The New York herald., 1870-04-15
The New CITY Government and Loco""-
tion for tho People.

One OF the HrSt things our now CiSy eo'oA"
ment should turn Its attention to Is to provide
for convenient, rapid and cheap transit ior the
people Of New York from one end OF the Island
to the other. The present accommodation for
getting up and down town or across town Is
insufficient and wretched in the extreme. The
horse railroad cars are at different times Of the
day crowded so that there is hardly standing
room. Frequently men and even delicate
females have to stand up and hang on to the
straps in the car for the whole distance-for
two, three or four miles. Then these cars are
slow at the best. 1t takes an hour to 60 from
the City Hall to the Park and nearly two
hours to Harlem, while there is no means of
conveyance for the public whatever to the
upper part Of the island. Then the horse cars,
for the most part, are filthy. There are not
moro than two or three lines on which refined
people can ride without disgust, and some Of the
lines frequently are not ct for decent people to
travel on. The omnibuses that remain are
very slow, 60 but short distances, compara-
lively, are numbering, inconvenient vehicles,
are behind the age and wants of the commu-
shift arrangement till some better mode of
travelling can be established. Indeed, New
York, though fast enough in some things, is
altogether behind the times in the matter Of
travelling facilities for its citizens.
AS consequence Of not providing sufficient
rapid and cheap transit from the lower to the
upper part of the island, the city is bursting
out on the sides and the population is forced
over the Hudson to Jersey and over the East
river to Long Island. Many people would prefer
to live on this island who are compelled to live
in Jersey, on Long Island or at other places
over the water, if they could reach the busi-
ness part Of the city within reasonable time
and at moderate charge. Besides, the un-
pleasantness of crossing the rivers in winter
and the advantages of residence in the city
for enjoying public amusements make New
York more desirable to live In. Then it is
manifestly to the benefit of tho property
| holders and business of the city that our
! population should not be crowded off the
island, at least till the city is pretty well filed
up. In every point of view, then--as mer-
worse packed and worse treated on the cars
and omnibuses than the dumb animals in carts
or freight cars, for which Mr.. Bergh has such
tender care; as means of filing up and
| improving the city and increasing the value of
property, and to give the people rapid locomo-
ton, as well as an opportunity Of enjoying the
various and numerous amusements here, it is
highly important to devise at once o compre-
hensive system Of railroad transit.
The different projects that have been started
show that the necessity of such system is
felt. Several, in fact, have been authorized
by the Legislature. But none yet devised
meet the wants of the public or the future
greatness of the city. All those for burrow-
ing under the ground-the Pneumatic Tunnel,
| the Arcade Railroad or similar schemes are
| impracticable and will not answer the purpose.
The advocates OF these refer to the underground
railroads in London as an argument in support
of their schemes. But this argument is not
a good one. London has a deep soil, easily
cut through; but here we have the hardest
rocks all through the island. The blasting of
| these would be not only tedious long and
costly work, but would be very inconvenient
and even dangerous. As such underground
roads, to be useful, must be central, the making
of them would seriously interfere with busi-
ness and would break in upon all our sewers,
gas and water pipes, and produce general
arrangement, as well as an enormous cost, to
| the city.
What we really want is a substantial ele
vated railroad or railroads, with two or four
| tracks, on which locomotives can run from one
end of the island to the other. The Green /.
| witch Railroad, which terminates at London
Bridge, ia such q one as we need. This road
for great dstance-four or five miles, pro-
bably-goes over the streets and tops of the
houses, and Is solid work on arches. 1t is,
in fact, continuous bridge over the streets
and houses. Very little injury is sustained by
the residents, none really, except to the few
that live under the arches, whore the houses
do not get quite as much light. The compen-
sation for this damage would not amount to
very great sum. In other respects no
injury or Inconvenience is felt. The cost of
such structure would be great, of course,
but we doubt if 1t would be more than an
underground road if as much. Who can
doubt as to such a road paying when
the vast population Of this city is considered
1t would be both pleasant and healthful to
ride on such road, which could not be said Of
underground roads. One with four tracks
could be made to accommodate both the way
and through travel. With such road and
steam power we could 60 from the Battery to
the Park in fifteen minutes and to spuyten
Duyvil creek in half an hour. Then, with q
bridge to Brooklyn in connection with such
road and continuation of the road through
the populous portion of our sister city, the
steam cars could sweep from one end Of the
,raafrorolia To tho oil In, ala 1