Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-03-18

that he had started to lower tn,
gates. but the physician continued t.
drive his car ahead, meeting the trair
squareiy on the track. The crossing
is one of the worst in the city, as an
embanlment running to meet the
grade of Maple avenue. block away
which crosses the tracks above grade
shuts off the view of eastbound trains
A Mortified crowd saw the tragedy
and the police found many witnesses
who stated the gates We're not down
for the approaching train.
There Is a curve west of the cross
ing and when the train hove in sight
the gatemen evidently did not APP
preeiate the speed at which 1t was
travelling and, 1t is said, the man
leisurely proceeded to put down the
arms. evidently failing to realize Dr.
Welshmans peril A westbound train
h"a list passed over the crossing
when the express came in sight.
I'M after the fatality had
occurred Councilman George A.
GIoter, chairman of the railroad COM
mittee of the City Council was at the
scene. His office is located a block
away from the crossing. Hurrying
to the nearest phone the official, who
has been one of the leaders in the
move to have the Lackawanna do
away with the death traps" in the
city, communicated with City En-
gineer William d. Willigerod, in
structing the latter to make all haste
possible In reaching the scene. Mr.
Willigerod secured a camera and with
one of his assistants. Harry Allard,
ran to the crossing.
Snapshots were taken under the
direction of Mr. Grover
There! Doesn't that prove very
conclusively that the immediate elm
nation of those cross ngs. which the
city has been struggling to have ac-
complished, is imperative?" said Mr..
Grover.
James r. Boyle. secretary to Mavor
Julian A. Gregory, communicated
with the executive at his office in
New York and informed him of the
happening.
When Mayor Gregory returned to
East Orange he said:
death at the Lackawanna grade
crossings in East Orange was bound
to come sooner or later. City author
tiles have long reckoned on the dan
ger that exists. and for nearly ten
years have been using their utmost
endeayors to get the Lackawanna
to eliminate the grade crossings. As
Mayor of this city. l have seen Mr..
Truesdale, the president, of the road:
] have written to him, and have used
every possible endeavor to have him
and representative of the company
meet the City Council or it's railroad
committee with Il view to bringing
the governing body and the railroad
to mutual agreement IN respect to
grade crossing elimination in this
city.
Refuse Conference.
MIR. Truesdale has persistently re-
fused to hold a conference except for
the purpose of discussing the propo-
sition submitted by his company sew
eral years ago, which, it is believed
by the officials of this city. will be
was almost unanimously rejected at
that time by mass meeting of clti-
zens, and the cost of which, together
with resultant damages to property
owners, the railroad had insisted the
city shall share, as we'll as the entire
cost of the necessary changes of water
and sewer conduifs.
I'm fact some six weeks ago MIR.
Grover, chairman of the railroad COM
mittee, sent to MIR. Truesdale the last
OF several letters asking for q confer
ence. That letter remains unan-
swered. When a citizen of this city
a week ago asked the engineer of the
railroad why the "a 'lroad officials
would not meet the city authorities
the answer reported to have been
given was a sneer.
Il wrote Mr. Truesdale over a year
ago, calling his attention to three
railroad grade crossing accidents
which had occurred in this city with
in the preceding twelve months, and
stated that l feared the time would
come when there would be loss of
human life from a grade crossing ac-
cident in this city.
In my Judgment the accident of
this afternoon is due TO criminal
negligence on the part of the officials
of the Lackawanna Railroad, and
should be punishable as such. l hope
the Grand Jury will not ON Y investi-
gate the facts of this accident but
will Inquire into the reason for the
accident becoming possible through
the failure of the Lackawanna
officials to accede 10 the request OF
this city to elevate the tracks at their
own expense, or to depress the tracks
with the assistance of a substant al
contribution from the city. and that
they win Immediately place the re-
sponsibility where it he'ongs. that
those guilty may be punished as they
deserve.
VIII Aid Prosecutor.
81 personally, so far as lies within
the power of my office, will afford the
office of the prosecutor every assist
ance that he may call upon me for
in order to obtain the Indictment and
conviction of the railroad officials who
are guilty"
Or. Welshman was the son of the
late William Welshman. of Caldwell,
and was born in that town January
Z, 1873. He graduated from both the