The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-08-05
GRADE CROSSING
PROBLEM Of CITY
NEARS SOLUTION
Detailed Plan Will Be Ready
for Railroad Engineers
Shortly
SUBMITS OUTLINE TO
LANE AND WEATHERLY
Grade Crossing Engineer, Employed
Some Time Ago, Confers With
Commissioners-We -Weatherly
Expects Little Trouble

Birmingham's grade crossing problem
at last is nearing a solution.
detailed grade crossing plan, it was
officially announced yesterday, would be
ready for the approval of the engineers of
the railroads entering the city within the
next two weeks
Say nothing and saw wood" has been
the policy tenaciously adhered to by Engi-
neer Stearnes, the grade crossing expert
who was employed by the city commits
sioners some few months ago, with the
result that yesterday a conference was
held between Mr.. Stearns, City Engineer
Kirkpatrick and City Commissioners
Weatherly and Lane, at which the outline
of the grade crossing system as worked
out by the engineers was laid before the
city officials. The. object of the confer
ence was to place the outline of the plan
before the city officials for their approval
or suggestion as to any changes they
might think proper.
Approved Plans
While both Mr.. Weatherly and Judge
Lane did not desire to make any COM
ments on what their opinion of the plan IS
1t is generally understood that it met with
their entire apprayal. The two engineers
and the two commissioners, the only two
IN the city now, were closeted behind
closed doors in Mr.. Weatherly's office for
over an hour yesterday afternoon and blue
prints and ,f H.
crossing system as worked out by the ex-
pert were thoroughly gone over.
OF course, there are many details to the
plans which will yet be added and it was
to get the views OF the city officials be-
fore this was done that the conference
yesterday was held
within about two more weeks" said
Mr.. Weatherly. after the meeting was
concluded we will probably call a con-
ference of the engineers representing each
one of the railroads involved and our
selves At this time the grade crossing
plans will be completed and will be gone
over and discussed with each of the rail-
road engineers In accordance with the
agreement we made with the companies
some time ago.
"Of course, there will be minor changes
to. be agreed upon, Issuppose, at the sug-
gestion of different parties. For that rea-
son l would not like to state now what
my views of the plans are. The bulk of
the work in the grade crossing prelim1-
naries, however. it appears to me, has
been done, and | believe we will have lit
tie difficulty in agreeing with the railroad
company engineers in the details. After
we once adopt the plan, then it will be up
to the railroads to start actual construe-
'tion work and the grade, crossing problem
which has been a hoodoo ever since there
was a Birmingham viii disappear"
Lane Highly Pleased
Judge Lane stated he had gone over the
plans with the others and was highly
pleased, as he considered a long step and
a big step had been taken toward the ul-
innate solution of the grade crossing evil.
The Judge did not wish to make any COM
ment on individual parts of the plan, as
he said it was not yet complete, and had
been submitted to see il so far 1t met
with the APPROVAL of the commissioners.
Engineer Stearnes is from Indianapolis,
and has done grade crossing work in
many of the larger cities of the country.
He was employed some few months ago
by the commissioners to work out a grade
crossing system for Birmingham, and
since that time has absolutely buried, HIM
self in his work. He was employed until
September l, and indications now are that
his work will be completed well before
that time. On account of pressure of
work the regular engineering department
of the city was making slow progress on
the grade crossing plans, hence Mr..
Stearnes' employment. The agreement
with the railroad company engineers was
made some time ago that the city should
work out grade crossing system which
should be submitted to them at a joint
conference.