The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1870-10-04

From Harlem to the City Hall in
Fifteen Minutes.
Meeting Of the Twelfth and Nineteenth Wards
Citizens Association-A Proposed Elevated
Railway nom Harlem to the City
Hall and Its Estimated Cost
and Advantages.

Citizens Association was held last evening al Ma
sonic Hail. Mr.. John Foley IN the chair. The object
OF tho meeting, AS announced by placards and hand
bills, was to call the attention OF the residents at
Yogkvillc and Harlem to new and rapid system
OF transit from Harlem to the City Han, and. from
the crowded state OF the hall and breathcss ut.
tentlon with which the meeting listened to eve nv
word uttered by the chairman and the subsequen &
speakers reference TO this subject, SEEMED TO M
dictate an Intense interest In the scheme.
Among those present representing the engineering.
architectural and other professions were-T. DAILY
w. A. Whitbeck, f. ID. Buckley. Myer Stern Ohm
German, G. A. Bower, Thomas Mcclellan Charles Il.
Quac,anbush, A. Borman Mr.. May. II. W. Townsend,
+. w. Poyntz, L. Murphy, T. q. Thed, Nathan
Randall, j. II. Hubert and others
The meeting being called 10 oraer by the cnair-
man he stated that before entering fully upon his
subject he wished to make some remarks as q pre-
hininary. IL was u well known fact that certain
amount OF money must be had for the carrying
OUT Of the project, but for that matter the people
could compel The city authorities 10 advance
TEN MILLIONS or DOLLARS
New York was the representative city in the world
Tor perseverance and speculative ability; but IL
q standing shame that, because they had not pro-
per and sufficiently rapid means OF communication
many people having business In the city could not
see their children more tnan once week. 10 was
only necessary Tor the people of this city to say that
they VIII have The new railway and 1t should be
DONE even II u thousand or them should have 10 go
TO Albany to enforce ir. 1t was requisite TO make
remarks, lie S2lu theY ought not u be
pre- uaiced or ieariui about the aaair lie now
entered upon the matter In reference 30 the mode Of
erecting and working the system proposed. He
said that the greatest want OF the people Of this city
1T The present time was some means OF RAPID transit
between Harlem and the Battery. 10 his mind no
question OF so deep interest and vast local
importance had been before the public for many
years. Ibc solution OF that was now close AZ
hand. lie had TWO plans One ior Third and one for
Fourth avenue. Both were GOOD and either would
prove a success. For more than twelve months
their organization had given much attention TO The
I'm n.,f
Harlem that II they would only stand by him he
would have the road finished IN twelve months, so
that passengers could 90
From HARLEM 10 THE CITY HALL IN FIFTEEN MN
UrES.
The plan for Fonfth avenue was 10 begin at Har-
lem and bridge over the Harlem kalroad-that Is to
say, erect the bridge ana roads over the present
one-wih iron archesto the high point ut Ninetieth
street, the surface TO about Eightieth street:
bragg again to high poin. at Seventeen street and
continue on TO Forlieth street anu Thrty-second
street. so as net to interfere at ali with the Harlem
Railroad. The Fourth was given entirely
for the railroad company IL Is 40 feet wide ana ~
was high time II was made OF some practical use.
From Ihiry-second street Gown he would have IN
underground railroad, under Fourth avenue TO
Fourteenth street, thence under broadway to the
Battery. II the public preferred, however they
could have the iron arches from Thrtysecond street
down TO Fourth avenue, TO Lafayette place. and cut
through TO Marion street then A. through Centre
Third avenue was all on elevated IRON columns aiso
and using a double track, 70 be worked either By
air or steam power. IL could be built over the pre-
sent track, 50 as not TO interfere with their opera
lions.
ALL STATIONS TO BE ONE MILE APART
and uniform fare OF five cents To be charged FOR
any distance. The most competent engineers mad
pronounced the plans perfectly safe ana altogether
unlike the Greenwich street failure.
THE COST.
The estimated cost Of the Fourth avenue plan,
from Harlem to Thiry-sccond street, would be
sl,a5oooo 10 continue the same plan, hut elevated
would cost $2,oo0,ooo more.
The Third avenue plan was estlma,cd 10 cost
S325o0oO IRON Harlem to the Battery; n the under
ground plan was adopted rom Thirty- second street
maintained that the saving OF time alone would pay
ihe cost five years. II this road were finished III
one year al The people VINO had leii New York
population of forhyille and Harlem would amount
to 500, 900.
benefit Of Brooklyn, and yet We had to
pay t3,00o.0OO to begin With but y
would cost s40,0OooOo to Tie city before they
were done with IT, There was no wonder why lhe
population had decreased in New York within the
last ten years. Every one WAS leaving IL because Of
the poor facilities OF communication. nr. j. ii. HUI
bert. an engineer Of great experience, then eX-
planned by diagrams, &C., on IL blackboard, the po-
sItion OF The proposed railway over the other
tracks, together with the approximate cost
per mile. Mr.. Nathan Randall also made
interesting remarks III reference 10 his interest
IL the scheme and stated that when lately in Europe
he had made the subject special study, and he was
prepared with q number OF important suggestions
soon as the WORK should he commenced. lie eX-
planned that the system proposed comprised con-
tinnous bridge. resting upon iron columns OF posts,
which would be placed each side Of the existing
track, tho whole built OF iron, with ample strength
for The severest service to which 1t might be sub
jected by steam driven trains al high speed.
Henry Smith, civil engineer, the inventor OF the
subway system, mace number OF interesting
remarks and suggestions. IL was agreed that the
organization should continue to meet at Masonic
Hall every Monday evening until the railway should
questcd to assist in providing funds for The moye-
ment.