New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-02-20

born made to 90 away WIFI A8le eiaoS N'ONN--0
where the accident occurred
Navor Do-emus- after depioring 'he az
s.n+ Yesterday said: THAT crossing has always
been g death trap and a menace 10 the sehoo'
children When / was sworn in as Mayor w
continued 81 said that would never rest UNI
that death trap WAS removed can o00
other solution The fact remains that lhe TO"
road cannot elevate or depress its trhchs' NC
cause OF the Morris Canal This shouio nc
called to the attention Of the authorities am
there should be rest until this crosei"s
abandoned raised
When the Newark Board OF works anu w
Iackavanna Railroad Company negotiated iof
the elevation OF tracks through Newark va
company's engineers declared that IL "ouiu
srnuracticable TO elevate at Clifton-aNe' "i'n
crossing the Morris Canal The cahai ie'
were willing TO grant right OF way IL ~
legislature would pass bill authorizIis 'N
10 abandon navigation in the canal anu appio
priate the canal property and franchises -
other uses bill for that purpose was '"INe
introduced in former legislatures ana YVES
Coated TIL. Board Of Works finally consented
that the elevation should be made ACCORDING ~
the plans and that the grade crossing a. Ni'-
ton-are. need not be aoohshed-
Atsvor Oorenaus in his message 10 the COM
mon Council at the beginning OF the year caiAeo
attention 10 the danger of this grade crossing at
,or IFS abolition Even the completion OF
,,resent MANS" he said, while hlghIy Coih-
,nendable IN themselves. VIII Still leave our
rs+;zens UNPROTECTED at certain points IN I'M
,,ortsrs HIGHWAYS This is notably true or the
grade crossing at Clifton-ave- which is danger
GUS TO children on their way TO school OF 10 piaS
In Branch Brook Park, and to drivers anu pas
reneers in trolley cars. While this crossing Is
7,er7rftted to disgrace our city there shouio pe
no rest for those in authority The improve
nam. being made 10y the Lsckawanna Railroad
FOR the elevation and depression OF IT'S TRACKS
leave CIifton-ave's crossing at grade ihasii'ueh
. chs existence of the Morris Canal makes IL
.,ossfrle either TO elevate or depress at this
point
an 7,i+nesses nr the accident agree that it Vas
raused nv the spperiness Of the car uechS-
As 20 the responsibility, opinions differ bfsu'r
.he Ynotorrnan put the brakes on haTo- Stuchs'
-be policeman. said that the car almost stopped
about twenty feet from the gates. then surged
ahead again, unable to overcome its momentum
or the few rails Superintendent Charles NJ
sSbiprnan. OF the trolley company, after descrlo-
ing the cars used that line. said that the
sandl,or was three-ouarters full of sand which
had beer, used TO check the descent There were
no traces OF sand along the track yesterday
,nc Of the rules Of the company Is that the COLI
cluctor shall get of, 60 ahead and see tha' TINS
DANGEROUS crossing is clear George NJ Gould
the conductor, who is now under arrest, SAID
that he would have done this, but he saw that
,oe gates were lowered. When examined by
DIT Mckenzie he said that he was unaoie 10
elbow his way through the car before the
crash came Superintendent Shipman said that
he had been told Gould got off the car went
ahead and was off the when II started
down the hill The car the superintendent con-
iinued vas in first class condition Then ne
told that after the fire which destroyed the car
stables in 1898 the cars OF this line had never
been under shelter. Men in Newark said yes
1erlay that the Cl:fton-ave line was the norSue
for cars from all other lines and that the car
,r1-,ir, there had never heen satisfactory As
10 whether there might not have been ice on the
brake shoes because of the constant exposure or
the cars, Superintendent Shipman could not say
t Ernest Adam the city engineer. said that he
knew Of no law compelling the of derailing
switches at railroad crossings. but that there
were two in Newark
Cllristy Condron the gatenan at the crossing,
said that the gates We're down for fully 4 minute
and half before the crash. He received a
warning bell from Roseyille-ave. that a train
was coming so lowered the gates at once He
saw the come doWn the hill. and said the
brakes were on hard Sut that the car coasted
down the incline. He grabbed the red flag and
waved il against the train which tried to stop.
Car and engine reached the crossing al the same
moment. and the front platform of the trolley
car projected The steam road rails when
the crash came.
Among the injured was Mabel Smith who was
seated in the car between Miss Werperpue, who
was killed, aud Helen McCord who is badly
hurt When the car struck the gates. all three
rose in response the screams OF those who
saw the danger After that Miss Smith recalls
nothing until a man helped her from snow
bank She says her TWO companions lay near
she could have touched them both at once. She
had blood flowing from a deep cut above her
rYe but otherwise was unhurt. She walked 10
p car. She and d friend went through the cen-
ire OF the city. When they had TO change cars
at the South End. they went into a drug store
The druggist examined the wound and pro-
nounced il serious. and had Miss Smith taken
home IN cab When she reached her home,
No. 81 Elizabeth-ave-. she collapsed. Physi-
clans say she is in dangerous condition.
James G. Alden. OF Summit was a passenger
on the train. He said that the sight was sick
ening one when the crasl. came The trolley
car" he said emphaticaly. could not be
stopped, although the motorman appeared to
make frantic efforts 10 DO so 1t slipped right
along as the gates were going down. got on the
tracks, and the next thing knew there vas
crash and the mischief done.
The sight of the mutiiated little ones who
had just left their homes their way 10 school,
was enough 10 turn heart OF stone. Passen-
gers on The train heard the screams Of the chill
dren two blocks before the train ever struck the
car AS some Of US looked out Of the windows
we could see them struggling get out Of the
rear door,
At the Office OF the Delaware. Lackawanna
and Western Railw y Company, Walter ".
Ross. general counsel, said that a thorough in