The Greeley tribune., 1906-01-25
Danger Of dreeley's
Railroad Crossings.
By a. l.. Camp, Jr.

W ldhG NP uht oSAeON> NA--S
| may as well accept the martyrdom
as another, ever hoping that as an
opening wedge this article may lead
to strenuous blows from those in
power with the maui OF law.
The Union Pacific railroad ira
verses the extreme length Of the city
of Greeley from north to south.
The C. & S. coming in from the
northwest runs parallel with the Z.
p. from Immediately north Of Fifth
street to the passenger depot. AS
that portion is principally used as
freight yard by the two roads, 1t
becomes the danger portion OF the
track. All the warehouses, except
two, coal bins. Model mills and
elevator, and lumber yards, are there
located. Lines of freight cars oc-
cupy the side tracks, even to and
upon the road crossings. Fifth,
Sixth, Seventh, Eighth and Ninth
streets are crossed by trains many
times in each hour of the twenty
four. Approximately three-fourths
OF all the produce brought by teams
to Greeley is raised east of the town
and forced to cross the railroad.
This constitutes many wagonloads
day: aside from that, hundreds OF
buggies and bicycles, adult pedes-
trians and school children are daily
crossers. OF the five extremely dan
gerous crossings mentioned Seventh,
Eighth and Ninth streets have flag
men. Fifth and Sixth are without
a death warning. James Tuckerman
only few weeks ago escaped hor-
rible fate by a scant two feet, when
a backing freight train, without sig
nal warning of whistle, bell or the
required brakeman, crushed his
buggy and threw him barely clear of
the car wheels. The writer had a
similar experience since. Coming in
by Oak street bridge and seeing no
sign of trains in motion, I decided
contrary to custom, to cross on Fifth
street as by so doing few blocks of
travel could be saved, for business
was calling me to northwest Greeley.
A line of freight cars occupied the
easterly side track. After passing
the cars and on the crossing-too
late to turn or stop, my wife's
frenzied call showed the G. & S. pas
senger train backing swiftly. No
warning whistle nor bell was sound
ing. A brakeman, mute of voice.
carelessly watched for the expected
catastrophe with apparent uncon-
Germ. A sharp command to the re-
sponsive mare and she had bounded
to safety, when the train with the
murderous tiendishness of an auto
mobile, whizzed by, only few feet
behind our wheels. This train was
running not less than twelve miles
an hour, probably fifteen was nearer
its rate.
Almost every day some one mar.
rowly escapes an accident on one OF
these crossings of which some have
been dyed with the blood of victims.
No day passes that the city's laws
are not held in ridicule and brazenly
violated and the railroad company's
orders transgressed, by the roads
hirelings. l have many times seen
the five minute crossings OBJ
structed more than twenty minutes.
1t is useless to complain to the train
men or to those at the depot, for you
only court insult. To whom then
should an appeal be made? The
answer is the city Of Greeley. They
have the remedy in laws in force,
but not enforced. AS the city
officials undoubtedly know that ordi-
nance breaking is an every day oc-
curerce it is their plain duty to those
that gave them Office to do the
duties for which they are elected.
If some efficient man, whose busi-
ness should be unknown to the rail-
way employees, be appointed
limited number of days with orders
to report all infraction of ordinances
and be followed by maximum PEN
alties, a change would result for the
better at once. He should be espe-
cialy ordered to time incoming and
outgoing trains for that particular
ordinance is broken by all, and con-
tinuously.
There is no fear, even if that
should matter. of jeopardizing the
friendship of the railroad company,
for those in authority are reasonable
men and above the average in intel
ligence and fair dealing, and will
respect those who command respect
by enforcing the right Further
more they order train men to con.
form to municipal restrictions.