehicles would pass up one
way and return another by crossing at
Tanfh Elauanth
The cost of the work would be made up
as follows
1st. BY damages to adjoining property
in depriving it of the use of 90 feet of the
carriage way.
I'd. By the cost of the work itself-tun-
nei, open c1ts, bridges. sidewalks, stair
cases, paving, tagging, curbing. etc.
The annual expense would consist in
KeeDing the work in repair lighting and
draining the tunnel, which, as said,
would have to be done by a steam pump.
If you ask me who should pay for all
this, would say, the parties benefited.
They are, in the first place, the Erie
Railway. They could fence in their
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
it did not create the nuisance, and its
poor horses would have to pull up a grade
of feet per 100 four hundred or five hun
dred times a day, often with loaded cars,
would nevertheless be willing TO contrib
ute tairly.
Whether any other parties are benefited
business firms who have mucn trucking
to do, or the owners of property on Grove
street away from the open cut, or wheth-
er the city at large could be called upon
inasmuch as their citizens receive safe
and unobstructed passage where hereto
fore there was much delay and great
danger, would leave to others to deter
mine and say.
Grove street, with tirst-class pave
ment, a double tracked street railway,
and without any steam railroads to cross,
would no doubt be a great improvement
on what it is now.
The object of this letter Is to present
this matter to your Judgment. II you
think there is merit in it, discussions
might be had over it before the Board OF
Aldermen and owners of property. IN the
press and otherwise.
The views of the owners of property adj
jacent to the proposed cuts should, OF
course, receive the greatest consideration
and have the most weight. If they shonld
be strongly opposed to it, or the damage
done to their property is too heavy, the
project should be dropped.
| remain, dear sir
Respectfully yours,
J. II. BONN.