The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-02-18
Durham's Troubles With
Railroads Ventilated.
A FAVORABLE REPORT
Senate Committee On Counties, Cities
and Towns Takes View That Dur
hams Railroad Crossings Are
Dangerous to Public Safety
and Gives Relief in Bill.

The substitute bill prepared to take
the place OF one introduced several
days ago giving the city of Durham
the right TO extend Carr street over
the right of way of the Seaboard Air
Line railroad. and to condemn land.
and requiring the making of tunnels
under the tracks Of the several rail
roads and providing 4 penalty fcI
grade crossings, passed the Senate
Committee on Counties, Cities ard
Towns yesterday Afternoon for n ia
Vorable report.
There was earnest opposition To tile
bill on the part OF ior Grthrie,
representing the Norfolk and West
erII. Judge Womack appearing for
The SGaboard ard Mir. Henry Miller,
for the Southern.
On behalf of the bill the discussion
was led by Mcssrs. John Sprunt Hill
and j. NJ. Manning, Esq. of Durham,
and also participated i'm TO some cx-
tent bv Mr.. Niche. of Durham, and
by Mr.. Bryan Of the committee. the
last named opposing the passage OF
the biz.
During the discussion the various
suits participated IN by the city OF
Danville, and. later. the Southern
Railroad. over the question of tie
ownership Of Peabody street. were
fully ventilated. Major Guthrie III
particular proving of vast amusa-
ment 10 the committee and the spec
tators generally by the graphic de-
scription which he gave of the times
ant in Durham town.
incidentally both Major Guthrie
and Mr.. Hill took occasion 10 get in
some good advertising for the town
of Durham. although Major Guthrie
qualified his statement by claiming
that the one vice of The city was
'robbing" railroads.
The provisions OF the substitute bill
which was favorably reported are
that the city of Durham is author
lied and empowered To extend Ores
son and Carr streets and Aston Ave-
nue. and TO provide crossings thereon
which shah be under the tracks OF
the railroad. and to condemn such
of the rights of way of the railroads
Of such crossings.
MIR. John Sprunt Hill, who first
addressed the committee, went at
length into a reading of proceedings
of the board of aldermen and reso-
lutions passed by that body attempt
ing to secure the safety of the publlc
from the effects of grade crossings
and that of the school children COM
nelled to cross the tracks daily. MIR.
It'll read several petitions from
school authorities and citizens which
SET forth the dangers of the tracks
as at present located and charged
that the Southern had deliberately
put grade tracks across the mouth
of the tunnel under one of the streets,
thus multiplying it's usefulness MT.
Hill declared that the grade crossings
were Il constant menace TO the SAFE
tv and lives of hundreds OF schooi
children and to the general public.
Mr. Hill, in showing the increase
i'm the tracks of the southern AMI
Seaboard roads and the number CT
cars handled on III yarGS took ""ca-
sion 10 glow over the nfoEreSs III
wealth and business of hirnain'
showing that by the Increase or PORN
lation and volume of railroad tralllc
The time mad come when the grade
crossings Of the railroads had reaSh-