The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-10-04
Ciy Council Asked to Protect
 Citizens Lives OTHER CITIES HAVE GATES
Club VIII Assist City In Having Act Passed, If Necessary, Giving City Power to Regu-
 late Crossings.

During the meeting of the Commercial club yesterday afternoon c. II. Estes introduced a resolution asking the city government to look Into the matter of protecting the people at the railroad crossings Of Birmingham. and to see what action could be taken to prevent further logs of life at these places. Without very much discussion the club unanimously endorsed the resolution, and also an amendment that the secretary of the club furnish the railroads and the city a copy of the resolution.
 MT. Estes, in introducing the resolution said that since the club met the last time there had been an awful catastrophe In the city; that a street car loaded with people had come into collision with freight train and that several persons had been seriously injured He said that 1t was his understanding that the Com mercial club stood for the protection of the people of Birmingham in every way, and that he thought it snould pass some resolution looking to gates or other pro- tection being furnished at the railroad crossings of Birmingham.
 Others Are Protected.
 Other cities, he claimed, were provided with protection of some sort, and Bir- mirg gham should have the same. He said he favored the building of a viaduct or tunnel at the eighteenth and Twentieth street crt ssings and placing gates 1t the other crossings. He thought the city should take some decided action in the matter, ard that if it was not empowered to do so by the present charter that the delegates to inc legislature from the Bir- mingham district should be seen and urged to obtain an amendment to the cicy charter looking to this matter.
 President R. F. Roden said that he thought the Commercial club should take action on the matter, and that it should let the city council know that the or ganization was back of them in any movement to provide safety for the citi- zens of Birmingham. He raid that the city had required Ihe railroads to pro- vide lights at the crossings, and that he saw no reason why it could not make them furnish further protection.
 City Attorney Acts.
 Mayor Drennen stated that City At torney Smith was looking into the power of the city to compel the railroads to take some action to protect the people of Birmingham. He said this would take several days and that the attorney would render a decision as soon as possible.
 The motion of MT. Estes was seconded by T. H. Motion, who afterwards made a short talk in which he said he thought some action should be taken by the Com mercial club. He said the question was a vital one to the city and that pro- tection should be furnished the citizens. He was glad to see the stand being taken by a number of people on this matter.
 Joseph Beitman then made a motion that the club instruct the committee on legislation to assist the city in getting a bill passed through the legislature to em- power the city to make the railroads furnish protection. This was withdrawn as several members of the club thought the club should first find out what the powers of the city were in this matter, and if they are not sufficiently broad to then instruct the legislation committee to aid in getting the bill passed.
 Should Have Protection.
 MT. Beitman said that he believed the people of Birmingham should be protect ed and that the Commercial club and similar organizations should aid in all ways in securing this protection. Sev- eral other members of the club spoke on the same lines.
 President Robert Jemison of the Bir- mingham Railway. Light and Power company, is out of the city, but George H. Davies, general manager of the com pany, made the following statement:
 ''As has been stated we stand ready to do all in our power to remedy the situa- ton at the railroad crossings. It would be a saving of money to us in number of instances. MT. Jamison Is out of the city, but he has already expressed him. self and the sentiments of the company on this matter"