New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1852-07-27
The Proposed Broadway Railway.


The Proposed Broadway Railway.
To the Esser ef The N. Tri5rn<s
My attention has been called to an ar
tce published In several of City papers, under the
above caption, signed PRO Bono PEJlico" and motto
Ing In the article much false reasoning would ike to
call attention to the more prominent defects and ascer
tain II the signature be not rank misnomer.
To prevent confusion, will consider the article in
the order arranged Beginnitg with the first assertion
Of moment it Is distinctly said tina. the Russ pavement
not to be disturbed but that the rails TO be laid
into grooves cut into the surfaces of the blocks and OF
course they must be boed fast 10 the blocks Now we
all know the effect of putting row of wedges into
granite block, and hammerng their heads TIE re-
suit Is inevitably split the blocks and that result
not be avoided: la quarrying or working gcaniss tbs
csurfe adopted is analogous 10 the proposed plan of
lsyiDg the rails the blocks and il seems to per-
fectly plata that this part OF the plan is chme icaL
Even this difficulty could be Obyl,sed by sons plan
known only 20 this body of the fright sort of men,
the writer contradics himself in the of bis sr
Gle for in the fifteenth paragraph ia speaking OF the
smOOthness OF the Russ pavement he says, the clip
perry smOothness, which ghtens the friction 10 the
wheel Is ia al mischief % the hoOi and that growing
! Ia but temporary preventive. consequently we must
have the railway, with rough Intervening spaces for
the horses clearly thasowing out an entire alteration
10 the character of the pavement through the ns ie o.
Broadway, and destroying enrely the completeness Of
The job, OF which all the cinzeus OF NewfOrk are so
! justly proud.
From my own experience of the ying of pipe and
other operations disturbing the center OF the street.
can safely that the street cannot be repaired as
good drst after the crown has been taken up 1t
10 like taking the key stone from an arch cannot re-
The argument that we should use rails for traction,
because cheaper In the proportion Of eight to one,
would, II carried out US 10 substitute steam for
power, and what guarantee have we that these
projectors will wish that motive power, after their
| tract is once down
The next consideration Is the Size of the vehicles 1t
il claimed that the will be smaller than the omni
buses We will submit this specious claim to the test
OF 6eures proposed arrange the seat
the passengers IN pairs each two pairs with an ext on
occupy five feet Allow two feet at each end OF the car
for platforms for drivers and conductors, and twenty
four passenger would be thirty five feet long In the
space allowed ia the plan it will be impossible for pair
of horses TO travel Two horses harnessed abreast re-
quire space OF seven feetin width the plan gives them
but four and half feet-thereiore the horses must
be hitched tandem The cannot be drawn by less
than two horses even two would be insufficient at the
hill from Canal 10 Walker ss, or at the Bowling Green
But suppOsiDg two 10 be sufficient these Ia tandem will
occupy, with the necessary gearing twenty two feet
from the end Of the making atoa OF nifty seventies
for twenty four passengers In regard to the width re-
CURED made, slight TO be sure In ITSELF but
Of moment when distances are small. The writer
claims "over fifteen feet eachsde of the track three
tracks each two and half feet and two spaces, each
two feet make eleven and half feet then nine inches
projection of each side make thirteen feet as
the total width required for the cars which, being de-
Quoted from foIty.two feet the width OF the street
leaves twenty nine feet-oDly fourteen and half feet
on each sde-nOt enough for cart % be backed
in although enough 10 allow to stand after II is back
ed. Then the question arises how other vehicles 70
pass that eide of the street. while this cart Is being
loaded or unloadedl The cars passing Ip and down
inevitably take their course heitream of private vehicles
the other side of the track is moving In contrary d.
rection consequently all on one stop until the
has completed his operations, the risk of
being jannied by he cars-a much worse result than
the stages produce those FAM lar with the Bow
cry testify.
In connection with this part of the subject allow
to call your attention 10 another consideration. New.
York s growing City, always improving and ths we'll
known Drive ahead disposition Of the inhabitants leads
them continually TO tear down buildings, that more
splendid ediices may be erected; this Is mOrs p.cu
lary the In Broadway, and Is abs Jlusy H.
cessary tia portion OF the street should occupied
By building material (onethird Ia allowed,) would not
ssk what would be the consequence thea tina middle
of the street monOpozed by the proposed tracki
most undoubtedly greater jam than we n Nv sut5r.
At the present tine there At leas, twenty build
ipgs, or alterations going On In BrOadwty-enolgh u
stop the cars entirely from the constant turning IN -
thetrack, which would be necessary Jr vehicles pass
ing the builders pres Of b'ick, timber, &c
Then, how Is 1t proposed 10 arrange matters In the
OF heavy snow For some hours the cars could
not run at all but after much shoveling the track
would be Gle az ed and the be in canal be-
tween two banks OF snow; even nov the street Is al
mosi inpasfable when the snow is piled high at the
sides from the wake how much worse will II % wnen
In addition We have the from the track piled si
| on top OF that. Then there would be end .! all
passing, exception the CARS or for vehicles on tner
Track alternative not much 70 be desired but our
I only choice unil the snow was tina wed. Ihe great
point Of al, ard the ons most snxousiy pressed, IT,
That Broadway TO be relieved OF so many heavy stages
that other vehicles will have more ROOM that carriages
will not be alarmed for their psne', &c. Remove the
onnibusss and what would be- the resulil Carts and
4 heavy wagons that row 20 Up and down si5e Hrsets
because Of the number Of OmBibuses would crowd In
10 gain the great advantages presented by the Russ
pavement and that too, In numbers sufficient 10 more
than counieIbaance the Omnbuses Wihdra Tn, ~saJut
slording single advantage 70 the occupant or pa''ef
by In Broadway.
they carry all the passengers that the stages do,
aud will endeayor TO demonstrate my denial silsfA;-
The ompibuses starting from the Battery, and going
uo to Canastreet and further, carry over 6JJO pas
seneers daily say 30 600 each way. fne cars running
10 Forty secor DIST would make cgat trips per day,
and 10 carry that number Of passengers would require
/ one hundred and five The cars, % meet one OF
the asseItio Of PRO Bone Pnbiic0, would be I'M
PEELED make the TIP in one hour ano hall, which
would the cars TO follow each other every hiy
seconds n stopped TO let out passenger or Tor
On obstruction right away the others are Pln2 on ani
wall of Is i0Tm-d through the middle Oh bfoaf
! U,sy lttelly impossible by or horse; the cars
having no opportunity TO turn OF to 81 around an
obstruction They walk, ant the passengers have the
uupspect before them OF neglected business, IL os IN
/ The morning, Cr anxious isuilies, II evening.
II FIRE occur In or nesr Broadway, and Il becomes
necessary u stretch hose across the track as wou ire
oettX be the case then again mast the cars % KEPT
80 III of tberi until the fire be eXn guishe1, c; the
inc be longer or shorter The opubuses on me con-
trary by taking other streets get around the cause
Of dtisy and overcome it az trihing Inconvenience
One objection the writer Of the article 10 question Is
frank enough 10 allow; but he lays less stfeis Sesf
much less upon II than lads friends would De VIZ
Urg IN agree To- allude 10 the necessity Of getting GU
of the cars 10 the middle Of tue street, very serlou
inconvepience and OF great danger to tue Ia
dies especially Ii stepping from an omnibus tney see(
beh H. and sheltered until time Is all ~ed % TOO
around the N but the as proposed they wouia
be compelled TO step into the very current oil moving
yehcle without time 70 think and as Tor stopping a.
CROSSINGS that deusion OF the writers Tor We ali
Snow tbere are no crossings on tn Russ pavemenfs
WIN h this movement going on Way u thar
few individuals have become so imoued ~itu Pnian'
,hir ,,n,ves that they seek % bln1 our tlr Cy IN