The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1892-06-20
TO NEWARK BY SPARK
Progress of the Electric
Traction Line Along
the Plank Road.
MILES OF IT COMPLETED.
The Rails, Route and Roadbed-
Observations of a Tour of
Inspection.

Work on the electric railroad between
Newark and Jersey City is prog ressing
rapidly. but there is still much to be done,
and it is not thought that it will be com
pleted before the middle of August. The
trestle work on which the road will cross
the Passaic Bridge is not yet completed
aud the Hack ensack Bridge is unfinished.
Then, too. there is a stretch Of roadway in
Newark that has yet to be constructed
and the poles will have to be erected the
entire distance. All of this will occupy
considerable time. The road is being
built by B. M. and j. T. Stanley of New
k, aud is being co NJ ucted in q very
substantial manner, as it is built with n
view to running the cars at high rate of
speed.
The road will run from thePennsvlvania
Railroad ferry at jersey City over the
tracks Ct one of our car lines to
Commun1paW avenue, which is con-
tinuation of the Plank road, and AZ the
junction of Communipaw and West Side
avenues it will take the line of the Plank
road and follow that out to the junction
oftne Bowery and Ferry street in Newark.
At the latter point the cars will run
over the tracks of the Bank street line to
the Market street depot, and there they
will connect with all the different street
car lines in that city by transfers.
WHAT A REPORTER SAW.
A reporter rode over the line of the rail-
read yesterday with one of the employees
of b. NJ. & ]. F. Stanley. the contractors.
The drive extended from the junction OF
Bowery and Ferry streets in Newark TO
Communipaw and West Side avenues.
Jersey City. 1t was explained to the re-
porter thatstarting at the junction ofBow-
cry and Ferry streets, the Plank Road
Company will pave the Plank Road from
curb to curb with Belgian blocks as far
as the point where the trestle work of the
Waverly and Passaic Railroad crosses the
Plank Road. distance of about three
quarters of u mile, and will lay double
tracks in the centre of the road up to the
trestle work The rails to be used there
will he heavy steel ''r' rails, weighing
seventy-eight pounds to the yard. They
oak. This part of The road is not built,
bat it's consul uction will occupy only a
short time.
THE PLANK ROAD TO BE USED.
After passing uuder the trestle WORK of
the Waverly and Passaic Railroad the
tracks will diyeree and run on each side
of The load. From this point on, fifty
pound steel "I'' rail, the regular railroad
1aii, will be used. The roadhed of the
Plank Road will remain as it is, q plank
road. The roadway has been newly re-
planked and has been raised to CORE
spond with the grade of the electric road.
Under the tracks of the latter road are
several feet of gravel ballast. Poles will
be Ell ected on either side of the road, and
from them the trolley wires to run he
cars will be suspended. There Will be cleo
lric lights on the poles also. The tracks are
lad and the rondbed completed from the
Waverly and Pass aic Railroad to the Pas
sale River. AT this point there is break,
as the trestie woik on which the railroad
will cross the bridge is not completed. This
will be very substantial structure on
either side of the roadway OF the bridge.
1t will be made by driving flat piles down
forty feet into the bed of the river. saw
ing them off even capping them with yell
low pine tim bes and then laying stout
timber stringers on top Of the caps, and
thus forming q roadway for the cars on
each side of the bridge. These roadways
Will run to the draw where the tracks
will come together and cross the draw in
the ceatre.
WIRES UNDER WATER.
The draw has been rebuilt aud greatly
strengthened. Here an ingenious ar
raugement will BE- made use of by carry
ing the wires under water, SO that when
the draw is opened the electric current
W II not be cut off from the whole line of
cars. On reaching the east end of the
draw the tracks will again diverge and
run on trestle work on the sides of the
bridge until the mainland is cached.
Enst OF the Passaic River bridge both
tracks are about completed up to the
Hackensack River. They run on either
side of the road, and here the roadbed of
the railroad is very solidly built, and the
wagon-road has been replapked and
raist d, making it safer for wagon travel
than 1t has been before. DraiE-boXes are
const ucted under the tracks and the
wagon-road at frequent intervals to carry
Off any water that might settle on the
road in case OF heavy rains or extremely
high tides
TREsTLES NEARING COMPLETION.
At the west end OF the Hackensack
bridge the tracks end again, as the trestle
work on which the bridge will be crossed
by the railroad is not fully COM
pleted The trestle on the north side
of the bridge is finished and the track
laid. The one on the south side is
done, but the rails are not all laid.
On this bridge the company has built a
mule track, on which the mules attached
to the boats of the Morris Canal will
cross. This bridge is $50 feet long. At
the draw the tracks will come together as
on the Passaic bridge and cross 1t in the
centre of the roadway. After leaving the
draw they will again diverge and run on
the sides of the bride.
From the eastern end of tho Hacken-
sack bridge to the Junction OF Communi-
paw and West Sides avenues, Jersey City,
tn tracks are completed. They are raised
about two feet above the wagon road, but
the latter is to be raised also. At the big
ditch, ABOUT three quarters of mile west
of West Side avenue, the tracks will leave
the sides OF the road and run in the centre.
The roadway will be paved here with
square trap blocks. After reaching the
junction of Cemmunipaw and West Side
avenues the tracks will continue east
alongthe former avenue until they meet
the tracks OF the Jersey City road.
Rapid Transit Power Station.
Ex-Alderman Joseph Jewkes and son
have been awarded the contract to build
the power station of the Jersey City and
Bergen Railroad on Grand street. Work
will be begun very soon. 1t is the inten-
tion of the company to begin the use of
electricity as motor power as soon as
possible.
Arm and Leg Gone.
William Zurer are 25 yeavs residing at