The age-herald., 1899-08-18
CREATED STIR IN
 RAILROAD CIRCLES Age-HeFald'S Stand for a Remedy for 2Oth
 Street Death Trap. RAILROADS FAVOR A CHANGE Would Bear Their Share Of Expense
 of a Tunnel. BRIDGE WOULD BE IMPRACTICABLE One Idea is to Use Twenty-frst Street Bridge Present Crossing Source
 of Annoyance to the Rail-
 roads and Public
WOULD BE IMPRAcTICABLE

A great deal of talk was caused in rail- road circles yesterday on account of the emphatic stand taken by The Age-Herald in favor of taking measures to prevent fur ther accidents at the. Twentieth street rail- road crossings.
 Assistant Superintendent Wech, of the Louisville and Nashville, said yesterday that his road and the other roads at the Twentieth street crossing used every pos caution that was possible under the exist ing conditions. Three hagmen were con- stantly on the watch, and they have re- duced the accidents to a minimum. The men have strictes. orders not to make flying switches and to use greatest cau- tion.
 MT. Welch said further that the Louis- vile and Nashville road has for number of years been willing to bear it's share of the expense toward putting a bridge over the railroads, or towards tunnelling under them. He said he felt confident the road would be willing to do this now.
 Superintendent Wickersham, of the Ala bama Great Southern railroad, whose yards occupy half of the crossing. said that he was not authorized to speak for the gen. eral officials of his road. who would be the ones to settle any question as to a bridge or tunnel, and that he. could not say what they would do. He felt. however, that they would be as progressive in this matter as any of the other roads. However. MT. ys11r1 4t.s less to go to the expense of bridging Twen- tieth street when there is fine bridge at Twenty-first street practically unused
 Use Twenty-frst Street
 He says it would be strictly practical plan to run the street cars across this bridge and turn all of the travel over 1t. Then Twentieth street could be closed up, except possibly for foot passengers. Street cars could run as far as Morris avenue to put off their passengers at the station. He says that all this change could be accom- plished in month or two, and all of the trouble at the Twentieth street crossing obviated.
 Mir Wickersham said that he thought it roads to say that the crossings were ex-
 
 thing possible was done to prevent acci- dents. All roads, he said, gave their em- ployes orders never to switch cars across Twentieth street, and whenever 1t was done the man or men responsible were dis charged.
 Superintendent Spencer of the Southern said that his road had only two tracks crossing Twertieth street-those on Powell avenue-and that they were not much used. as compared with the Louisville and Nash vile and Alabama Great Southern tracks across TweHfeth. Nevertheless he said that Twentieth street would always be A. source Of annoyance to the railroads as well as the public, though he knew of no good way to remedy 1t. He did not know what the higher officials of the road would think of the plan to bridge or tunnel the street. He said that the plan to use the Twenty-frst street bridge would be a good one if 1t could be done.
 Bridge Would be Difficult
 It would be difficult matter to build q bridge on Twentieth street across the rail- road tracks, for the reason that the street is so level that the approaches would have to be several blocks long, beginning on the north side at about Second avenue The cerner at Twenty-first street and First avenue is so much higher than the rail- roads that the approach of the bridge on that street is very easy. And still they are so steep that they have never been popular with vehicles or pedestrians.
 number of years ago City Engineer Kendrick made some rough drawings of a tunnel that might be dug under the cross ings which would entirely relieve the diff ficulty. He could not find the drawings or the estimates yesterday afternoon, but as