Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1899-11-21
Petition Circulated Asking Council
to orderTheir Construction.
The OPINIONS OF THE ALDERMEN
Movement Generally Thought to be a
Good Ono-seem to Favor Construc-
tion of Gates Mt Iowa Avenue,
Vine and Market Streets.
LFrom Fridays Daily.l

1 L 1OLA . 5lDdlly.l
A petition is being circulated today
in all the wards of the city asking the
city council to pass an ordinance re-
.quiring the railroad companies to put
automatic gates in at all the crossings
between and including Iowa avenue
and West Second street. A movement
of this kind was started by some in
terested women a few months ago but
no action was ever taken on the mat
ter by the council. The crossing at
Market street is a very dangerous one
and the very caution necessary to
safely cross that thoroughfare has
been the salvation of the people using
it, paradoXicaI as it may seem. The
crossing at IoIa avenue is not used by
SO many people as the one at Market
Z: street but is much more bewildering
; because of the number of tracks. At
Vine street the tracks are less numer-
GUS but the distance to be Travelled be-
fore getting over all of them is much
greater than at Market; street and
about the same as at Iowa avenue.
More switching is done at the latter
crossing than at Vine streen and per-
haps more than at Market. An at
tempt was made today to interview the
aldermen in regard to their attitude
toward the proposed improvement and
majority of those seen were in favor
OF it. The aldermen are divided as to
the number of gates necessary but
nearly all agree that those at Iowa av-
enue and Market street are necessity.
The petition will be presented to the
council next Monday evening at the
next regular meeting and while the
measure may encounter some oppose
ton it is believed that it will eventu-
ALLY be incorporated in the city ordi-
nances. The petition is as follows:
The Petition.
ITO the Honorable Mayor and City
Council of the City of Ottumwa, Iowa,
Gentlemen: I'VE, the undersigned citi-
zens of Ottumwa, Iowa, respectfully
petition your honorable body to cause
to be constructed automatic gates at
the following named public railroad
crossings, to-wit: Vine street, Col
lege street, Union street, Jefferson
street, Green street, Market street,
Wapello street, Tisdale street, Me-
Lean street, Benton street, Clay street,
and West Second street.
We deem this necessary step to
protect Sthe lives of the public as all
-stsaislAu pass Uverw<sf,es above named
crossings at a rapid rate of speed"
The following named aldermen We're
seen and expressed themselves at fol-
lows:
Alderman Ashbury.
II am in favor of gates at Iowa ave-
nue., Vine street and Market streets.
3 The danger at Market street is so
great that it has been the salvation of
the. people using that crossing as the
very caution necessary to safely get on
the other side has kept them out of
trouble. There not SO much switching
4 at Union, College and Wapello streets
and 1 have not information sufficient
to form belief as to whether or not
gates are a real necessity at those
points, but at any rate 1 would favor
those at Iowa avenue, Vine street and
Market street. While the situation at
Market street is fearful would not
want to be instrumental in securing a
thing of this kind unless it would work
corresponding good to the people. /
am not posted on the question as to
whether or not the council could spec
ify the kind of gates to be used but
that Is a secondary matter just so the
protection is afforded"
Yf Alderman Hull.
1T think there should be oate nj all