Pelham Firemen Turned Their Hoses on Trolley Construction Crew in 1898
The origins of the incident may be traced to a few years before when North Pelham Trustees granted a trolley franchise to a start up company to build a line through North Pelham on Fourth Street (i.e., Lincoln Avenue) connecting lines in Mount Vernon and New Rochelle through North Pelham.
The start up failed. Among its only assets was the franchise granted by North Pelham which it sold to the New York and Connecticut Traction Company. The New York and Connecticut Traction Company, however, did not construct the tracks.
The Board of Trustees of North Pelham became impatient. On Saturday, March 5, 1898, the Board met to address the issue. The Board concluded that the original franchise had been forfeited through interaction. The Board granted a new franchise to the Union Electric Railway Company which had been active in the successful development of lines in southern Westchester. This time, however, the Village Board included conditions "that the tracks shall be laid and cars running within six months and that cars shall meet all the trains on the New Haven Railroad at Pelham and all those on the Harlem River Branch at Pelham Manor station."
The "Union Company" as it was called, had not laid the tracks after the passage of six months. The owner of the original franchise, the New York and Connecticut Traction Company, decided to try to steal a march on the Village and on the Union Company.
On Saturday, October 1, 1898, a massive group of 150 laborers from Brooklyn descended on North Pelham and collected at the intersection of today's Lincoln Avenue and Fifth Avenue. Carloads of construction materials appeared as well. Within minutes, a foreman working on behalf of the New York and Connecticut Traction Company had the workers digging up Fourth Street to lay a foundation on which ties and rails would be laid for new trolley tracks.
Within a short time, the laborers had laid nearly 150 feet of new trolley tracks when North Pelham Trustee Barker happened upon the scene in his wagon. He ordered the laborers to stop their work. The foreman and workers ignored him. Trustee Barker tracked down a Town Constable and ordered him to arrest the leaders. The Constable arrested the foreman and three laborers and marched them off to a local lockup.
The remaining laborers never ceased their work. The dedicated Village Trustee next drove his wagon a section of trench to halt the work. The workers in the trench scattered to avoid injury. They hesitated only a moment, however, then swarmed around the Trustee, seized his wagon, and carried it out of the way so they could resume their work.
Seeking help, Trustee Barker first contacted the Chief of Police in Mount Vernon who politely told him the matter was out of his jurisdiction and no help would be sent. Next, Trustee Barker had a fire alarm sounded. Local firemen arrived quickly, together with one truck, one engine, and a hose cart. At Trustee Barker's request the Pelham firemen attached a hose to a nearby hydrant and turned a violent stream of water on the gang of laborers. Within moments, the laborers couldn't take it anymore, scrambled out of the work area, and sought shelter in nearby woods.
While the Pelham firemen stood guard over the area with their fire hose ready, Trustee Barker had someone send word to a Union Company official who promptly sent a foreman and 150 Union Company laborers who promptly ripped up the 150 feet of tracks and ties while the firemen stood guard. By the evening of the same day, the president of the Union Company arrived at the scene in Pelham with two carloads of laborers to reinforce the 150 Union Company men already there.
As soon as material arrived, the Union Company quickly began building its own set of tracks on Fourth Street. Its men worked quickly and work progressed nicely until nightfall when a temporary restraining order obtained on behalf of the New York and Connecticut Traction Company was served on them. Work stopped immediately. The matter was now the subject of a lawsuit.
On Tuesday, January 31, 1899, a State court judge decided the matter. The judge ruled that both franchises had been properly granted and that "the company which first put its track down would be the one to make good its right to the street." The race began.
The Union Company was incredibly fast. Less than twelve hours after the decision was released, it had a gang of laborers and two carloads of material on the scene at Fourth Street and Fifth Avenue in Pelham. The laborers worked all night and, by the next morning (February 1, 1899), the trolley tracks were "practically completed."
The Union Company won the race. Trolley tracks finally connected Mount Vernon and New Rochelle along the roadway known today as Lincoln Avenue.
Detail of Map Published in 1924 With Dashed Lines Showing
Trolley Lines. Note the Trolley Line that Crosses North Pelham
from Mount Vernon to New Rochelle on Fourth Street (Lincoln Ave.)
Source: Fairchild, John F., "STREET MAP OF THE CITY OF MOUNT
N.Y." (1924) (From the Digital Collections of the Westchester County
Archive). NOTE: Click on Image to Enlarge.
* * * * *
Below is the text of a number of news articles regarding the subject of today's Historic Pelham article. Each is followed by a citation and link to its source.
"A FRANCHISE GRANTED IN PELHAM.
The Board of Trustees of the Village of Pelham held a meeting last Saturday evening at the residence of Mr. Ralph K. Hubbard on Pelham Heights. The most important business transacted was the granting of a franchise to the Union Electric Railway Company to operate an electric road from the corner of Wolf's Lane and Third street, (where its route at present turns to go to North Pelham) down Wolf's Lane to the Boston Post Road and up the Boston Post Road as far as Pelhamdale avenue. For the balance of the Post Road the Union Company has a franchise from the Pelham Manor authorities.
The conditions of the franchise are that the tracks shall be laid and cars running within six months and that cars shall meet all the trains on the New Haven Railroad at Pelham and all those on the Harlem River Branch at Pelham Manor station.
Messrs. I. C. Hill and Alexander Kennedy, the Citizens' Committee on trolley extensions appointed by the North Pelham trustees, attended the meeting. Mr. John Maher, president of the Union Road, was also president of the Union Road, was also present and stated that he thought if it were found feasible to do so, the line of the company would be extended to the northern boundary of North Pelham in the near future."
Source: A FRANCHISE GRANTED IN PELHAM, The Chronicle [Mount Vernon, NY], Mar. 11, 1898, p. 3, col. 3.
"TURNED HOSE ON ITALIANS.
------
FIREMEN CALLED ON TO SETTLE A TROLLEY LINE WAR.
-----
A Gang of Laborers Driven from Trenches by the Fire Department of New Pelham -- Outcome of Fight Between Rival Traction Companies for a Westchester Franchise.
NEW ROCHELLE, N. Y., Oct. 1. -- The rivalry between the Union Trolley Company and the New York and Connecticut Traction Company resulted in a fight this afternoon in the village of North Pelham, necessitating the calling out of the Fire Department.
The trouble between the two companies dates back seven years, when the traction company received a franchise from the trustees of North Pelham to construct a line connecting Mount Vernon with New Rochelle. The trustees granted the franchise on the condition that the line should be in operation inside of a year. Last month the trustees granted a franchise to the Union Company, known as the Huckleberry road, over the same route, on the ground that the Traction Company had violated its franchise.
The Union Company was to have begun work as soon as it had completed its system in New Rochelle. To-day, however, the Traction Company decided to steal a march on its rival.
Early this afternoon 150 Italians from Brooklyn, under Foreman Mack, arrived at North Pelham and started to tear up the road at Fourth street and Fifth avenue. They had succeeded in laying about 150 feet of track when Trustee Barker drove up and ordered them to stop. The laborers refused to obey the order and Barker ordered Constable Marks to arrest some of the men. Marks picked out Foreman Mack and three of his laborers and took them to the village lock-up. The other laborers kept on digging the trenches. Trustee Barker drove his wagon in the trench, scattering the Italians.
After a moment's hesitation, they swarmed around Barker, and, seizing the wagon, carried it over to the other side of the road. At this juncture someone turned in the fire alarm, which brought to the scene one truck, a hose cart, and an engine. The firemen turned the hose on the gang of laborers, who finally sought shelter in the woods.
The stream was so powerful that Fireman Stanman, who was holding the nozzle, was knocked down and badly bruised. The Pelham authorities asked Mount Vernon police for help, but Chief Foley refused, as it was not in his jurisdiction.
Foreman Hannon of the Union Company heard of the disturbance and hurried with the 150 men he had at work there to Pelham. His men ripped up the ties while the Fire Department stood guard with the hose. President Maher of the Union Company arrived this evening, and brought up two carloads of Italians from West Farms to reinforce his men. At nightfall the Union Company was in full possession of the road."
Source: TURNED HOSE ON ITALIANS -- FIREMEN CALLED ON TO SETTLE A TROLLEY LINE WAR, The Sun [NY, NY], Oct. 2, 1898, Vol. LXVI, No. 32, p. 4, col. 5.
"TROLLEY FIGHT IN PELHAM.
-----
A Gang of Men Driven Off by Turning Hose on Them.
-----
Saturday afternoon last a trolley battle was fought in the village of Pelham, between the gangs of the Connecticut Traction Company and the village authorities and the Union Railroad forces.
The Traction Company's gang, which started in during the early afternoon to lay rails on Fourth street, was finally driven off by the local fire department, which turned two streams of water from nearby hydrants on the invading army of Italians.
The trouble dates back to the last meeting of the Pelham Village Trustees. At that time an old trolley franchise, which was granted seven years ago, and later bought up by the Connecticut Traction people, was revoked, and a new franchise granted over those streets through to New Rochelle to the Union Railway.
The Connecticut Traction Company, to block the latest move of their rivals, on Saturday afternoon sent a gang of two hundred and fifty Italians to Pelham, who appeared suddenly on Fourth street. Soon after several loads of rails and ties were carted on the road and in an hour many rods of trolley line had been laid. Everything went along smoothly, until Trustee Barker happened to drive along. When he saw what was up, he jumped from his wagon and ordered the foreman and his gang to quit work, but they refused.
By this time President Lynch, of the village and several other village trustees had arrived on the scene, but the gang still kept on laying tracks.
Mr. Lynch telephoned Chief Foley, of Mount Vernon, and asked him to send a detachment of police to Pelham.
Chief Foley said the trouble was out of the jurisdiction of the Mount Vernon police, and he could do nothing.
Then some one made a suggestion that the Pelham fire department be called out to turn two streams of water on the invaders. This suggestion was acted on, and a few minutes later the fire bells were ringing madly. Soon after the hose cart and ladder truck appeared on the scene. The firemen coupled their hose to the hydrants and, under the direction of President Lynch, turned two streams of cold water on the gang of trolley layers.
In the meantime word was sent Foreman Hannon, who had a gang of men numbering two hundred and fifty at work in Pelham Manor, on the Union Company's lines.
As soon as he heard that the rival company were at work, he loaded his men into wagons, and ordering several loads of rails and ties to follow him started with his gang for Fourth street, Pelham. When the Union gang arrived they found the Traction crowd had been driven to the woods by the streams of water, which had been turned on them.
Foreman Hannon immediately directed his men to tear up the tracks just laid by the Traction people, and they went at it with such a will, that in a few hours every rail and tie which had been laid was torn up. They then started to replace them with the Union Company's stock, which had been brought up on their trucks.
The Union gang worked until nearly nightfall, when an injunction, granted by Supreme Court Justice Dickey, was served on them and work stopped.
There the matter will rest until the motion to make the injunction permanent is argued."
Source: TROLLEY FIGHT IN PELHAM -- A Gang of Men Driven Off by Turning Hose on Them, The New Rochelle Pioneer, Oct. 8, 1898, Vol. XXIV, No. 19, p. 1, col. 4.
"UNION COMPANY'S QUICK WORK.
-----
Acted Promptly on Court Decision and Laid Tracks Ahead of Its Rival.
MOUNT VERNON, N. Y., Feb. 1. -- Supreme Court Justice Gaynor on Tuesday afternoon decided a disputed trolley franchise question in such a way that neither of the contestants won. Within twelve hours one of them had taken advantage of the decision and shut out its rival. The Union Company which operates roads in the Bronx and in Westchester County, claimed a franchise through Fourth Street in North Pelham by virtue of a franchise granted to it by the Trustees. The New York, Westchester and Connecticut Traction Company claimed the right to run through the same street by virtue of a franchise previously granted to another company which has gone out of existence, and which sold its only asset, the franchise, to the traction company.
The latter company in October last attempted to lay rails through Fourth Street. This was after the Union Company had applied to the North Pelham Trustees for a franchise. The Trustees held that the old franchise had lapsed because the original company had not made any attempt to take advantage of it, nor had its successor within a reasonable time. The Union Company obtained an injunction restraining the Traction Company from constructing its road through Fourth Street, but before the injunction could have been served the road would have been built but for prompt action on the part of the Trustees. They called out the Fire Department, and when the gang of Italians at work on the street refused to stop work the firemen drove them off with streams of water from the hose.
Since then the disputed franchises had been in the courts. Justice Gaynor on Tuesday held that both franchises had been properly granted and that the company which first put its tracks down would be the one to make good its right to the street. The Union Company acted promptly in following up this decision. Immediately after it was given a construction gang was organized and sent to the disputed street, and two carloads of material followed within a short time. By morning the road was practically completed, and to-night it is almost ready for use So far as is known, the Westchester and Connecticut people did not act upon the decision."
Source: UNION COMPANY'S QUICK WORK -- Acted Promptly on Court Decision and Laid Tracks Ahead of Its Rival, N.Y. Times, Feb. 2, 1899, p. 5, col. 5.
"RIVAL LAID TROLLEY ROAD IN ONE NIGHT
-----
MOUNT VERNON, N. Y., Wednesday. -- Supreme Court Justice Gaynor on Tuesday afternoon decided a disputed trolley franchise question in such a way that it lay with the enterprise of either of the contestants to win. By this morning one of them had taken advantage of the decision and shut out its rival by building a road.
The Union Company claimed a franchise through Fourth street in North Pelham, by virtue of a franchise granted to it by the trustees. The New York, Westchester and Connecticut Traction Company claimed the right to run through the same street by virtue of a franchise purchased from another company, which has gone out of existence. The Westchester and Connecticut, on October last, attempted to lay rails through Fourth street. The trustees held that the old franchise had lapsed. The Union Company obtained an injunction, but before it could have been served the road would have been built, but for prompt action on the part of the trustees. They called out the Fire Department, and when the laborers refused to stop work the firemen drove them off with streams of water.
Justice Gaynor held that both franchises had been properly granted and that the company which first put its track down would be the one to make good its right to the street. The Union Company immediately sent a construction gang and two carloads of material to the disputed street, and by morning the road was practically completed."
Source: RIVAL LAID TROLLEY ROAD IN ONE NIGHT, New York Herald, Feb. 2, 1899, p. 14, col. 2.
"PELHAM'S NEWS AND NOTES
-----
Happenings of Special Interest to Her People. . . .
The amount which the Westchester Electric Railway Company will have to pay the Village of North Pelham as its share of the cost of macadamizing Fifth avenue and Fourth street, is $3,021.17. . . ."
Source: PELHAM'S NEWS AND NOTES -- Happenings of Special Interest to Her People, Mount Vernon Daily Argus [Mount Vernon, NY], Aug. 17, 1899, Vol. XXX, No. 2,266, p. 1, col. 3.
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Labels: 1898, 1899, New York and Connecticut Traction Company, Pelham Fire Department, Trolley, Trolleys, Union Trolley Company
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