The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1896-09-08

of the Newark and New York Railroad
is by falling grade of about ten inches
curve which viii prevent the engineer
ainis almost 'IY upon 0i it. The GTeenviiie
the south would be very long grade oe
about seven inches N 100 fe9t, and Tom
the north out of a curved cutting. 1t
would only require the combination OF q
heavy freight train coming down the
grade from the south and passenger
train coming around the curve, 1ogsy
day slippery rails, ana ana eng,neers - oysrs ths
brakes, to bring about an accident which
no block system could guard against \
grade crossing of the Two roaos at tnat
point under these conditions would have
been little less than a crime. To obyiate
this the Central Railroad OF New Jersey
has depressed the tracks of the Newark
and New York branch Az feet or to
within four feet of the tide, to admit oI
a overhead crossing. The Greenvilie
and Hudson Ra lroad propose to cross by
at this point about 231a feet above tide
From this point to the fixed crossing
under the National Docks Railway, a dis.
is feet, 4 inches. Allowing for, clearing
the abutments of the bridges, this gives
theoretical grade of one foot, one ana
one-half inches for one hundred Ieel: tset I.
But as there is a sharp curve IN TINS
descent for which compensation must pc
made in the grade, the actual working
grade will be about one foot four inches
In one hundred feet. This grade crosses
Communipaw avenue at the curb eleva-
ton, and makes the grade crossing ~
ques aop. This grade cannot pc aiterea
Communipaw avenue would entail as we
have seen, a grade crossing OF the NeWarh
and New York. This is against good en-
ginee1fng practice, conservative railroad
managers, and also menace to the safety
of thousands of passengers VINO must mus
cross this point daily. 10 raise the rail. !.
must 20 up at least twelve feet to secure
even a ten foot clearance OF the street.
This would increase the working grace
to the fixed, point under the Nataonal a
peeks asedisg fai1WaEy fMo feet 70 per 1oo a' feet
Such a grade is not practicable ,forSthe
outlet from trunk line terminal, ana
one-half inches per 100 feet, or one 1901
four inches when compensated, IS tWlce
as great as is allowable in good practlce;
unless brakes are set 1t is about double
the ruling grade for the whole Lehigh
Valley line between tide water and Mauch
Chunk.
loaded cars on the road between the
Hudson and the Delaware, Will only naus
fifteen cars loaded up this grade , ana it II
it be increased to two feet per 100 feet
would only haul ten cars. Thus, as i
is a solid train going west from the yaro,
must either be cut in two 70 go over
CINE must be used. The cost for each
Dusher and crews for each twenty-four
hours will be about $50. making, an an,
nual charge which capitalized Will exceed
$500, ,0O0
It is not therefore reasonable or prac-
ticable, or expedent, from an engineering
standpoint, to- change the grade OF me
Greenvilie and Hudson Railway at the
crossing of Communpaw avenue. As to
whether the grade of the avenue can be
changed at this point to avoid a grade
crossing I am of the opinion that this
cannot be done in any reasonable and
practicable manner commensurate with
the public Importance or necessity Oh the
end desired.
proposed railroad will require a depression
of about 13 feet. There is not room be-
tween the west end of the overhead
bridge crossing the Central Railroad OF
New Jersey and the east side of the new
line to make the approach to such an
undergrade crossing.
I9 carry The ,da1a aXeaue 4veTnear th roa1waa ON
would require that the yiaduct be carried
at its full height of 20 feet until the
National Docks Railway grade CROSSING
about 800 feet east of the proposed cross
ing had been passed, as there Is not
enough room to admit of a practicable
grade for vehicle traffic to reach, the
street grade between the two crossings.
Such a viaduct, with approaches at a
grade Of feet per 100 feet, would have
a length of about 800 feet and would ex-
Ie1Q OH. tQe west TO 9lDt SlTecl anu
would probably work incidental damage
to Communipaw avenue and intersecting
streets, and the property thereon, which
could not be measured or compensated
for, and would be entirely out of proper
ton to the advantages gained by its con-
struction.
AS to whether another location of the
Greenville and Hudson Railway could not
have been made which would have been
reasonable and practicable and secure to
that road its terminal yard without cross
ing Communipaw avenue at grade. This
location if to the east would have to be
kept to the east of the National Docks
Railway and the Central Railroad of New
Jersey from a point south of the Point
of Rocks This is not practicable. The
yards of the National Docks Railway
and Central Railroad interfere. All would
have to be crossed overhead, and it would
be impossible to reach the level of the
Lehigh Valley terminal yards except at
point so far east as to cause a sacrifice
of very large proportion of their useful
area. If the alignment was changed to
the westward the present condition as to
Docks Railway. under grade cross ng
| would stfll hold The Newark and New
York Railroad must still be crossed and
the same objections as TO its grade cross
York Railroad rises from the Junction
with the main line at a rate of 10 inches
per 100 feet; but does not reach an eleva-
tion sufficient to admit of an undergrade
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
rises to the west while its position is
such that the further west an overhead
crossing is made the greater the fall must
| be to the fixed undergrade crossing of the
National Docks Railway, without an
equivalent increase In the distance in
which this fall can be made; the gradient
| of any fine crossing the Newark and New
| York Railroad west of the point of cross
| ing selected, viii exceed the gradient on
| the line selected of one foot and one-half
| per 100 feet
To break this straight gradient between
these two fixed points to cross over or
below the grade of Communipaw avenue
would entail increasing the grade north
OF Comnnunipaw avenue. If an oyerhead 4
crossing of that street was made or
soutn OF -Communfpaw avenue If an
undergrade crossing was made. to a rat
which would be impracticable to opera te
with any success. Therefore, 1t beng SET
tied that grade crossing of the New
York and Newark Railroad must he
avoided In the interest of the public
safety, and the only available and prae
by the undergrade crossing of the Ma
tional Docks Railway already adopted .
no line can be run between the Morris
Canal and the Central Re lroad connect
ing an overhead crossing of the Newa rls
and New York Railroad and the ward en-
trance, which viii avoid a grade crossing
OF Communipaw avenue without SO adj
lusting the railroad grades as to largely
Destroy the practical value of the rail-