The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-01-10
Ned Brace 7aLks About SeUera/
 Dlatters Of Znterest Heye At H0me

In doing this the commuiity must not only protect the morals of It's citi- zens but 1t must protect the lives of it's citizens.
 Men have been killed in blind tiger raids. And men have been killed at grade crossings. I have spoken before on this grade crossing question. It is said that one of our last grade cross ing accidents was due to the possible indulgence of blind tiger liquor on the part of a flagman at the crossing.
 Now, why 1t is that there are so many grade crossings in Birmingham? Neither tha railroads nor the street railroad com pany are in such condition that they cannot improve the present situation The Atlanta, Birmingham and Atlantic rail- road is coming through Bessemer on an elevated structure to prevent grade cross ing accidents. The Birmingham street railway crosses a net work of tracks in Bessemer on an elevated structure, which has only recently been constructed. Yet after announcing for years that it intend- ed to build a viaduct over the net work of tracks from Twenty-seventh street on First avenue across to the Sloss x Furnaces. it has done nothing, and every day people who ride to East Lake fear a repetition of past accidents. Again the city or the railroads should built a. viaduct from Twenty-seventh street on First avenue across to Avenue A on the southside. And, as a matter of fact, all the impor- tant grade crossings in Birmingham should be abolished The railroads are fighting everywhere to save a few paltry dollars. They don't want to do their real parts The average railroad official feelS that he is a sort of king bee and calls upon his local attorney to contest in every instance what he thinks his alleged inalienable rights. He feels that he has developed the whole town and the whole district by virtue of his building into it. But he is no longer to be permitted to run rough shod over life as well as prop erty. I refer to the way the trains are coming in and going out of Birmingham without hagmen and without gates. So far as I know there is not a gate at a street crossing in the city of Birming- ham. There are few hagmen. Even on Avenue E, where the Best Line has the right to run, it has no f1agman to pre- cede it's trains across such prominent driveway as Twentyfirst street.
 If there are many more accidents at these grade crossings in Birmingham 1t is not going to be the mere engineer or fagman who is punished, but some of the higher officials will be held not only re-
  inally so. The profits of the transporta- tion concerns in Birmingham should be sufficient for those in charge to protect the lives of the public. What is gate or hagman to precede train across the street compared to the killing of even one person?
 These grade crossing killings must be stopped.
 Let the high officials look into these tla1 h hfrI1 c will some day find that they will be held as much guilty of criminal negli- gence as the poor fellows who have pos- sibly been held responsible in the past. I don't mean to be unpleasant or threat ening about this, but the people who have to cross grade crossing tracks afoot, or in street cars, or in wagons or carriages, are entitled to some safety appliances and certainly the street railway and the steam railway people should begin to act rather than to continue to talk and en- deavor each to place the burdens of neg ugence for killings upon the other.
 The amount paid out in deaths dam ages within the last few years would have paid for all needed improvements.
 Birmingham Is too big for the stingy and cheeseparing kind-too big for the narrow ones Cut out, and show up, and punish the grafters when they are found. But let us in the big broad way keep up the commercial and business growth of this town and make 1t the safest, the cleanest. the most beautiful and the best town in which to live and rear family in all the southland.