The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1896-09-12

9EL2FflGU
As to whether another location Of the
Greenyfiie and Hudson Railway could not
nave been made which would have been
Isas0nab!e and practicable and sseur to
that road It's terminal yard without cross
ing C-ornmunipaw avenue at grade, this
l~ocaf1cn, If to the east, would have 10 be
Kept 70 h eastward OF the National Docks
Railway and the Central Railroad of New
Of Racks. This is not practicable. The
yards Of the National Docks Railway
ana the Central Railroad of New
Jersey interfere Al would have to
De impossible to reach the level of the
Lehigh Valley terminal yards except Al a
point SO far east as to cause the sacrifice
Of O very large proportion of their useful
the westward the present condition as to
liked point and grade at the National
DoSh9 d Ea5iW Sdys un ne grad@ erosan %
York Railroad must still be crossed and
the same objections as to its grade cross
INF would apply The Newark and New
York Railroad rises from the Junction
with the main line at a rate Of ten inches
per hundred feet; but does not reach an
elevation sufficient to admit Of an under
grade crossing by the Greenviile and Hud-
son Railroad above tide water, east of the
Morris Canal. A grade crossing Of the
Two railroads can only be avoided by an
overhead crossing.
As the Newark and New York Railroad
N<SNs ~ ~ kDSlIttA IS
such that tbs further west an Overhead
crossing is made the greater the fall must
De 70 me fixed undergrade crossing Of the
National Docks Railway. wthholt an
equivalent increase in the distance ii
which this fall can be made; the gradient
or any line crossing the Newark ard New
York haiiroad west of the point Of cross
ing selected, win exceed the gradient on
tne line selected of one foot enc and one
haIf inches per hundred fleet
break this straight gradient between
below the grade of Conamunipaw avenue
would entail increasing the grade north
zoA C~omnaunlpaW avenue. If an overhead
crossing Of that street was made or
~ungsrgrade crossing was made. to a rate
which would be iEnpracticable to operate
with any success, Therefore, it being set
tlea that a grade crossing Of the New
ark and New York Railroad must be
avoided IN the interest of the public
safety, and the only available ana prae-
tlcab3e entrance to the terminal yards is
BY the undergrade crossing Of the Ma
tIonal Docks Railway already adonteS +.
no lire can be run between the Morris
Canal ms Central Railroad If
New Jersey connecting an over
head crossing of the Newark ana
New York Railroad and the yard an
trance, which will avoid a grade crossing
Of Co~raTnunipaw avenue without SO AL
lnstiag the railroad grades as 70 largely
destroy the practical Fa1ue of the rail-
road for the purposes for which ii Is bs-
ing constructed. If such a line ran wssf
OF suydam ayende, the situation will be
IurIher complicated by the necessity OF
crossing other streets.
As no change would be practicable or
9xpedlent in the grade Of such a line
q grade crossing could only be avoided
by, q change IN the street grades. The
only place at which this could nave been
considered would have been BY a change
IN the alignment so as to cross Com
munipaT avenue just east Of Suydam
avenue, making the west line Of the rail-
road the. east side of Suydan avenue.
The grade of the railroad at such d
the present curb of -Communipaw avenue.
To carry the avenue under the railroad
wcuid require a cutting Of about twelve
feet. The rise eastwardly TO the west
end of the bridge over the Central Rail-
Q Of New Jersey would be at a grade
Of six feet in hundred feet, or twenty
per cent sleeper than Newark avenue
hill. Allowing a rise to the west at four
feet per hundred feet. the depression at
Monitor street would be seven feet; at the
centre Of the block. between Monitor
be about three Feet, and surface would
be reached at Pine street. The side
streets, Monitor, Suydam and Garrabrant.
would ave to be depressed TO meet this
cutting. and as the present sewer run
ming west in Con1munipaw avenue TO Pine
street is only about seven feet below
would have to be provided. The lowest
part CT the depression wiuld be. about six
feet above tide. Such a proceeding
though possible, 1 do not consider prac-
ticabIe or expedient in view Of the meas
ure OF public safety. convenience or neces-
sity involved In the avoidance Of a grade
nue. would be avoided, but only BY a re-
location of the Greenvilie and Hudson
galway. the practical destruction Of
C-onamunipaw avenue as a business o-
residence street for several blocks ana 2
damage to AUDITING property on this
avenue and side streets, and after coming
UP to grade at the Central Railroad OF
New Jersey the avenue would still be
crossed by the National Docks Railroad
at grade as now
J. therefore, must conclude that no
change Of location of the Greenxilie and
Hudson Railway would have helped the
situation any in the deyising of a Fea-
sonable or practicable method for avoid
ing a grade crossing.
IN conclusion it is my opinion that the
Greenville and Hudson Railway cannot
be constructed to reach the terminal
yards IN any manner sanctioned BY good
engineering, reasonable economical rail-
road management, and without enormous
LOGS OF value on the usefulness of the
terminal yards ard the railroad ap-
Communipaw avenue except by a change
IN the grade of said street aRd intersect-
Ing street, involving loss n permanent
damage. direct and consequential, TO. the.
public at large and owners in the yiein-
tty, entirely out Of proportion to the ad-
vantage to be gained by the same public
and owners by the avoidance of the grade
crossing proposed, or by q grade crossing
of the Newark and New York Railroad.
While the above is true as to the whole
width of the street and the entire traffic.
both on foot and by vehicles, there is
no engineering CT practical difficulty to
prevent the passing of pedestrian traffic
OF C~ommunipaw avenue under the grade
crossing of the Greenvilie n Hudson
Railway should be made.
This car be done by building one or
two arehed subWeys. with clearance OF
eight feet, lined with white brick n
approached by stairways on either side
Of the new railroad. The room outside
of the four tracks proposed is sufficient
to admit of these stairways being made
very easily and the whole structure beng
built within the abutting property lines
of the railway company
These Subways would remove a very
large percentage of that public risk n
danger unprecedented as a. result Of q
grade crossing of the street.
In giving elevations in this report /
nave given nearest round figures above
tide or near high water.
I attach TO the report a profile showing
way from the Central Railroad OF New
Jersey to the terminal yard, with the
grade as adopted. in red. The grade re-
ferred to by men as crossing the Newark
and New York Railroad at grade, in blue
and the grade as it would be If an over
head crossing OF C-onmunipaw venue
we're made, in grsen,
Respectfully submitted.
E. w. HARRISON.
Jersey City. September s 1896.
Received ana spread at large in the
minutes.