The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-04-24
ERIE TRACK ELEVATION
Board Of Works Delay Their
Action on the Proposed
Plans. n


After particularly animated discus
sion the Board of Street and Water Com
missioners yesterday afternoon agreed to
delay for one week their action on the
plans for the elevation of the Erie Rail-
roads tracks through Jersey City.
This extension of time, asked for by
Messrs. w. A. Leewis and Jacob Weart,
counsel for Mr.. r. M. Jarvis of the To-
bacco Inspection concern on Provost
street, on the ground that his expert en-
gineer has plan which does away with
the closing of that street, was at first
opposed by Messrs. Andrew Corcoran and
w. HI. Speer. Jr., of the association for
the. elevation of the Erie's tracks, but
afterwards was concurred in by them.
When Mr.. Lewis had asked for two
weeks in which to demonstrate the prac-
ticability of leaving Provost street open,
gentleman representing the Mrs. Phoebe
Watson estate complained that the pro-
posed plans lacked elevation.
Mr.. R. NJ. Jarvis, head of the tobacco
firm alluded to, made a long speech, tell
ing about the irreparable damage which
the closing of Provost streex wouId IN :
fiict on his business. His firm had en-
ployed competent engineer, who d.
clared that the closing of the street was
unnecessary.
Indeed it is" chi1ned in Mr.. Weart,
'sand am told by high authority that
it will only cost $4,000 to make the
change"
Mr.. John D. Carscallen said that if it
would mean $4,000 he would be one of
thirty to subscribe the amount to re-
imburse the Erie Company for the ad-
ditional outlay. He would go further,
he said, and raise half the $50, 900 him
self
One of the members of Simpson
Methodist Church objected to the open
cut on the hill at the back of the church
property. Their building, he said, was
worth from $4,000 to $4,000, and if the cut
was made the services would be inter-
rupted by the shreking~of locomotives
and the noise of the trains.
We can't stop that said President R.
Brown, the company are on their own
ground and you must go to them to COM
plain.''
Mr.. Patrick Connolly, the liquor dealer
OF Pavonia avenue, when an opportunity
presented itself, again complained that
the company's plan would ruin his prop
erty on Pavonia avenue Then turning
to Mr.. Speer, who had made SOME sar-
castle remarks about his, Connollys OBJ
jections, he proceeded to criticize that
gentleman, who merely grinned at the
outburst.
Il want to tell the gentleman" said
President Brown, automatically checking
the flow of personalities that Pavonia
avenue has been eliminated from the
plan"
Mr., Connolly's face frightened, and he
aNnr ftatfa ~l1rv
the assurance that his dearly beloved
saloon would not be cut off from the rest
of the habitable world
Some words of the President brought
Mr.. Carscaller again to his feet and he
made a protest against the President
p9resjudgiing E9s1s the actiSns Of the, citizens
dent saving. that he never meant to dc
anything of the kind, Mr. Andrew J.
Corcoran defended the action of the as
sociation of which he has been the head
and front.
He gave a lucid account of the forma-
ton OF the association, its object and the
work it had accomplished. 1t labored
solely in the interests of humanity II
didn't dabble in politics. When he re-
called the terrible loss of life at the
crossings and said what opposition was
made. by the Railroad Company which
heartlessly' said, only children and fools
are killed there" he was often tempted
70 exclaim, "Oh. that some notable man
was. killed there Then something would
be DONE, But. said Mr.. Corcoran moth
ing was done because they were the poor
and lowly whose lives were crushed hy
the trains. He closed an effective speech
by begging the Board to hurry along tile
Improvement.
The Board after a few minutes con-
ference agreed to suspend action for one
week to give Mr.. Jarvis engineer time to
prepare his plan demonstrating that the
closing of Provost street was entirely un-
necessary. The hearirg then adjourned
When the Street and Water Commission
ers met after the hearing, having in the
meantime had an interview with Mayor
Wanser, Commissioner Boltwood an
nounced that those interested in the ele-
yation of the tracks would be permitted
to examine the plans and specifications
which are now on file in the office of the
and several other gentlemen who had filed
remonstrrances, thanked the Commission
ers for delaying action, and departed.