Perth Amboy evening news. [volume] (Perth Amboy, N.J.) 1903-1959, 1913-07-12
View from West Side Not
Obstructed Puts Us in
Class B.
OTHERS MORE DANGEROUS
Inspector Says Next to EIiz-
abethport Perth Am b oy
Crossings Most Dangerous

The five grade crossings of the
Central and Lehigh Valley railroads
in Perth AmbOy, which the city has
petitioned the Board of Public Utility
Commissioners to have eliminated,
may be removed directly after the
abolishing of two exceedingly danger
GUS crossings in Elizabethport. In
spector James Maybury, of the COM
mission who was on the stand as
told yesterday, testified as to the dam
gers that existed. Afterwards, on
Cross-examination by City Attorney
G. G. Hommann, representing the city
the inspector stated that the Perth
Amboy crossings were among the
most dangerous of the state and
should be eliminated concurrently or
directly after those at EliZabethport.
Most of the session before the COM
mission yesterday was consumed by
the hearing of the testimony of the
inspector for the commission and the
reading by the attorney for the Le-
high Valley Railroad Company OF a
list of the casualties, which have oc-
cured at their Washington street and
New Brunswick avenue crossings In
the past years. July rs was set by
the board for the argument Of coun-
sci on both sides and the summing
up of the case. The session will be
held In the Chancery Court rooms In
the Union Trust building, Jersey
City, where the hearing was given
yesterday, but the next session will
be at 2 o'clock in the afternoon.
Yesterday mornings session of the
commission was given over to hear
ing testimony relative to the reason
summer outing and rally of Middle
Amboy should be eliminated now, as
asked in the city's petition to the
commission. The first testimony sub
mitted was by General Solicitor A. H.
Boles, who read and had report of
accidents on the Lehigh Valley CROSS
ings here for the past ten years. He
enumerated six, FIVE of which were
fatal.
When Inspector Maybury was put
on the stand he was questioned by
Frank H. Sommer, counsel for the
commission. He told Of his visit
here and explained the different
lengths of views unobstructed in ap-
preaching them from either east or
west side On cross-examination by
Mr.. Hommann, who closely question
ed the inspector as to why Perth AM
boy was not put in Glass A. which
was the most dangerous and thereby
placed first in order for elimination,
the inspector explained, "there Is a
lesser degree Of danger, owing to
the fact that the view Is practically
an unobstructed view from the west
approach to the crossings, which does
not warrant them being put in class
A."
Mr.. Hommann asked the inspector
II Perth Amboy's crossings did not
come next to the two at Elizabeth
port relative to the degree Of dan
ger. Mr.. Maybury said the crossing
at Morgan was dangerous as some
In Perth Amboy and that the two
crossings at Matawan were more dan
gerous than those at Perth Amboy
He pointed out that the tracks we're
curved at Matawan but tangent In
Perth Amboy, save at the Lehigh
Valley. Mr.. Hommann called the in
spector's attention to the fact that
these crossings at Matawan were In
a small place and not subject to the
travel and traffic of this city. The
inspector said that traffic does not
control the classification altogether,
hb luo udJoIlty Va hSSluohIb oCCul III
Not Of the way places.
On being further cross-examined
the inspector said that some trains
come through here at the rate Of fif-
ty to sixty miles an hour, though in
Elizabethport they have been restric-
ted to fifteen miles an hour by the
Public Utilities Commission, but no
such restriction has been made by the
board for Perth Amboy.
In bringing out the degree of dan
ger at Smith street, Mr.. Hommann
asked Mr.. Maybury what would be
required to bring that crossing from
Glass B danger up to Glass A. The
Inspector said that If the view was
obstructed ON the west approach as
1t is ON the east approach that 1t
would be then in Glass A.