The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1916-06-16
GATES AND FLAGMEN

# the railroads to slow up trains q
md send flagmen ahead at the prin- J
.ipal city crossings. To the best of
he Stars information, this is very f
.ffectual safeguard against accident. /
We think an ordinance requiring the G
roads to maintain gates at every {
crossing in the city would be I'M /
reasonable and would not stand in 4
the courts. There are only five cross t:
ings on the Seaboard where precau-
tons should be taken. The first is at
Henry street, in the north of the
city. The second is at Magnolia
street, where the trains stop any
how. The third is at Pond street,
and we think fiagman ahead of the
train is sufficient there. The fourth
is Exposition street, the most danger
Gus crossing in the city, the coming
trains from both north and south be-
ing concealed from people travelling
or the street until they are almost
on the crossing. The Star thinks |
that there should be gates at that |
crossing, no matter what objection
the railroad makes. 1t is a danger
Gus place, there have been some acct
dents and any number of near acct
dents there, and we don't believe a
| fagman would be as efficient as at
the other crossings. The fifth is the
Dunnellon road, less travelled than
Exposition street, but across which
the Seaboard trains have been run
ming at full speed. If the Seaboard
will put gates at Exposition street
land send fagman ahead at the other
crossings, adequate safety for the
lpresent will be obtained. The Coast
i Line has more crossings in the city
than the Seaboard, but they are not
so dangerous. The first is at the
Gainesville road, which the trains
have been crossing at lively clip.
An auto was smashed and man
killed there a few years ago. 1t is
lnow in full sight of the road on both
sides, but this safeguard will soon
disappear with the steady increase in
buildings. The Magnolia street
lcrossing a little further in is also
dangerous, and will become more so
las population increases, and it is in
Icreasing faster in that direction than
Iany other in town. Henry street is
the next. We don't think it is pos
sible for the Coast Line trains to
send a fagman ahead up the long
lgrade, as they must have a Roadway
of ten miles an hour or more to climb
lit, and there is not enough travel
across it now to warrant gates. Ok
lawaha avenue is dangerous fol
lsouthbound trains; they can't slack
Iup until the engines and some of the
cars have crossed the crest of the hill
consequently fagman can't run
ahead of them. This might be over
lcome by a f1agman going out from
the passenger station in time. Thi
lis a duty, however, that is liable tt
Ibe overlooked, and if the passenge
station is removed to the union sta
ton gates will be an absolute neces
sity. We think reduced speed and
fagman are enough at Broadway, an,
might be at Fort King If conscien
tiously attended to. The trouble i
lat Fort King, in regard to south
bound trains, except those that sto
at the station, the duty sometime
Ideteriorates into race between tn
lengine and the fagman, each tryin
to beat the other over the crossing
We have frequently seen a fagma
jump from the pilot of train an
90 his best sprinting to lead it owe
the crossing by six to ten feet, whic
of course would be of no protectio
Ito anybody who might be endangel
ed by the train. A little over a yea
ago, we saw one of our city physit
lians avert destruction to his auto an
possible death to himself only by
handbreadth, and many times in tn
twenty years the Star has done bus
mess at this crossing it has been a
leye witness to escapes almost as nal
row. We do not think gates at tn
crossing an unnecessary precautiol
South Third street is almost as BAG
there is not so much travel over i
but it is even more exposed to dan
ger. The A. c. L. has virtual
stolen South Fourth, Fifth, Sixth an
Seventh streets, and the council lacI
the nerve to take them back, so the
need not be considered Sout
Eighth street as "a dangerous eros
ing and becoming more so ever
month. We don't think there is mue
merit in Mr.. Murchison's argumel
about horses becoming frightene
when caught between gates and ii
trains on Osceola avenue. Most
the traffic on this avenue is by auto.
or foot passengers; at any rate an.
one driving up or down this avenl
can see long way in either dire
ton, and the chance of being caugl
between a train and gate is abol
one in a thousand. Let the coune
insist on the roads putting gates
the most dangerous streets and sen,
ing fagmen ahead of the trains at Il
others, and its duty will be done I
10th the roads and the people. On
thing to be remembered about tn
n