The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1925-06-18
ORDERS GATES ON
GENEVA CROSSING
Railroad Commission Up
holds County's Conten-
tons at TruesdelI.
RAILROAD MUST ACT

Kenosha county won the first step
in its fight to get the proper protec-
tion at railroad crossings in the coun-
ty today with the handing down of a
decision and order by the Wisconsin
Railroad commission demanding that
the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul
railroad erect gates on the Geneva
road crossing at Truesdell, such gates
to be in operation "a hours a day
not later than September 1, 1925.
The decision of the commission
came to John Herzog, county highway
commissioner, today, and comes as a
climax to the long and strenuous eff
forts he has been making on behalf of
the county for the elimination of the
danger and hazard at the St. Paul
tracks at this particular point.
Comes After Extensive Hearings.
The order demanding that the rail
ticular crossing comes after series
of hearings held here by the commits
sion in which the contentious of the
highway commissioner were brought
out showing that the crossing was an
Tnduly dangerous one and needed
more protection than the bell and wig
wag signal now provided. In present
ing Kenosha county's side in the ques-
ton Coroner Joseph Friend, and mem
bers of the Kenosha county board
Joined in placing before the commits
sion the facts in the case at their
hearings held here.
The railroad commissions order is
a lengthy one and goes into all of the
details brought out in the investiga-
ton. The commission holds that there
are several buildings in part on the
railroad right of way and that these
buildings form distractions which
prevent a vehicle approaching the
crossing from the east, when within
400 or 600 feet of the crossing, from
seeing trains approaching from the
north with any certainty until closely
adjacent to the tracks, when a more
unobstructed view can be obtained of
trains approaching from that direc-
ton.
Not Sufficient Protection.
The commission also contends in its
order that "the crossing at the pres
ent time is protected by the proper
legal signs and by an automatic Wis
ible and movable sign located in the
southwest angle of the crossing. 1t
is contended that this wig-wag does
not afford sufficient protection for
this particular crossing not only be-
cause of the distractions to view
against trains approaching from the
north but also because of the charac-
ter of the traffic passing over the
crossing. This road at the point of
crossing carries very heavy traffic
practically "a hours of the day. The
order continues to show with stats
tics the density and the speed of this
traffic.
eve find, from a consideration of
the testimony introduced in this
case" the order continues, "and from
many observations and several invest
igations made by members of this
commission and of it's staff during the
past few years on this particular
crossing, that the same is more than
usually dangerous to travellers on the
highway more particularly because of
the density and high speed of the
traffic both on the highway and on the
railroad, and that the greater protec-
ton for highway traffic, which is pro-
vided in the following order, is re-
CURED for public safety.
Must be Ready Sept. /.
"It is therefore ordered that the
Chicago, Milwaukee and ST. Paul Rail-
way company shall install crossing
gates at it's crossing with the Geneva
road at Truesdell, Wis, to be operat-
ed "a hours per day in lieu of the au-
tomato wig-wag signal now in serv-
ice. These gates shall be placed in
operation on or before September /,
1926" The order is signed by Com
missioners A. R. Mcdonald and Adolph
Kanneberg
No action has yet been taken by the
railroad company following the deci-
sion of the commission, but it is ex-
pected that the gates will be placed
on the crossing before the time set
by the commission.
Commenting on the decision, High
way Commissioner Herzog declared
that the order upheld the county in
every one of its contentious, and he
expressed his confidence that with the
erection of the gates at the crossing
the greater part of the hazard 20 the
travelling public would be removed,
providing, of course, that the public
played its part in taking the necessary
precautions at this place. Commits
sioner Herzog also declared that the
campaign which his Office is -waging
in Kenosha county had only just be-
gun and that he would demand that
something be done at other crossings
where he felt that there ought TO be
additional means to insure the safety
Of the public.