The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-05-05
GROVE St. BRIDGE
Conference With the Rail
road and City Officials
Today.
GRADE LOWERED BY OHE-HALF
Company Will Do All the
Work at It's Expense
Street Closed Tomorrow


AT a conference held this morning in
the Street and Water Board Office be-
tween city officials and the Erie Railroad
Company, the latter agreed to make a two
and a half per cent. grade at Grove street
instead of five per cent. as fixed by con-
tract. and to accomplish that at seven
o'clock tomorrow night Grove street will
be closed for traffic until Sunday after
noon. ,
There is a little bit of history connected
with the conference which does not re-
dound much credit to the Republican adj
ministration of 1897, which pretended to
conserve the city's interests. On April Is
of that year a contract was made between
the Street and Water Board and the Erie
Railroad Company as to the elevation of
the company's tracks through the streets
of the city. One clause of that contract
set forth hat the grade at Grove street
should be five per cent. Such a grade
meant a great deal to those using the
street and to the abutting property own
er. and naturally there arose a great deal
of criticism about the agreement. Mr..
Robert Davis, leader of the Democratic
party, after the contract was made,
said
The city has certainly got he worst
end of that contract" But the contract
once made there was little left to do for
the incoming administration to ameliorate
II possible its provisions. Today the city
officials managed to accomplish that. The
opportunity, presented itself when the
Erie Railroad Company presented the fol-
lowing request to the city
The Erie Railroad Company is now and
has been for some time ready to place
its bridge on Grove street for its
elevated structure at the elevation pro-
vided in the contract made between the
company and the city, dated April 26, 1897.
In the fifth paragraph of said agreement
it is provided that the city will depress
cost and expense to perform all the work
necessary for the purpose The delay in
making the change is causing serious loss
to the company.
This work may be done with the least
inconvenience to the public between Sat
urday evening, May s, at six p. NJ, and
which period will be sufficient to do the
~excavating sufficiently to permit traffic
In the street to be continued thereafter.
Although the contract requires that
this work shall be done solely at the ex-
pense of the city the company offers TO
place a sufficient force of men at the dis
posal of the city under the direction of
the Chief Engineer. on the evening of
May 6, to accomplish this work, so that
street traffic will not be interrupted ex-
SespS for the short period above indicat-
~ dllO i hC llO &c u IlG
~ its men engaged in this work"
To discuss the request a conference was
held this morning, at which were pres
ent:-Preslaent R. G Smith and Commits
sioners Hauck, Heintze, Nolan and Sulli-
van of the Street and Water Board, Cor
poration Counsel Allan L. McDermott,
Mr.. Robert Davis, Chief Engineer Chas.
Van Keuren. Counsellor Charles L. Cor
bin, Messrs. William Bucholz, NJ. E.
Staples and William Kaufmann. repre-
senting the Erie Railroad Company.
Mr.. Corbin in presenting the ~company's
case simply enlarged on what was al
ready set forth in the above petition. He
explained hat the delay on the part of
the city was extremely expensive to the
company, which was ready to fulfill its
agreement, and even go beyond and put
a force of men at work to do the work
which the city, by its agreement, should
do
Mr.. McDermott ant Mr.. Davis, with the
Commissioners, having a legal contract
staring them in the face, made the best
lght possible forithe city, representing 10
the railroad representatives that at such
a grade as 5 per cent. he street would
be ruined and thetadjoining property own
ers would have just cause for damage
suits.
I'VE would ask that the railroad COM
PdUy raise It's tIaCkS IWD ieel SO Lldt
there shall be less depression in the street
below urged one of the Commissioners.
To this proposition Mr.. Corbin demurred.
To raise the tracks at that point meant
expense and a serious difficulty. If that
were done the line from the tunnel would
be a zigzag to the incline to the depot.
Mr.. Corbin added that to raise the tracks
within the distance specified would be al
most impossible. He assured the city off1-
cials that there would be no damage to
property owners.
Then after a secret conference OF the
BOARD. the Erie representatives were
called in and Mr.. McDermott asked En-
gineer Burholz if the ompany would
concrete the street $50 feet north and
south OF the bridge on Grove street and
make the grade not less than y ana O
Eyes" replied Mr.. Corbin, 1--WE will do
that and pave Eleventh and Tenth streets
both ways"
So ii was agreed that The grade OF
Grove street will be- two and a hait per
cent and the company will pave ana CON
crete $50 feet north and south OF the
bridge. 1t was also decided to allow
the company to close Grove street aiter
seven o'clock tomorrow evening until
sunday to finish the work, all of which
will be at the companies expense. Tne
Companies will be notified Of the
change. The Board of Street and water
Commissioners will meet tomorrow morn
ing to approve of the contract with the
company.
MURRAY'S FORCEfUL REASONING