The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-01-30
ERIE ELEVATION,
Mr.. Corbin Submits a
Scheme to the Street
and Water Board.

The Board of Street and Water Com
missioners this morning considered the
matter of the elevation of the Erle's
tracks. The Citizens Committee with
heir counsel, William II. Corbin
and Mr.. Max Staples, representing
III g Erie Railroad. were present.
Mr.. Staples said he WAS present
Co find out something about the
matter. The first official information he
bad had was received yesterday when
Commissioner Cook called at the cotn-
pany's office and spoke to him about the
subject. Mr., Corbin replied. He said
chat the matteriwas brought up byl ,oO0 cit
liens who signed petitlon asking
the Board to cooperate with the railroad
in plan to elevate the tracks through
the City from the eastern end OF the tun-
mel TO the Hu0son River. They urged
the city TO make contract With the
company agreeing to make any alteration,
ingrade or close any street which will be
necessary for the completion of the plan.
Mr.. COrhin submitted sketch which he
said could form basis for plant
The grade of the Erie Railroad tracks at the
east end of the Bergen tunnel Is approximately
2050 in the Jersey, City system of lev5is The
first street to be crossed east of the tunnel is
Division street, which exists only on paper; IT
has never been opened and no one seems to
think it necessary that it should be opened, and
it may be therefore left out of account.
The next street and the first street to be con-
sidered is Brunswick street. The legal grade is
a. Az or 6.03 higher than the tracks at the mouth
of the runnel. Ii the Erie tracks, as they emerge
from the tunnel, be raised 80 as to ascend going
east at a six-tenths grade or about 81 feet TO
the mile, they will, when reaching Brunswick
street, be l. "a higher than the grade of that
steeet. This would allow clearance above that
street of over nine feet.
The next street east is Monmouth street.
There "a clearance OF IL 80 could be obtained.
At the streets still further east-Coles street,
Jersey avenue, Erie, Grove and Henderson
streets-a 13 feet clearance could be obtained
without difficulty. Some OF these streetS might
be depressed from TO feet without injury,
and this would make tho elevation required less.
Provost street is little used and might probably
be closed with advantage. The grade OF the
railroad could begin to descend after crossing
Henderson street, and when it reaches the train
sheds, need not be very many feet higher than
at present. By reducing the clearance at Hen
derson street to about eleven feet, the present
train shed could probably be used without any
elevation The crossing of Payonia avenue, near
Kelso streeu, should, OF course, be abandoned.
Tee. city ordinance now existlng provides Tor
vost street was authorized, it was provided that
the crossing near Kelso street should be
abandoned The crossing OF Pavonia avenue
could either be left at grade, or better still
could be elevated. This will require some ele-
walton of tracks all the way down to the eieva-
tor, but the rise would not be much near the
elevator.
The elevated structure could no doubt be
most economically made of earthen emDank-
ments with retaining walls along Eleventh
street and elsewhere if required. The bridges
over the streets would probably be half through
iron girders, and in some places perhaps deck
girders could be used.
Actual grade
Street Legal grades of track.
Brunswick street. $3.50. 14.47 1850
Monmouth street. 14.47 1881
Coles street 10. oU 10St