The daily morning journal and courier., 1896-09-12
The Grade Crossing Peril.

To the Editor of the JOURNAL AND COURIER:
 The recent terrible calamity near At lantic City, where, by a collision of pas senger trains on grade crossing, near ly fifty persons lost their lives and many more were horribly maimed may be expected to serve as warning of the peril of all grade crossings for q long time to come, not only in New Jersey, but everywhere. Probably 1t was not without influence in determin
 ing Mayor Wauser of Jersey City to prevent by his veto the proposed cross ing of Communipaw avenue, in that city, at grade by the terminal branch of the Lehigh Valley Railroad compa- ny's line.
 The Lehigh Valley Railroad company has been accustomed to have it's own way so freely that it proceeded with it's construction of the branch intended to terminate at one of the wharves and cross at grade an important avenue in Jersey City with entire confidence. The branch, called the Greenville and Hud- son railway, is a fourt road, and if completed as intended would be q part of the main line of the Lehigh road between the west and tidewater. Presuming on obtaining permission to cross the avenue, although 1t has lately become the policy of the city to prevent new grade crossings and abolish old ones, the company proceeded with the construction of the road on both sides of the avenue before making it's for nal application to cross it. The pro- posed crossing is within one hundred feet of the place where the Central railroad of New Jersey crosses the same avenue twenty feet below it's grade; but this example did not deter the Lehigh company from boldly pro- ceeding with it's own scheme.
 When application was finally made to the Board of Street and Water Com missioners it's assent was easily obtain ed Although much property would be iniuriously affected and the new policy of the city in such matters violated, the board gave no public hearing in the matter, but simply said yes to the rail- road company's purpose.
 But Mayor Wauser, whose approval was requisite. was not so facile. He promptly notified the company and all property owners interested that he would not even consider the matter un- til assured that the company had ar ranged settlement of all just and proper damages to private property,
 notifying all that such action would ''only pave the way" for eonsidera- tion with respect to public policy The preliminary condition was com pleted to the satisfaction of those con- cerned. The result of the mayors con- | sideration of the subject as matter of public concern was a flat veto. TO
 my mind" he said, 'it is clear that such deviation from the citys settled 1 policy in the matter of grade crossings 1 should not be permitted unless it has i been demonstrated beyond question | that the conditions are such that q | grade crossing is the only method by which a crossing may be effected, and | that such action would rebound to the
 benefit of the city"
 l This is exemplary firmness in the fur l therauce of a sound policy, the wisdom l or WnICn IS IeCDHlfleHueu py iiie'iiS
 warning lessons. It might be suggest l ed that the crossing of street by a
 railroad is different from the crossing
 of one railroad by another; but it is
 also a grave peril, as we in Connecticut
 have become fully convinced. And
 New Jersey is not without costly les
 sons in this particular. Not long ago
 four men were killed by an express train at grade crossing near Absecom l in that State. A.