New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-07-15
CROSSING DANGER KNOWN
EFFORTS TO ABOLISH IT.
Long Island Railroad Enpects to
Spend 100000.

vice-Presdent Potter. who is also general man.
ager. OF the Long Island Railroad, talked with
Tribune reporter yesterday about the steps 70 b.
taken by the company 10 do away with the dan
gerous grade crossing the Merrick Road whsr,
three persons in automobile were killed in +.
collision with of the Long Island trains Hs
said:
In 1900 the Ions Island Railroad Company aY-
law for the aboushment of grade crossings 10
eliminate the grade crossing at Merrick Road.
MED on aocount Of local opp6sio me eomps as
rsady TO Win LOCAL ana STATE
crossings. Within the last years. at a very
ana fifty Of these crossings There are still a5oT
nine hundred on Long Island The question o.
so In Hat country Ike Long Island. where there
IN Brooklyn and around Bay Ridge s2.5OoOCo has
been spent in aboIishine grade crossings. and IN
shall spend about $5.Goo6oo more The Crossing a.
e te rs nG an and a tes and I'VE We
heard easily
''Wil the company put up gates at the crossing"
asked.
We haven't considered the question OF gates
there since the accident. and I don't know VIVA.
the decision will be. It is question. TOO. whether
gates are of much advantage. 1t was shown by the
statistics of the Railroad Commission that 80 per
cent OF the grade crossing accidents occurred at
protected crossings. Cases frequently reported
where dulOnODueS ana wagons run through tho
gates"
A brakeman on the train which ran into the
automobile Wednesday said that fagnen are sta
toned at intervals at distance from the Merrick
Road crossing. and as a train approaches a signal
is given by each hagman to the man ahead. Ere
quently. he said. attention is paid by drivers OF
wagons automobiles to the hagmen at the Ne--
rick Road and other grade crossings Gates. hs
said. were equally useless He cited case of
woman who pushed through the gates near Rock
fllA fIfa1
that his train running about forty miles an
hour when It struck the automobile Wednesday
IT is said that there about two hundred dan
geroCs grade crossings within the metropolitan
district. but there IS little hope of speedy aboI-
ishnent of them unless the city and the railroad
companies divide the costs. They cannot get ths
State aid which the Law provides for, because Gov
ernor OdeII vetoed the appropriation this year
the State Railroad Commission has not the neces-
ssry money.
Mayor Mcclellan has been proddins his Com
missioner OF Parks in The Bronx for report on
the Van Cortlandt Park grade crossing, where a
man recently vas killed by train The Mayor
wants to know what can be done TO abats the
peril OF the crossing
THE city is willing to do It's share and the rail-
road company wants 20 do It's part" said the
Mayor yesterday. The city would like to pay even
more than its one-fourth. if it possible under
the law. but. in view Of the Governors action. I
don't see what do
Park Commissioner William ?. Schunitt. Of Tire
Bronx. yesterday wrote 10 W. H Newman presi-
dent of the New-York Central. sayins:
call your attention 70 my letter OF June Il n
reference 10 the dep!orabie accident on the Putnam
division. at Van Cortlandt Station stating the
necessity OF placing safety gates. I again state
that this department. stands ready 70 do all within
Its power to assist in the safety OF the public a.
that point. and feel constrained TO demand that
immediate action your part in placing safety
gates at Van COrtlandt Station. be taken at once
President Newman was engaged when reporter
tried TO him yesterday but he sent word 70 the
reporter through his secretary that he had written
an answer 10 Commissioner Schrnitt. He would not
divulge the contents OF the letter.
The accident Wednesday the Merrtck Road
crossing recalls similar accident which occurred
on June I. 1897. the MsrTiCk Road crossing.
which five persons were killed and fifteen injured.
\ tally-ho party OF twenty-Cne persons were driv-
ing along Merrick Boulevard near Valley Stream
and in crossing the Long Island Railroad tracks az
this point the taliyho was struck by train. with
the resulting casualties. Peculiar TO note is the
fact that bell at this crossing was also supposed
70 warn persons of approaching trains. but
cordinG TO the survivors OF the accident, no bel
was heard. thereby indicating that unless the wind
Is favorable these gongs cannot be heard.