Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1911-08-11
Evening STAR Agitation
Prompts board Of
Works TO Act.
LIST SENT TO PUBLIC
UTILITIES COMMISSIONERS
State Officials Have Promised
Investigation to Safeguard
NeWarkerS.

Urged to action by the Evening
STAR In behaif of the mothers and
children of Newark and of the resi-
dents living near the many dsaih-trap
railroad grade crossings 10 this city,
the Bonfd of Works has prepared n Hist
of all sIch dangerous crossings In the
city, and today ssubmitted II 10 the Pub
..s Utilities svs,n.i,sio...
Th is the first definite step since the
PENNSYLVANIA and Lackawanna eleva-
tions to save life and limb and will
eventually result n proper safes
guarding of all crossings in the city.
II will be glad news tc anxious moth
ers, who dread to see their little ones
cross the railroad oriNtheir way to
school. The list prepared by the Board
of Works contains the names of thirty
three crossings, OF which two are on
Lehigh Valley tracks sixteen on the
Pennsylvania seven on the Central
Railroad of New Jersey and eight on
the Erie Railroad,
The action comes primarily from an
inveaigation by the Evening STAR OF
the crossing of the Erie Railroad at
Verona avenue, where William Gerhart
was killed on July 81 last,
investigation showed that crossing
40 he absolutely unpt otected except for
a woo6cn sign, Look out for the ioeo~
motives"
The Investigation by the Board of
Wor..s showed many other crossings
il the city protected only by such
signs
Ev, -, ,. .,wo
W@fn1E o anyone hat asasrap com.
i-x," says President william Mungis,
of The Hoard of Works.
At the time of the Gerhart accident
seven business concerns doing business
in the vicinity of the Verona avenue
cI,ssing united in petition to the
lUard of Works to have it properly
sa.eguarded. Similar requests have
Leen made by manufacturers In other
localities and the board decided 1t was
time TO take action
Last Monday meeting was held
with the members of the Public
tilities Commission, at which time
the aituation was partly gone over.
On Tuesday the utilities commission
asked the Board of Works to submit
a list of all crossings not pro,erly
protected, and at the same time told
the members of the board that on re-
ceipt of the list the commission would
cause an investigation of each one by
its own inspectors and make u report
to the Board of Works.
President William Mungle, of the
board, at once had the list prepare /.
and intends to keep right after trr
utilities commission until the COIL
ditions are remedied. Mr.. Munglc said
today
There are many conditions existing
that must be remedied. S)ne of the
crossings now have watchmen sta
toned there only until $50 In the eve
ming That is a bad condition, as
pedestrians, teamsters and auto
mobilists who use the crossing during
the daytime gets used to seeing IA
watchman there with the result that
after nightfall they start over the
crossings without knowing they are
unprotected
LAS the list shows, many crossings
are absolutely unprotected, except for
signs. the same as are used on countr.'
roads, where probably one or two PER-
sons a day cross the tracks, instead Of
hundreds, as in this city.
Danger lights planned.
Hurry ID. O'ConneIl, of the board, is
mt work ON a pInn to have street lamps
go constructed to show n danger light
MT ali raiIrond aud street railway cross
ings O'Connells plan is to have a
wide red band placed around the
centre of the electric arc globes in the
middle of the street.
He believes that this will to a great
extent prevent accidents at crossings,
as all drivers will take heed of a red
danger signal and slow down for i.
OConneli calls attention to the fact
that while there are lights on railroad
crossing gates they are small lanterns,
and half the time the globes are So
dirty that the light is almost invisible
except a; Il very short distance.
O'Connelrs scheme would provide a
danger signal fer all crossings, whether
they are protected by gates or not.
The matter will be taken up with he
Pu' l.c Service Lighting Company at
an early date and arrangements made
for esta blishing The red banded globes.
The list Of crossings submitted by
the Ruard of Works to the Public Utili-
ties Commission follows
Frelinghuysen avenue-This crossing
has gates and is planked.
Peddie street-This crossing has gates
and is partly planked. Has sign. Gate
tender on duty between the hours of
$50 a. m. and $3.50 p. m. only.
Frelinghuysen avenue-This crossing
has gates and is planked.
Sherman avenue-This crossing has
no gates. no signs, no fiagman and is
partly planked.
Elizabeth avenue-This crossing has
a f1agman; no gates Is planked, but
has no sign.
Johnson avenue-This crossing has no