The morning call., 1893-08-15

lobby when the question of iegislating
with reference to the Southern Pacific
came up. Minor business occupied the at
tenton of the Council for time. and while
it lasted the crowd grew restive. There
was talking in the hall. and the noise pene-
trated the chamber. President Towle fre-
quently had to rap for order and beg that
quiet prevail.
A few minutes later the pressure on the
outside grew SO great that the V-shaped
mass fell inward and several men were
thrown down. 1t was expected that the
president would order the room cleared,
but the evident eagerness and earneStness
of those present probably deferred him.
Chief of Police Schaeffer was sent for and
he somewhat relaxed the pressure by hav-
ing dozen persons leave the front of the
wedge and go into the already crowded
commi ttee-roOm at the side of the cham.
Der. At $50 O'Clock the Chief was in
structed to clear the halls at the rear Of
the crowd and the president said sharply:
UNLESS there is quiet We cannot proceed
without clearing the ROOM"
The FL st question that referred 10 the
Southern Pacific was in the shape of
petition, read among a mass of other such
a cheer went up 1t was as follows:
To the Honorable City Council Of the City
Of OuhLand-G ENTLEMEN: On account of many
accidents on the Sevcnth-street and Webster
street local steam railroads. we would respect
fully petition your honorable body 10 limit the
running of steancars o eight miles an hour on
said streets. The trains are now running re-
gardIess Of the safety and the rights OF the
public.
Tnls was signed by numerous property
owners on Broadway.
The second drive came by a citizen of
Peralta street, who complained that por-
tion of that thoroughfare had been fenced
in by the Oakland waterfront company,
who had set up false title to the land.
The petitioner rected the grievances and
requested that this fence and others OF
similar nature across streets be removed.
1t was referred TO the special committee
on water front. Again were cheers heard
when the reading was over.
The first real business in the railroad
matter came up under the head OF New
Ordinances" The first referred to the
placing of fagmen at street-crosSings, and
reads as follows:
An ordinance requiring railroad companies
10 station fagmen at certain street -cr ossngs in
the city of Oakland and regulating the pas
sage OF railway engines over and across said
crossings.
Be it ordained by the city of Oakland as fol
lows:
Section l. Every steam railroad company op-
Grating a railroad In tile city OF Oakland shall
station tiagman at every reet-crOssing where
any of its tracks cross any trac> or tracks OF
any steam railroad. or of any electric, cable or
other street railroads on any public street IN
city of Oakland, and shall keep such fiagmen
SO stationed at each crossing during such pOr
lion OF the day as both of such nteTsecting
roads are operated, and no officer or empiOye
OF such companies shall cause or permit any
railway engine or train TO pass over any such
crossing during said time, unless a f1agman be
there stationed as provided by the foregoing
provisions OF section /.
Sec. q No person or persons operating or con-
trolling any railway engine shall cause or allow
the same 10 cross the track OF any other steam
railway or street railway until the fiagman sta
toned at said crossing shall signal him or them
SO TO do.
Sec. s. Any person violating any provision OF
this ordinance shall be deemed guilty of a mis-
demeanOr. and upon conviction thereof shall
be fined in a sum not greater than $500, and III
case said fine be not paid then the person so
fined shall be imprisoned at the rate OF one day
for every 81 OF said line remaining unpaid.
Sec 4. All ordinances or parts OF ordinances
that conflict herewith are hereby repealed.
Sec s. This ordinance shall take effect i'm
mediatey upon its approval.
The president said the ordinance should
be referred to the Judiciary Committee.
Councilman DaltOnlat once rose to his feet
and said: II see no reason why this
ordinance should not now be read a
second time and then passed" [Cheers.]
Mr.. Manuel seconded his remarks and was
again cheered. But Mr.. Barnard objected
and claimed that time should be taken.
Mr.. Capell followed him. Il do not
believe in haste" said lie, "but / want
the people of Oakland to understand that
we will be with them and will pass the
necessary legislation. But dc think we
should take time in this matter and con-
slider it carefully. And in refe renee to
| this | want to say that think the trains
| should be made to stop where they cross
other tracks. This morning took a ride
in what they call the fly train. and am
convinced they run at the rate of
thirty miles an hour. l met an
old railroad man, Charlie Daniels.
and asked him how fast that train waa
going. He said twenty-five to twenty.l
eight miles an hour Later talked to a
| friend who had been East and he told me
that in many towns these trains were not
allowed to 90 faster than four miles an
hour. Why. il that was done the railroad
would say we had murdered Them"
Councilman Dalton answered.: II see no
reason why any Councilman should object
to this ordinance being passed to- nj light. It
would no: be valid for ten days. The citi-
zens are looking to US for protection. Men
may be murdered by that railroad"
The question was put and Messrs. Dal-
ton and Manuel were the only ones voting
! in favor of the immediate passage.