New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-04-29
AGAINST A GRADE CROSSING.
A SPIRITED HEARING BEFORE THE JER'
sEY CITY BOARD OF WORKS.
pRoprRrY-owNERs INSIST THAT THE TRACKS OF
THE LEH1GH VALLEY RAILROAD BE ELE-
yArEp-A MENACE TO LIFE AND
HARDSHIP ON THE; POOR, THEY SAY.

HARDSHIP ON THE POOR, THEY SAY
The Street and Water Commissioners OF Jersey
City had q public hearing yesterday on the apph-
cation of the Greenville and Hudson Railroaa Coi-
pany a branch of the Lehigh Valley Railroao Coi
pany for permission to cross Commuhip@"-a'e.
grade The Lehgh Valley Company mas ACQUIRED
title to property along the shore OF Commuhpaw
Raw with the expectation of establishing It's own
terminal Its passenger trains are now run INTO Tue
PENNSYLVANIA Railroad Companys station ana It's
freight trains along a comparatively ""''
strip to wharves at Communipaw, ADJOINING INC
Central Railroad ferries and yard Inc company
has purchased property and constructed the con.
oo,,rg limo across the lowlands In that section or
Jersey city formerly known as the village OF laiay
cite but IL is debarred from crossing Commuh-
paw-ave a wide and important thorousntare'
Iohn w Heck presented the case for the Lafay-
cite Citizens Association, an organization cohpose"
Of the leading property-owners OF that secuon. nc
a,r,c,.d rho attention OF the Street and water
poari N the danger of grade crossings. and meh-
ton the action of the Legislature III e"ao''.s
the law to compel the Erie Railroad company "
elevate It's tracks. COmmunipaw-aVe., ne sau' ""'
q busy channel for pedestrians and vehicies' anu
the only thoroughfare the shore from the lafay-
cite and Clarcmont districts, and II the railroad
,oxs were laid the street would be practically
closed and the thousands OF poor persons who seek
the shore on summer nights would De ueoa'ioN
from the enjoyment OF the privilege 10 wmch 'ney
are entlted-the right TO the use OF the soee's ie
nresented a petition signed by forty property-owh-
ers. . .. !,
nr Nor,imer Iampson opposed IL because IL
uould not only render the crossing dangerous, out
Il would take big block OF assessaole properly out
OF the ratables. The amount OF properly "e'u W
railroad corporations ana exempt from oeai ID"
alton he said, aggregates many "'i'ionS y.
dolars and IL was nimlcal to the best interests Oh
nroperty-owners reduce the ratabies' as the Dur
dsns NJ tho taxpayers are now too heavy. Colohei
Mason John A. McKlnnon and Howard slater a'So
argued against grade crossings
William II Corbin who represented the railway
company said that this company was orsani%eu ~
buld the last two miles OF the lehigh Naliey No"-
pany and complete a trunk line to the Great Lakes.
The company he said. had built It's line with the
idea OF avoiding grade crossings when possible anu
h,d Voluntarily constructed elevated ROAD from
rs bridge across the Newark Bay at heaVy OUT
Law md II was the first time IL had askeu u oios'
n street at grade II any one could oner ieaS'oo
pan to avoid crossing Cummunipaw az s raue
ihe company would cheerfully adopt 1t; Inc CentaI
Railroad he said owns all the and along one s" a5
now used as a breathing spot by me peope. ar.
and the people would be excluded II was prepos s
ferrous he declared to compare nrasslng " the
Erie Hallway 1t would be a crossing manasen In
that OF the West sde1ave GroT ni srecau any acct
dent that had occurred there. ne conp" ~
he Sd had been an lpe BOUGHT S for sic or $500
the value OF which had been screwed up 10 >'"' al
counsellor Record also advocated the grant; ne
said that the city was bound TO De raIoau o.ty ,,d
commlssioner Hooker asked II the company woui1
bulld a bridge over the crossing FOR pehesrahs !.
permitted TO cross at grade MI Soron 1epeL M r.
The company would consider such proposition II
the citizens want one WITH. co.,.or,
presented a petition signed BY about lV nrins ana
Individual property owners In favor OF allowing the
railroad 10 cross at grade $3.50, ,-, -,
Chairman Kaiser. at the close OF the hearins sa,i
tina; the matter would be carefully con"neIeu' anu
The Roard would endeavor TO do what Is right