Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1915-04-16
AUTO TRAGEDY
BRINGS GUARDS
FOR BRIDGES
FreehoIders Take Action to
Prevent Repetition of Lincoln
Highway Drowning.
SAY MOTORISTS DRIVE
TOO FAST FOR SAFETY
caustic Criticisms for Supt.
Dugan for Hardness in
Accident.

III OTOeT TO prevent similar acc1-
dents to the one which on April 6
last caused the death of three young
men, when an automobile containing
seven people plunged through an
open draw into the Passaic river, at
the Plank Road bridge Director Wal
ter Evans, of the Board of Freehold
ers, made a suggestion at a meeting
of the joint bridge committee of the
Essex and Hudson county freeholders
today, that mounted policemen and
motorcycle officers be provided for the
bridge approaches by each Of the
counties.
Director Evans also suggested the
engineers of both counties should be
consulted regarding the advisability
of moving the gates from their pres
ent positions and placing them
farther east and west, in order that
they shall be a greater distance from
the draw.
Another thing to which the director
called attention was the fact that
automobilists race across the bridge
at the rate of fifty or sixty miles an
hour. He had often observed this,
he said, and. declared that, under
existing conditions, accidents were TO
be expected.
Considerable heat was engendered
during the discussion of the recent
accident, there being a disposition on
the part of Freeholder Cardwell to
criticize Superintendent William P.
Dugan, of the Lincoln Highway, be-
cause he had not learned OF the ac-
cident and reported for duty until
about $3.50 o'clock, more than eight
hours after the accident occurred.
Director Evans called attention to
the fact that Superintendent Dugan
has no telephone in his house and it
developed that all efforts to reach him
during the early morning hours after
the accident had been unavailing. 1t
was decided, upon motion of Mr.
Evans, to put a telephone in the
superintendent's house at the expense
of the counties.
Discussion relative TO the bridge
accident was precipitated following a
report by superintendent Dugan. The
superintendent reported that, on the
date of the accident, the gate and
life-preservers were in good order,
that the gatetender, Matthews, had
been injured when the automobile
plunged into the river, and had also
been thrown into the river.
Mr.. Dugan said that five out of
eight men had been saved and de-
clared that he believed that credit was
due the bridge employees for their
work on this occasion. He said that
traffic had been delayed for one hour
and half in getting the automobile
out of the river and that the bridge
had been opened for three quarters of
an hour, in order to save the men
from the river and recover the bodies
of the dead.
Superintendent Dugan's report en-
bodied one from Philip Heitz, the
bridge engineer, in which he referred
to the fact that he had arrested Will
lam Bittles, driver of the car after
the accident, and had held him &
prisoner until such time as ne turned
him over to the proper authorities.
Malta Supports Bridge Men.
After Director Evans had mem
toned the need of moving the gates
to prevent future accidents, Chair
man Malta said he could see no
reason why the freeholders should
not compliment the bridge men. He
said that the freeholders were quick
enough to find fault when necessary
|
them for good work.
"One- man is in the hospital now"
said Mr.. Malta, land Judge Skin
ner, whose son was in the automo-
bile party, came to me after the ac-
cident and said he was very much
pleased"
at is evident that something
should be done to police the road -
said Director Evans. Il think the
auto was going at an unlawful rate
of speed.
"The road should be policed." con-
tinued Mr. Evans, land there should
be men provided to take care of 1t.
Some measures must be taken to re-
strict autoists, as they are going
over the road at a rate of fifty or
sixty miles an hour. l know that
what / am saying is true from my
personal observations. Something
should be done to stop this mad
speeding and to give proper protec-
tion along the road"
At this juncture Freeholder Card
well wanted to know at what time
the Hudson county freeholders were
officially notified of the accident:
Commissioner Thomas j. Pryor, OF
Hudson county. replied that it was
about 10 o'clock in the morning be-
fore word was received by him.
Mr.. Cardwell then said that ne
thought the bridge officials in this
city should have gotten on the fob
earlier. Superintendent Dugan then
said he had no telephone
"If anyone was to blame, said
Mr. Evans sit was the policeman on
duty. for not calling up the proper
people and notifying them. Maybe
Mr.. Dugan. like other people. enjoy
having a little time to himself"
pol;ce Hold Cremer in