The New York herald., 1871-12-12
THE FOURTH AVENUE MAN-TRAP.
Meeting Of the Aldermanc COmmlttee-A
Conference with Citizens-IIOw Be-
lief Can Be Secured.
TRACK STRONGLY URGED
Mr.. William II. Vanderbilt's 0ffer-The Com.
pany Anxious to Remove the Nuisance-Rapid
Transit to the Brooklyn Bridge Called For.

pany huXloub 70 remove inc N uib6nCo-
Transit to the Brooklyn Bridge Called For.
The special committee appointed by the Common
Council TO report upon the best mode OF relieving
the citizens OF the upper portion OF the city of the
nuisance caused by the running OF trains on Fourth
avenue, met at eleven O'Clock yesterday morning In
the Council Chamber, Alderman Mitchell in the
chair. by invitation, extended In an advertisement,
large number OF property owners Of the Nineteenth
ward were present, including Mr. Robert Edmunds
Of the East Side Citizens Association, and
the following members OF the Nineteenth
ward Railroad Reform Ass0catOn:-D. II.
jacques John McCool. q. L. simmonds
M. M. Vail, Alfred Conger, Terence Farley, J. Nc
Cormack, Robert McCafferty J. Cohen John David.
son, X. w. Martin Charles Cornish. Nicholas Pence
M. Twombley, Terence p. Smith, ID. Ackerman,
Henry Burchel, W. II. Quincy, - Hudson, John
g. Prague Henry Gr0ssmeyer and John Cormack.
The Harlem Railroad Company was represented DJ
william H. Vanderbilt, and a number OF property
owners VINO were not identified with any society
were In attendance.
After the Clerk had read the resolution of the
Board OF Aldermen under which the committee was
appointed the Chairman invited any gentlemen
present to address the committee
Mr.. M. NJ. VAIL, Secretary OF the Nineteenth
and after describing the organization OF his associa
Ion referred to the numerous accidents and loss
OF life on the line OF Fourth avenue There were
about eighty trains per day passing over the ave.
nue., so that one passes every fifteen minutes. and
5000 passengers are carried daily. The railroad
companies OF the city, he declared were disgrace
to it. The streets owned by the city and the
roads had been granted the right to lay tracks for
the convenience of the public; put they proved to
be tor the convenience OF the companies. He char
acterlzed the Third avenue company as one OF the
worst, and wished the President was present
SO tnat he could excorate him. His cars were
filthy, full Of lice and breeded more disease
than all the pest houses OF the city. The people
have some rights. and they were bound to have
them respected. The moment these corporations
encrOached upon their liberties the people would
arise in their might and hurl the corporations from
power. The Harlem Railroad Company had got
the right Of way free, and we should have some
benefit from 1t instead OF nuisance Every one Of
the acts Of The Legislature provides that the Legs
lature shall have the right TO repeal them The
people can take away every privilege given them.
upon the greatness or New York, which he COM
pared to Venice when Mr.. Miller arose, called him
to order SAID he did not to listen TO buncOmhe
but to transact business and asked Mr. Van 10
nne himself TO facts.
Mr. VAIL continued and explained that every ordi.
nance OF the Common Council restricted the COM
pany as to grades, CUTS &c. The members OF the
mad devised plan to remedy the Sy
lem Tunnel, sunken covered tracks from Harlem
Tunnel to Filty.eightn street, and open sunken
tracks below Fifty eighth street. This involves the
sinking OF the FOrty.second street depot as well
the track, and would incur a cost OF about SIX
is-Has the city the power to compel the COM
panies TO sink the tracksi The charter gives the
street. For himself he would prefer to have the
tracks sunk and the ground walled IN, AT present
Mr.. JACQUES next addressed the committee and,
submitting the report OF the Nineteenth Ward Rail
stated state % thSt the 'me % for ne % eonpieoH q
the work would be three years. He desired to call
the SOIL and the remedy The evil seems to be tnat
these great corporations have erected at great ex
which contemplates the tracks on the level. When
the Fourth avenue Was wilderness this was very
cross Sss az S b % ana
houses, while the avenue is simply rail.
road track. with no cutters nor gradinas 1t IS abb
sOlutey impossible to do all the railroad business
centrng here with the tracks on the Level north OF
Fifty-ninth street, and give the people the relief
Guilty, and doubt not the railroad companies sec
It and feel 1t too As understand IT, the chief uit
Guilty, and one upon which the engineers do not
agree, is how to secure q measure OF relief, and at
the same time not destroy the present arrangements
periecty praccabe to SINK the tracks above @ the
depot, TO be arched or placed upon viaduct The
only point is how TO make the sunken grade
grade below Forty-eighth street. They can't be
remedled, except by bridges across the blocks south
OF Forty yeighth street. IL has been suggested to
throw bridges from Madison to Lexington avenue,
below Ffieth street. II we desire to secure tho
OF Lie ana limb 1t is consider whether any
such experiment Is sufficient. The association, Mr..
Wnher anV eas yeu ca m be Snd ot OF snr
the road from Harlem 10 Forty-second street, the
depot 0 You ~ may be told na the the
ton with which the companies went TO work and
erected that depoti with the calculation that they
would use that avenue forever seems TO take away
my breath. IL seems that 1t was the intention OF
the companies to take and level this street and run
their property upon IT for all time 70 come. The
company, aud under Its seal 1t covenanted to per-
became an obstruction to travel the corporation
could remove the tracks on months potice;
another was that they would never use he avenue
to obstruct the cross streets The ordinance pro.
vided that the company should make all excava-
tions necessary to render the passage through the
company should construct the sewers. We are told
that the sewers are the main difficulties, and II the
few sewers should be required TO render even their
entire line Of road 1t would not make much dif.
the east SIDE OF the city Is that there Is nothing Inn
practicable in sinking the tracks.
committee upon the engineering difficulties at
length Botn OF these engineers agree upon the |
Of ne minor 0 ea Haswe u ns he
had conferred with the Harlem Railway Company |
and they were disposed to do all IN their power In
the premises You are aware that they require |
great deal Of room with the other roads running |
over their tracks. The work would require great |
deal OF time. but the lowering OF the track IRON |
outside OF the depot to Thirty.sccond street would
be necessary to conform TO the grade. He would |
sink the grade about Forty.ninth street, |
and run as rapidly as possible until the proper |
depth is obtained. 1t may be by an open cut or |
tunnel. From Forty-ninthi street up sewers are |
met. The base OF the sewers Is thirteen feet II |
closed cut is selected to depress the sewers nine |
teen feet OF ground would be required for tunnel
would cross the upper streets-F0rty- fifth, Forty
SIXTH &c. by alternate bridges for foot passengers
and vehicles but the bridges / would nave con. |
structed, with the approaches TO them, parallel I
with the track, thus.-
Track | Track