The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-06-22
HIGH HANDED LEHIGH
Railway Officials coolly
Say They Intend to Cross
Chapel Avenue.
H BELOW GRADE.
Workmen Camped on the Ground
Police Wide Awake-Why Do
They Want 1t.
PERHAPS BELOW GRAZ

The officials of the Lehigh Valley Rail-
road, although notified by the Fifth pre-
cinct police that they cannot cross Chapel
avenue with track until they nave secured
permission from the Street and Water Com
missioners, are making preparations to lay
tracks across that t~horoughfare.
Yesterday Captain Nugent called upon
! Superintendent Bartholomew Murtha, who
has charge of the work, and warned him
permission.
"Well, we are going to cross Chapel ave-
nue. with our tracks" said Murtha. 1--WE
will not do so right away; but cross we will,
and that before many days pass by"
"Well," replied the Captain, II will pre-
vent your doing SO until | receive notice
from the Street and Water Board that you
have been granted a right OF way"
The interview convinced the Captain that
the railroad was determined to complete its
spur, and upon. returning to the station
house he told the sergeants and patrolnen
not to leave the avenue unguarded, even for
a momen
A STARTLING OPERATION.
Early yesterday morning a train of fiat
cars pulled up at Chapel avenue. on the road
east OF the canal. A gang of thirty laborers
alighted and began to unload ties. lumber
and tools from the fiat cars. The lumber
was carried to a point on the west bank OF
the canal, about one hundred feet
north of Chapel avenue, and ties and
tools were taken over the meadows to the I'M
completed spur. The laborers were divided
into two gangs and one gang tackled the
lumber on the canal bank and began to erect
a frame building one story in height and
covering a plot nifty feet square. Inc other
gang unloaded a plough from the tool box
and after hiring a horse from a nearby
farmer, began to plough up the land i'm
mediately adjoining the spur. By nlghtfall
a strip measuring $50 feet in length and fifty
feet in width had been torn up and the build
ing on the canal bank had already assumed
the proportions of a substantial structure.
1t has a full complement of doors and win
dows and will be used, as one of the laborers
admitted, as a temporary residence for the
laborers.
TO GO BELOW GRADE.
All dav Yesterday the field presented a de-
cidedly lively appearance. At day break
this morning the laborers resumed work.
The foreman in charge of the gang when
questioned by a reporter of THE JERSEY
CITY NEWS yesterday afternoon refused to
divulge the plans of the railroad. The
police, however, say that they have positive
information that the railroad, having failed
to lay its tracks across Chapel avenue at
grade. will now ~excavate under the
~thoroughfare and lay the tracks on a level
with those of the Central Railroad. This is
why, the police say, the laoorers are plough
ing the meadows.
Captain Nugent, when interviewed by a
reporter of The JERSEY CITY NEWS, said
''The railroad officials evidently believe that
by passing under the avenue instead of at
grade, they will avoid all trouble with the
police. If they attempt to carry out their
plans they will find out they are mistaken.
The Chief has ordered me to guard the ave-
nue. and l obey orders"
LOCAL MYSTERY.
Just why the railroad is so anxious to
cross the avenue at this point is a mystery to
the residents of Greenville. The spur cannot
be continued in a southerly direction as the
property adjoining its southern end is owned
by Mr.. G.. Vreeland, who says that under no
circumstances will he allow the railroad a
right of way. The residents will Pc
tition the Street and Water Board to
refuse the railroad a right of way across the
avenue. The railroad has already laid six
tracks at grade across the avenue, and the
residents say that the railroad ought to be
satisfied with these privileges. Chapel av-
enue is the only t~horoughfare in Green vile
leading to the New York Bay shore, and the
property owners will fight against its being
devoted almost entirely to railroad pur-
poses.
The Sixth District Citizens Association
will discuss the matter at its next meeting.