Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1922-06-13
WOULD WIPE OUT
GRADECROSSING
Continued From First r-age.)

MOOT DelaWdfes a NedNllg lAdfcAo'
highway crosses the Philadelphia
Baltimore and Washington Railroad
and connects the Edge Moor lroi
Company, the American Bridg
Company. the Edge Moor village, tn
U. S. government pier. the farm
and other homes OF this neighbor
hood with the Edge Moor railroad
station. the post office. the Philadel
phia pike and the city Of Whining
ton. The above mentioned road Il
the only means OF highway commu
nication for the workers and dwell
ers in the places named.
Where this thoroughfare crossei
the p. B. and w. R. r. there arr
eight tracks. four for the through
traffic OF the line. and four which
connect with and form a part Of th'
Edge Moor freight yard. The cross
ing. being recognized by the railroad
officials and the public as extremely
dangerous. an attempt is made tc
avoid accidents by keeping II closed
by gates. which are only raised II
some one is waiting to cross. and II
the gatemen consider 1t safe.
LAS the traffic at this point is be-
coming increasingly heavy, and as
freight trains are being cut here and
made up at all periods Of the day
and night. this crossing is now
closed to pedestrians and vehicular
travel for long periods OF time. Il
being often impossible to obtain
passage for intervals OF ten and at
times as much as thirty minutes.
Thus all persons using the highway
are subjected 10 serious and annoy
ing delays.
Not only are individuals sub
jected to increasing delays for the
purpose Of safety, but the safe
guards furnished by the Railroad
have become uncertain and In
sufficient. The safety Of those
crossing is left to the judgment OF
two employees Of the P. B. & W.
r. r, often new and inexperienced
at the gates. The warning whistles
Of passing engines are difficult 70
distinguish from whistles constantly
blowing in the yards. so that to all
aUUEdIdnEE1 u aAAAa N0AAAN ~ - %NA~
speed with no warning.
In many instances In the exper-
ience Of vehicular travellers and pc
destrians the crossing gates have
been raised, admitting them TO the
tracks. only to be closed again before
they have crossed. fencing them in
between the safety gates and the
passing train. Under these circum-
stances Il IS natural that such
crossing should be the cause OF loss
Of life.
"On May 18th, at o'clock, stand
ard time, Edward Donohoe. a farmer
and old resident Of the Edge Moor
Iron Companys properties. through
no fault Of his own met his death
here while returning from Whining
ton in his light Dodge truck. As
the gates were down ana
he waited until they ere raised az
rateman's signal after the passage
of a train. He was permitted 70
enter the tracks where ne was run
into and instantly killed by an engine
which was backing on Track NO. l.
The verdict OF the coroner's jury
In the case Is as set forth and the
petition continued:
at about II o'clock p. m, May "a
"a Mr.. Carl Snyder who lives al
he Government Dock, was returning
,ome in his automobile. The gates
ere raised and he had crossed the
'our main line tracks. Seeing
freight engine on one OF the
-reight tracks coming north over
he crossing. he saved himself by
urning sharply to the left and run
ing off the road and among the
racks.
'In view Of the facts noted above,
re. the undersigned. residents ana
in the Edge Moor district
md other citizens Of Delaware be-
ieve that the Edge Moor crossing
PRESENTS an unnecessary source OF
and trouble as well
8 offering a constant and unavoid-
bic menace TO the safety Of our
elves and our families. We there
ore earnestly protest against the
ontinued existence OF such cross
ne and do earnestly urge that the
,eyy Court of New Castle County
% require the immediate construc-
lon of an adequate bridge over the
J. B. & w. r. r. tracks that we may
10 allowed a safe and unimpeded
assage.
A copy Of this petition is being
ent to the Philadelphia, Baltimore
nd Washington Railroad"
Mr.. Marquard presented the fol-
owing petition-
There are several facts not
mentioned in the petit
ion which all tend TO add to the
hangers OF the Edge Moor cross
ng and to make 1t, under almost
ny conditions. impossible for or
inary safeguards to prove efficient
"As the road runs over the tracks
{ Edge Moor there is a distance of
SO feet, between the gates ad-
an exceptional distance to
e traversed. For pedestrians there
J a safety island IN the center IS
eet across, but this affords scant |
rejection TO horse or motor We
lcles. MOI ohiyf Ho"SNSA' 10 tAeAe
his long distance to be covered by |
rivers and pedestrians. but the |
tructure Of the railroad on both
Ides OF the gates renders IL i'm
ossible to see for a sufficiently |
reat distance. for on both sides /
Z this crossing at distances ap-
1000 feet away the |
-acks curve. with normally slow
-affic it might be readily possible to
void a train when seen at a dis
lnce Of a thousand feet, but at
dge Moor the express trains are
,heduled so they may pass at a
lte of sixty miles an hour. Thus
'om the time an express comes into
lew to the time it passes the