The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-05-08

ERIE'S new TRACK
First Train Run Over the
Elevated Structure
Yesterday.
GROVE STREET DEPRESSED
No Demonstration Marked
the Completion of the Big
Piece of Work.

The first train to run over the elevated
structure of the Erie Railway Company
in this city left the Erie depot at 10:43
O'Clock yesterday morning. There was
no unusual demonstration except that
crowds who had been attracted by the
army of men at work depressing Grove
street beneath the bridge that spans that
t~horoughfare cheered as the train swept
by that point. 1t was train No. 603, bound
for Turner'S, New York, and was made up
of six passenger cars. 1t was drawn by
locomotive No. 1852, with Engineer Charles
Santa at the throttle and W. W. Hol-
brook firing. W.. F. Hartwell was con-
ductor. The train was not decorated, nor
was there any party of railway officials
aboard.
This train was followed, three minutes
later, by another west bound train. Later
on an east bound train swept by, and
from that time on, with the exception of
a train loaded Will sheep, bound for the
cattle yard, which passed over a side
track used principally for shifting freight
cars all traffic passed over the elevated
structure.
The big iron bridge over Grove street,
which for weeks had been blocked up
several feet in order to allow Roadway
clearance for street car and truck traffic
was lowered and made secure on Satur-
day afternoon and night. Work on this
job began at 1920 P. M. and was COM
ple.a1 at $40.
The work of depressing Grove street
began about five O'Clock in the afternoon.
The street was closed between Ninth and
Twelfth streets to trucks n other
vehicles, resulting in considerable COM
fusion and some tall swearing by some
of the truck drivers, who, not knowing
the street was closed, were obliged to
turn into the above named two thorough
fares and utilize Erie and Henderson
streets.
a large force Of men was at work all
night digging up the street, and another
force took its place in the morning.
Large crowds witnessed the progress of
the work all day. The North Hudson
fers to its patrons and the latter were
obliged to toe it across foot bridges to
reach the cars to. which they were trans
ferred. The railroad company is doing
the work of depressing the streets at its
own cost, Notwithstanding the original
agreement that the city should bear the
expense.
There is considerable rejoicing in that
section of the city over the disappearance
of the death dealing grade crossings. The
Grove street crossing especially had al
ways been regarded as a veritable death
trap. The elevation of the tracks through
the city is the result of a general agi-
tation in favor of the adjustment of dan
gerouS grade crossings.
In that section of the city the fight was
led by Andrew j. Corcoran, John Casey
and other prominent property owners. An
appeal was made to the Legislature and
Assemblyman T. ]. Carroll took up the
fight in behalf of the people. The rail-
road lobbyists swarmed at the State
House and the effort to. have the Erie
tracks elevated was defeated. At the
next session the fight was renewed: Con-
gresham William D. Daily, then in the
State Senate, and Governor Voorhees,,
oiea ~ +ha tfuoo in the State Senate.
fought for the measure and the fight was
| finally won, after making several conees-
| sions, including the depression of some
of the streets and the vacating OF others.