The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1891-05-25
RESISTING THE LEHIGH.
Protests Against the Pro-
posed Vacating of Van
Horne Street.
A LIVELY BOARD MEETING
Street and Water Commissioners
ReappOint Their Old En-
ployees.

There was large assemblage of law
yers, property owners and railroad men,
in the lobby Of the meeting room of the
Street and Water Board this morning
when President Somers called the Board
to order. They were all interested in the
application of the Lehigh Valley Rail-
road Company for the vacation of Van
Horne street at Grand street. As was
stated in The JERSEY CITY NEWS last
summer, the Lehigh Valley Company
proposes to erect a large coal depot on
the south side of Grand street. about
where Van Horne street would be if it
was laid out as it is laid down on the
map. The railroad company proposes to
bring its coal cars from its main line at
Communipaw TO Grand street, over the
elevated trucks Of the National Docks
Railway Company, and build from these
spurs out over its property like fan.
Owing to the angle at which theNational
Docks tracks run across THE property,
IL Van Horne street was open at Grand
street, the chutes would have to be built
In the street. 1t Is for that reason the
Lehigh Valley Company wants the street
vacated. Accompanying the petition for
the vacation was a deed by which the
Lehign Valley gave the city a strip of
land running from Van Horne street to
Woodward street, upon which it agreed
to construct, pave, flag and curb a street
fourteen feet wide from curb TO curb so
that those living on Van Horne street eau
reach Grand street If Van Horne street 10
vacated.
A CLOUD OF oBJEcToRs.
When Clerk Bouton called for objec-
tions to the vacation they came in thick
and fast. John Hull Browning, Timothy
Burke, Joseph Jones, Police Sergeant
Finley and William Smith objected by
petition and in their own proper person.
Lawyer Henry V. Condict addressed the
Board in behalf of Messrs. Burke, Jones
aud Finley. He said that Van Horne
street was street sixty feet wide run
ming south from Grand street which was
laid down on a map on file for over
twento years. 1t has been recognized by
the city and by the National Docks Rail-
road Company, which, when it laid its
tracks there, constructed bridge over it.
de claimed that the BOARD had no right
so take from his clients land, which WAS
what it could do il it gave the railroad
the street. One half OF the property
owners along Van Horne street had
opened and graded. The railroad came
along and wanted to give the property
owners twenty-four foot alleyway for a
street sixty feet wide. BY filing that map
twenty years ago the owners virtually
opened Van Horne street, Mr.. Condict
said. and gave his clients the right to
pass over 1t forever. The railroad COM
pany, he claimed. had advanced no just or
legal reason why the street should be
opened Tine building OF coal chutes
there was no public benefit He warned
the Board that IL it permitted the
take the matter to the courts.
Counsellor John W. Heck, In behalf of
Mr.. Browning, said that tthe opening of
the street would work great injury TO
his client. 1t had been said that because o
the land was covered with rules 1t should
be vacated.
There were those present who could re-
member when oyster sloops came up to
Montgomery and Warren streets. and all
north of that was water. But that had
been improved, and IL was safe to say
that in fifteen years the property alon
Van Horne street would become valuable
and source of revenue to the city in
taxes. Mnch of it was upland.
1t would be bad precedent, Mr.. Heck
maintained, to allow the owners on both
sides Of an avenue to vacate that avenue.
COAL CHUTEs A NUISANCE.
He said that he owned lot on Newark
avenue near the Pennsylvania coal chutes
at Third street, and could get no one TO
buy It. They said that a tenement house
could not be built there because the
chutes raised such dust that the tenants
could not hang out their clothes.
The railroad company was next heard
through Mr.. William Fl. Corbin, who
said that from the talk there one might
think that the railroad company was try
ing to close one boulevard which ran into
another. He then dwelt upon the great
benefits which the Lehigh Valleys inn
provement east of Pacific avenue had
been to the city. The railroad company,
he said. proposed to fill in and make the
same Improvements on the west side of
Pacific avenue.
The property they wanted vacated is
property no one wants to live on, and
land which is not fit for any one to live
on. 1t had not paid taxes for years and
was loss TO the city. The great part of
il. he said, was hole, the ownership of
which, no one would admit for fear he
would be indicted for maintaining nui-
sance. He characterized the damages
which the property owners claimed would
be inflicted upon them if the street
was closed as fanciful and chimerical
Mr. Reon Barnes for the railroad COM
pany claimed that under the law, mas
much as Van Horne street had never
bean opened or worked to grade. the
company could build its tracks across it
at grade without asking anyone's per-
mission.
He said that there would be no coal
dust from the company's shutes because it
was worth Sl.OU ton anu ultOgetnef TOO
valuable to distribute among the neigh
bors.
The improvement would be the same
as at Pacific avenue. and he told how Mr..
Heck and others objected to that i'm
provement, VINO now admit that it is
great benefit to the city.
THE LEHIGH VALLEYS PEST HOLE.
This brought Mr.. Heck to his feet, and
he said that the railroad company had
left pest hole in the Pacific avenue inn
proyement which it did not fill up until
the Board of Health got after them The
matter was referred to the Committee on
Streets.
Mr.. NJ. J. Currie objected to the yaca-
tion of Canal avenue in Greenvilie TO the
same company. Mr.. Edwards asked Mr..
Barnes If his company would allow the
city to run its sewers under its tracks and
keep up the road bed at the same time if
she street was given. Mr.. Barnes said it
would.
The Board then settled down to its reg
MAR business. All the employees of the
Board Were sraDpointed at the old sala-
ries, and Patrick Ryan was awarded the
contract for the Improvement of Cam
bridge avenue, between Griffin and Hut
ton streets.
Light Day in Chancery.
Business in the Court of Cbaucery to-