Perth Amboy evening news. [volume] (Perth Amboy, N.J.) 1903-1959, 1915-03-10
CALLS DECISION
ON CROSSINGS
GREAT VICTORY
Mayor Endeavors to Confer
With City Surveyor to Have
Work Start at Once on De-
tail Plans Before Hearing.

Decision by the Board of Public
Utility Commissioners that railroad
crossings at Washington street, New
Brunswick avenue, Smith street and
Market street, are dangerous, is tax
en- by Mayor Ferd Garretson to be a
big victory for the city. He has not
as yet received an official report OF
the decision, but acting upon the de-
tailed account in the NEWS last
night, the executive endeavored to
confer with City Engineer Samuel j.
Mason today in order to have wor
started Immediately for the prepara-
tion of detail plans and compilation
of data to show the best, most ef-
icient and most reasonable method
OF eliminating the four grade cross
tngs in question.
After reading the decision yester-
day Alderman William c. Wilson
came to the conclusion that the
Smith and Market street crossings OF
a Lehigh Valley spur leading through
the western section of the city to the
Raritan Copper Works we're about as
dangerous as any grade crossings in
the city. He claimed they were with
out watchman, gates and even signs,
and he was at loss to know why
they had not been included among
the dangerous ones.
Hearing May IA.
The Utility Board has fixed the
hour OF 1890 O'Clock in the morn
ing Of Friday, May IA, as the time
for further hearing on the city's po-
sition for removal of the crossings in
question. It's members will sit at
that time In Newark to receive plans
and data and hear argument from
both sides. Detailed testimony will
then be offered to enable the COM
niissioners to definitely decide upon
the course of action that shall be d.
rects.- eliminate the dangers. 1t
is expected fhat the city will be we'll
represented at this hearing, as it was
at the time petitions were presented
before the commission in Trenton.
City Engineer Mason will probably be
the most important witness for he
city, Mayor Garretson concludes
that B -sslrrayed against him will be the
best crossing experts that the rail-
road companies have in their en-
ploy. The railroads against whom
the city is acting are the Central
Railroad Of New Jersey, the Lehigh
Valley Railroad Company and the
Pennsylvania Railroad Company. The
crossings In question are located
along the line generally known as
the Central railroad, which is used
by both the Pennsylvania and Gen.
trail companies. 1t has been stated
in connection with changes at Wash
jngton street, where the Lehigh VAL
ley system crosses the Central
tracks, that 1t might become the site
OF a union depot.
Under the suggestions made by
Mayor Garretson 1t will become the
duty of the city engineer to prepare
detail plans and specifications to
show the best means of eliminating
the crossings In general. He will be
obliged to furnish a working plan, in
an effort to present the elimination
plan in concrete form before the
Tentative plans showing depression
of some tracks and elevation of 9TH
ers were supplied to the board at for
mer hearings. These were attacked
by railroad engineers and lawyers
The elevation plan suggested was
claimed to be impractical because OF
the grade it would give the Lehigh
Valley tracks, and the depression
project was attacked because it
might hinder extension of under
ground lines and would make a.
trench for the accumulation of snow.
Mayor Garretson stated today that
he believed the city would present
good argument with plans and fig
ures to back it up when the hearing
was held in May
The grade crossings on the Lehigh
Valley spur referred to by Mr.. Wilson
were not included In the city's petit
tion. Mr.. Garretson stated that at
tention had been paid only to cross
lngs on main lines which the city
officials thought were most danger
ous. He believed that there were
but few trains passing over the spur
each day and that trainman tagged
The crossings each time. He did con- /
lend that there should be some filling !
done on the Market street crossing
)f the spur.