New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-02-06
THE ELEVATED RAILWAY.
THE ROAD PUT TO THE TEST YEsTERDAY-RE-
SUITS OF THE TRIAL.

THE ROAD PUT TO THE TEST YEsTERDAY-RE-
SUITS OF THE TRIAL.
In the early part of the year 1906 the State
Senate created Commission ito report to the Senate
the advantageous and proper route or routes Tor
railway railways suited to ihe rapid transportation Oh
passengers from the upper to the lower portions OF the
City OF New-Yor having vw the greatest practicable
benefit and safety tho public and tho least loss ana
injury to the property adjacent to said routes
On the slst OF January. 1887, tho Commission having
examined 40 plans bearing on SUBJECT presehcu
their report, in which they recommended that perns
sion should be given to the promoters OF the pan io "
elevated street railway, designed by Mr. e. l. harvey
c. E., TO construct onehaf mic OF railway Oh 'ii"'
pap in the southern part Of Greenwichs imposing on
thcm the penalty of removing the railway in case OF the
failure of the experiment This half mile OF line was
therefore constructed ana the LIST OF july lS0S was
reported by the Inspecting Commission 10 DO pacea
success Gov. Fenton approved the report ana vested
full and valuable franchises in the Company as PROVIDED
for by law.
An official trial Of the working of the line TOOK place
Yesterday and appeared to give general satisfaction
Tho cars drawn by an endless chain at speed OF II
miles an hour bur it is quito possible to attain sped
OF 20 miles an hour without any danger Every par OF
the machinery the laying Of tho track the wheels otte
cars and the peculiar method OF starting and stopping
the trains seems have been designed with view 10
rendering accidents virtually impossible. The endless
chain Is Workeu ny PAIR VI "oSHi"N4"N '"sNN'
of l5-horse power each, with seventeen
cylinder of lCinch stroke. At regular dis
tances trucks with horns attached to the chain
and these horns catch lever under the foremost car
which Is so regulated let 60 truck and catch the
ore in front when the train has acquired momentum OF
speed greater than that at which the chain Is moving
This prevents all chance OF the chain being broken rom
a strain or from the negligence OF the brakesmah' a
most continuance turns the trucks over In pass
inot 10 enc
TO bring them up again in their proper position The
wheels Of the cars constructed Of sixteen solid wedges
of wood hardened for the purpose. with thick plates OF
hammered steel Iived the sides This arrangement by
which metal tires arc avoided prevents all rafting noise
during the transit Of the aud precudes the possD
lty Of an accident from frosts. &c. The rails are
laid with the Same object. and by being Do4tea
from the bottom in short lengths, 1t Is Thought
that no action Of the temperature or other
causes cGn give rise broken rails The train Is perfect
y independent of the traction engine. and can be at
taobed or detached at pleasure Of the conductor by
raising or lowering the lever which catches the trucks Of
the endless chain.
During the trip which made yesterday particular
attention was paid the effect OF the passage Of the
ears on the in the Streets but they appeared to
! take no notice OF them, the passage being so
| nolseless that 1t did not apparently attract
| their attention. The officials Of the Company
assert that they only required $4,000 to enable
them TO complete their track Thrtetht from which
point they can carry 800 passengers per hour each
doing the whole distance the Battery in ten minutes
q tourney which now ordinarily occupies an hour
Whether this plan will dispense with the more costly ono
Of underground railways remains to be SEEM but u GER
tainy appears to carry out the intentions OF It's pro
oters-a cheap rapid transit and from the
and lower parts of the city, without interfering with the
ordinary traffic, endangeriug the lives OF Its passen