Perth Amboy evening news., 1921-07-22

|, mobiles, 5,49S; number Of trolley
cars, S02; number of horses and
wagons, 1886; number Of vehicles,
1872; number of times gates were
lowered, 247.
s. At the Market street crossing,
during the period from A. NJ, June
81. to A. M. June "a, the follows
ing traffic passed over this crossing:
Number of pedestrians crossing
the tracks, 1862; number of auto-
mobiles, $3.50; number of horses
and wagons, I'll; number of vehicles
S91; the number of times gates were
lowered, 1886.
The above figures are modest over
the Market street crossing in view
of the fact that they were taken DUR
ing the weekdays and do not In fact
represent the very heavy traffic OF
this grade crossing during the week.
end and holidays, when practically
all the traffic leading to the New I
Jersey shore resorts through the city
of Perth Amboy is obliged to use
this crossing. These figures are,
however, sufficient to impress upon
us the conviction that where, at such
grade crossing human agencies
are entirely depended on to afford
protection to the travelling public
that accidents will inevitably hap
| pen.
The only protection afforded to the
| public at these grade crossings are
| the gates which are operated by q
single workman, who is responsible
entirely for the safeguarding of hue
| man life and property. That this
human agency is fallible and that the
railroads operating in the city OF
Perth Amboy have had ample notice
thereof is very forcibly borne out BY
the number of accidents and fatali-
ties at grade crossings in Perth AM
boy of which we must presume the
railroads have notice. During the
period of January 9. 1878. through
June Is, 1921, there. were Sndfy-tw9'
reported accidents in the city Of
Perth Amboy that were due either
directly or indirectly to the grade
crossing. In this period. and as a re-
suit of these accidents there were six
! teen deaths, eleven instances where
automobiles wagons and individuals
were struck by trains, without fatal
results to human life, and six times
during this period the gates were
dropped while vehicles were on the
clossngs.
In spite of the fact that there had
| been a great number of accidents,
many fatal to human life, that the
/ L
Amboy, of which the railroads un-
doubtedly had notice, 1t neverthe-
less seems to be q practice to ems
| ploy as gatemen, men who are
| advanced in years, or men who have
| been crippled through accidents on
the railroads and are consequently
either due to infirmity of age, or
some physical infirmity. unfit for
strenuous physical labor. Although
the employees at grade crossings
| are charged with a great RESPONSE
bility of safeguarding human life, It
appears that this class of employees
have been selected without regard to
their fitness or qualifications to per-
form their work, but are selected
| with a view of giving men employ
ment who could not perform arduous
tasks, but who were capable of per-
forming whatever labor Is required
to perform such work at a crossing.
These gatemen therefore while physi
cally qualified were In no degree
qualified, either mentally or temper-
mentally. to carry the high respon.i
sibility arising upon them.
We feel that these accidents and
conditions existing generally at
Perth Amboy are directly traceable'
to the fact that the railroads are
permitted to travel through that city
at grade.
The dangers of a grade CROSSING
problem at Perth Amboy are greatly,
accentuated by the following:
First, the excessive rate of speed
at which trains operate through the
city of Perth Amboy.
Second, the neglect on the part OF
the railroads to use proper care IN
the selection of employees who are
physically and mentally equipped to
perform their duties and carry out
the high responsibility resting upon
them. Ef
Third, the failure of the railroads
to employ help in sufficient numbers
to properly protect the grade cross
| ingS.
Fourth, the frequency with which
accidents occur at the grade cross
jngs in the city of Perth Amboy is
n forensic argument, in impelling
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