Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-06-13
VIGOROUS PROTEST
ACAlNSE EDGE MOOR
GRADE CROSSING
Continued from page 1.

engine on one OF the freight tracks
coming north over tho crossing, he
saved himself by turning sharply to
the left and running or the road and
among the tracks.
In view OF the facts noted above,
we. the undersigned. residents and
workers in tho Edge Moor district. and
other citizens of Delaware. believe
that the Edge Moor crossing presents
an Unnecessary source of inoonveni-
ence snd trouble as well AZ Offering a
constant and unavoidable menace to
the safety OF ourselves and our fam
HES. We therefore earnestly protest
against the continued existence OF
such crossing. and do earnestly urge
that the Levy Court of New Castle
county do require the immediate con-
struction OF an adequate bridge over
the Il. n. & w. X. Il. tracks that we
may be allowed a safe and unimpeded
passage,
"A copy Of this petition is being
sent 10 the Philadelphia. Baltimore A
Washington Railroad.
Elements Of Danger.
There are several facts not spe-
cincally mentioned in the petition
which all tend 20 add 10 the dangers
of tho Edge Moor crossing and to
make Il, under almost any conditions.
impossible for ordinary safeguards 70
prove efficient protection.
AS the road runs over the tracks
ut Edge Moor there Ia n distance OF
1856 feet between tho gates. admittedly
an exceptional distance 10 be traversed.
For pedestrians there In n safety ia
land In the center is feet across, but
this affords scant protection To horse
or motor vehicles. Not only. however.
is there this long distance to be COW
cred by drivers and pedestrians, but
the structure OF the railroad on both
sides ~ the gates renders IL impossible
tO see for a sufficiently great dis
lance. for on both sides of this cross
ing AT distances approximately 1000
feet away tho tracks curve. With nor
mally slow traffic Il might he readily
possible 10 avoid a train when seen at
n distance OF "a thousand feet. but at
Edge Moor the cXprcss trains are
scheduled so they may pass at rate
~ sixty miles an hour. Thus from the
time an express comes into view TO
the time IL passe, the crossing only
about 20 seconds elapse. Consequently
In situations which occur daily. when,
for instance freight cars are being
switched. local trains are passing, and
there ere automobiles waiting TO cross
the tracks. IL becomes impossible even
for the most experienced watchers to
take tho appearance OF an express
train into proper account. From the
time the whistle ia blown for raising
the gates - seconds is required for
the crossing OF an automobile at nor
mai speed and 80 70 IS seconds for a
horse drawn vehicle. In either case
these Conveyauces are on tho tracks
and exposed for a longer period than
IL required for a train going at a
high rate OF speed 20 reach tho cross
ing.
This in itself might not he so serious
Il the railroad traffic AT this point
was Light. but In addition to the
through freight traffic. passenger
trains alone are scheduled TO pass
Edge Moor station az the rate of l2Q
a day This will afford some idea OF
tho chances persons crossing thu
tracks have 81 encountering danger
especially when further account f.
taken OF the almost continual activity
on the freight tracks at this point.
As was said In the body OF the petit
ton. Il IS natural that there should
be accidents and loss OF life Taking
the figures mentioned above into con-
sideration. Il can almost he work cd
out IN terms ~ mathematics that
there Will be an occasional loss OF life
here. and = constant series OF narrow
escapes For the Edge Moor cross!ne
Is not an unfreQuented thorouYhrars
SIS has been proved by aerial count OF
the number Of persons using Il daily
On June {. IL 80 20 y. m. and June
:, between 30 n. m. and 1890 p. m
1874 hours OF normal week days, 81
persons used the Edge Moor crossing
Two hundred and thirty-four OF thes,
were pedestrians, 263 were passenger.
In automobiles and IA We're in hors,
drawn vehicles. In this space OF tim,
III motor cars went across the tracks
and II horse conveyances. In THU
time - trains passed on the MAR
tracks. and l2S trains or Locomotives
passed on the freight tracks.
Indeed almost every habitua
traveller on the Edge Moor highwa,
has experienced some unpleasant,
narrow escape. Without even maxim,
an investigation. the following person.
and those accompanying them ar
known 20 have been nearly run owe
while crossing:
VIM. 7. Sellers. Bdge Moor Iron CO
'"F. 5. Garrett, 1909 Broome 81.
Eugene Mowlds American Bridg
Co.
''F. J. Cheney. American Bridge Co.
III. A Ssdgwick. American Bridg
Clarence Gross, Edge Moor Iro,
Co.
Earl Crawford. Edge Moor Iron C
Lawrence Ferries. Edge Moor Iroi
: Co.
Mr.. Porter-A farmer near Edg
Moor Village.
CAR Snyder. Gov Dock. Edg
Moor. Del.
WIN. A Keith. Burdan Ice Crear
Co. WI. Del.
% "A more detailed account OF their ex
: periences is herewith appended. ]
Is very common to have gates shu
down IN front and behind when 70
are between them. DI. Greenwood
Penny Hill and Lawrence Tale!
Edge Moor Iron Co, are among man
who have had this happen.
For a long time now the actu,
need Of bridge az Edge Moor has bee
recog nized by even the railroad con
pany itself. When there were fewe
. tracks al this point a bridge We
,,rAnr rnr,.xdoru to-, Ia 40 ln ,,.A,r q