The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1900-05-03
LEHICH'S Ne W Line
Branch From Chapel Ave
nue. to Black Tom Be-
ing Constructed.
RUMOR OF PASSENGER TERMINAL
The Company Will Soon Have
a Road From the River
to Waverly.
RUMOR OF PASSENGER TERMINAL

The Lehigh Valley Railroad yesterday
began the construction of new branch
line to run from the Chapel avenue
freight yard to the water front at Black
Tom. Piles We're being driven yesterday
to form the foundations for a trestle
across the meadow lands. To make this
connection the canal will also have to
be bridged. The object in constructing
this line is said to be to form connection
with another freight. yard to be con-
structed on the Black Tom property. 1t
is also said that within a short time the
Lehigh Road will begin the construction
of huge grain elevator to take the place
of the one recently destroyed by fire at
Perth Amboy.
Black Tom was recently bought from
the Eagle Oil Works Company by the
Lehigh Valley Railroad. The huge oil
tanks, formerly in the yard, have all
been removed within the past three
months to the Standard Oil Company's
yard at Caven Point. All obstacles shav-
| ing been removed the Lehigh Valley
| Company has begun in earnest to con-
struct it's eastern terminal. The natural
advantages of Black Tom for a grain
elevator can be readily seen. 1t is con-
venient to New York and in fact all east
ern seaport cities. An artificial channel
| connecting with the main harbor channel
was long ago made by the National Stor-
age Company Large ships can enter
this channel without the slightest danger
of running aground. /.
| Besides the grain elevator it is said that
the Lehigh Company will construct
,I,or nd
| convert Black Tom into a thriving ship
ping centre. Rumors that a passenger
railroad terminal will also be constructed
at Black Tom are plentiful and are gener-
ally credited, although statements to that
effect have not been officially made. 1t is
generally known. however, that the LIE
high Company has long desired an east
ern terminal on the Jersey water front
within convenient distance of New York
The recent movements of the Lehigh
road would seem to warrant the as
sumption that in short time passenger
| railroad depot will be erected at Black
Tom, and new ferry line connecting
Black Tom with New York established
Under such conditions the meadow
lands which previously have never been
| of any great value, would probably soon
| be filled in and on this ground various
manufacturing plants erected. Then would
| the swamp lands of that section, which
! but short time ago were thought of no
| great value become centre of thriving
] industry. Such change would be gladly
welcomed by property owners in that sec
| ton of the city, as it would naturally
| tend to increase the value of adjacent
| land.
| Work on the new line of the Lehigh
| Valley road through the Greenville sec
ton is progressing rapidly. By cutting
| through Chapel avenue the railroad COM
| pany was enabled to complete the north
| ern end of the main line. According to
! gentlemen who is in position to know
| a great deal concerning railroad matters,
the railroad running from the Lehigh
| freight yard at Communipaw on the east
| side of the Morris Canal, is not the prop
| erty of the Lehigh Valley Railroad, as is
| generally supposed but is owned by the
| \ tional Storage Company, or more prop
| y, the Standard Oil Company. The
| ehfgh Company by an agreement with
| the National Storage Company runs its
| trains over this system to point in the
! Greenville section called Constable juno
| tion. where a connection is made with the
Lehigh Valley main freight line which
| runs from east to west through the
| southern end of Greenville and crosses
! Newark Bay connecting with the Lehigh
/ main line at Waverly.
| This explains the reason of the fight
made by the Lehigh Road to effect a
crossing at Communipaw avenue some
| time ago. Now that the Lehigh has been
granted the right of way through Chapel
avenue all obstacles for the completion of
| the system from the Jersey City freight
| yards to the main line have been removed
/ and in a short time it is expected that the
| Lehigh will perfect its system ard have
a clear road. from Jersey City to Waverly,
where it will connect with its main pas
senger line.