Our attention was also called to the "Sachem's Head Crossing" on the Shore Line Division of the New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad in the town of Guilford, but on investigation it was found that to carry the highway under the track was impracticable, and that to carry it over would be enormously expensive, while within six hundred and seventy-five feet of it was already a bridge crossing over the track, connecting with the "Sachem's Head" road, and used by all who desired to avoid the grade crossing. Under the circumstances we were of opinion that public safety did not require any change in this crossing.

There are other highway crossings of railroads at grade which are by reason of their location particularly dangerous, and which, were we to give an opinion based simply on inspection, without any public investigation, we should say public safety requires should be changed so as to go over or under the track, but in regard to which we might arrive at a different conclusion after having heard the parties in interest, as is required by statute before any change can be ordered.

Of this character is the crossing below Berlin station on the Hartford Division of the New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad, the crossing at Crescent Beach station on the Shore Line, the seventh crossing west of Saybrook station, the one next west of Westbrook station, and the Pardee, Poor Man's, and Hill's crossings in Fair Haven; also the Point of Rocks crossing on New York & New Haven Division in West Haven.

On the New York & New England Railroad, the Oneco turnpike crossing in Sterling, the Daniel Sprague crossing in Andover, the crossing next west of Vernon station, the Waterbury highway near Hancock station in Plymouth, and the Peter Road and Kettletown Road in Southbury, and on the Hartford & Connecticut Western, the first grade crossing east of Norfolk station,-thirteen in all.

There are many other crossings to which the resolution

does not apply, but in regard to which we should feel authorized to order changes upon proper proceedings; crossings which cannot well be carried either over or under the track, but which can be avoided altogether by changing the location of the highway, and often where by such change two or more bad crossings can be avoided at an expense much less than that involved in carrying one highway over or under a railroad.

There are still other crossings, such as Asylum street in Hartford, Water street in New Haven, Fairfield avenue in Bridgeport, which are as dangerous as grade crossings can well be, in regard to which we would not assume to determine what changes public safety requires, except after most careful investigation.

We do not know that any further legislation is required "in order to make the travel upon the highway or upon the railroads less dangerous at such crossings," unless it be thought best to empower us to direct the time within which the changes ordered by us shall be made.

We think it would also be wise to amend the law of 1883 to correspond with that of 1876, so as to allow us to determine by whom the changes ordered by us shall be made, instead of providing as now that the work in all cases shall be done by the railroad company. The circumstances are frequently such that a portion of the work can best and most economically be done by the town, and a portion by the railroad company. We have generally thought it the safest and best way where the law permitted us to do so, to require all the work within the location or right of way of the railroad company to be done by it, and all changes outside of the right of way to be made by the town. The numerous investigations made by us in regard to changing existing grade crossings have very fully demonstrated the wisdom of the law forbidding the construction of any more highways at grade across railroads, and only permitting new railroads to cross existing highways at grade when the Railroad Commissioners find special reasons for it. At the time of the building of the roads the highways can be carried either over or under the railroads

with comparatively little cost in construction, while the heavy land damages which are incurred in making changes after the roads are completed and buildings have been erected with reference to existing grades, are almost entirely avoided. We are very happy to report that neither the New York & Connecticut Air Line in their last applications, nor the Hartford & Harlem have asked for many crossings of highways at grade. On the former out of one hundred and forty-three highways crossed only five, and those but little used, have been allowed at grade, and on the Hartford & Harlem none have been allowed between New Britain and New Haven, and for the rest of the distance only three are asked for at grade; so that out of one hundred and ninety-five highways crossed by it, only three, and those very unimportant, will be at grade, while thirty-two other highways on its line are to be changed so as not to be crossed at all.

The number of highway grade-crossings reported this year, is three less than last, while of the whole number, sixty-eight are protected by gates, being nineteen more than last year; thirty-six by flagmen, being one more than last year, and six others by electric signals, besides those which also have gates; leaving eleven hundred and thirteen unprotected grade crossings against eleven hundred and forty-two last year.

WATERBURY.

Only one petition has been presented to us under the law of last year providing that whenever a new highway, or a new portion of a highway, should thereafter be constructed across a railroad, such highway or portion of highway should pass over or under the railroad as we should direct. On the 19th of December the selectmen of Waterbury brought their petition representing that they proposed to lay out a highway and construct the same across the Naugatuck Railroad a short distance south of the city line, and requesting us to direct whether the same should cross the railroad above or below grade. The hearing on this petition is assigned for the 4th of January, 1884.

HIGHWAYS ON THE NEW YORK & NEW ENGLAND EXTENSION.

Investigations and hearings on various other matters have taken considerable time. The New York & New England Railroad Company made application in April last for our approval of the manner in which they had left the thirty-three grade-crossings, the four crossings over highways, and the three under highways, between Waterbury and the New York State line. This involved notice to the various towns along the line, and it was some time before all the crossings were so fixed that we felt justified in giving our approval.

ACCESS TO THE HARTFORD DEPOT.

The last Legislature passed an Act requiring all railroad companies to maintain a safe approach for carriages to its passenger stations, forbidding them to permit such approach to be obstructed in any manner for a reasonable time before or after the arrival of every passenger train stopping at such station, and empowering us to make such orders as we might deem reasonable and necessary in such cases. On the 23d of May our attention was called to the condition of the approach to the Asylum street station of the New York & New England Railroad in Hartford, and we were asked to issue an order pursuant to the statute referred to. Notice was given to the parties in interest, and on the 12th of July an order issued such as seemed to us necessary and reasonable. Although this order has not been strictly complied with, the company claiming it was impossible to do so and continue their business, yet it has been substantially obeyed and much relief experienced.

DESIGNATING THE .DIRECTION OF TRAINS.

Having heard that the companies using this depot disregarded the law requiring railroad companies to conspicuously put on each passenger car which leaves the termini of their own or any other road, a legible card distinguishing way from express trains, and designating the direction in which the trains are next to move, we wrote on the 27th of June to each

of the companies using the depot, calling their attention to the law and that it was not observed. The Hartford & Connecticut Western Railroad Company has since that time complied with the requirement, but the other companies have failed to do so, either wholly or in part.

SWITCHING ACROSS HIGHWAYS.

Another law of last session authorized and empowered us to forbid the use by a railroad company, for switching purposes or for standing trains of any kind, such portions of its tracks as then were or might thereafter be placed upon or across any public street or highway, and generally to make any and all orders regarding the crossing of streets and highways by railroad locomotives and cars, that the public might be inconvenienced as little as possible thereby.

ASYLUM STREET, HARTFORD.

Under this statute a petition was brought by the Mayor and Common Council of the City of Hartford, praying that an order be passed forbidding the New York & New England Railroad Company from using for switching purposes and for standing trains that portion of their tracks which crossed Asylum street. After having fully heard the parties, and examined the situation, we issued an order that said Asylum street should not be obstructed by the New York & New England Railroad Company, by the making-up of railroad trains, nor by allowing any train, car, or locomotive to stand on or across said street, and that whenever a locomotive or car had passed over it, it should not again be used, occupied, or crossed by such locomotive or cars for the period of two minutes. We are informed that this order has been continually disregarded by the employees of the company.

OBSTRUCTION OF WILLIMANTIC STREETS.

A petition of the same nature as that in regard to Asylum street crossing was brought on the 12th of September, by the Warden and Burgesses of Willimantic, in regard to like ob