The New York herald., 1871-12-29
RApTrJ TRANSIT AND RAILROAD HU-
MAuITARIANISM.


vised to Remedy the Fourth Avenue Man
Trap"-The Harlem Company Has No
Right Of way-Faots and Figures
,------..--s .sSssS ,.ss
A large number Of the citizens Of Harlem met last
evening in Lincoln Hall, IN 12ttA street. ito take
into consiueratonn (pide the announcement) ''tne
subject OF rapid transit and the Fourth avenue
railroad matter.n Mr.. Asher Barnett presided. and
after securing order read the following resolutions
which were adopted unanimously:-
THE CITIZENS TO COOPERATE.
Whereas the time has arrived when s necessary for the
rsssrd The re@O,s S q steam % the sarscs Fourth
cm &. CITY Han hae% and
numerous OF the Nineteenth ward having he
conference committees to take action in regard 70 the mat
and property 0w1,r: q
for purpose procuring united and immediate action
chs ~ win e from oher
ons and to adopt united plan for the purposes above
Mr. NJ. N. VAIL was then introduced, and In the
course OF lengthy remarks said that though the
honest men OF this city had done great things they
had NOT accomplished enough, He had no doubt
HAD OUR roREyATHERs KNOWN
what New York was going 70 be they would have
laid out oroad magnificent avenue nom the Bat
isce e and andergrOnnd railroads A'I necessary
for everyday travel without interfering with
ay nnl q we an must on devise ss some ss
plans to remedy the results OF their stupidity. In
aludlng to tne various schemes already broached
he declared against tine zone eleggedn railroad and
the vladuct-Lne former as TOO unsubsIantal to be
sale and the latter as TOO expensive He tnen pro-
Fourth avenue man Trap." rne resolutions
which had been passed by the Common Council
and which were vetoed by the Mayor. were the
most iniquitous and most corrupt that could nave
been conceived. They not only proposed
but gave the work 20 be done to the railroad com.
pany and made the city pay half the cost Il ia
vorei The plan OF tunnelng the avenue from Forty
railroad was not for the puolic good. but simply
for making money. He had been asronished once
residence on Fourth avenue to see them again iald
down five or six feet higher than before ana above
the level OF the adjoining Streets lie then showed
THE ACTIONS OF THE HARLEM RAILROAD COMPANY
IN many instances were IN excess OF Its legal powers
Tie Common Council could compel the company to
consult the interests OF the people In the conslruc-
tion OF Its road through the CITY, IL cond be easily
demonstrated by looking at the ordinances The
first act passed in 1881, and provided that ii the
tracks lnteriered with the travel safety Of the
public, and
II THE COMPANY FOUND No REMEDY,
after warning they we're 10 be removed in one
originally was. The crossings were to be left in
c0ndIlion OF perfect SAFETY; and if the
coaac he Is
grants OF privileges heretofore given then and the
most important g TACT was % that the the right oI way
through Fourth avenue existed only during the ap-
plcation OF The
FIRST CHARTER OF THE RAILROAD,
which expired In 1861. II was then extended TO
1858, giving the company the right to use Fourth
avenue as ut present until the last date II they
Tnat permission has not been granted second
time. Therefore they have no title 10 right
Not only is The tracs now Unsafe in position, but me
trains are run at the rate OF twenty miles an
nonr-elgnty trains in day passing eacn way, car
received from the New Haven Company mali MIL
hon year for using the track; IN Short for privi
lege which we give 70 them ior nothing. II they
would use this money TO remedy the evi we would
COMPROMISE the matter and say no more about II.
TUNNELLING THE AVENUE
can be done for $4,000 ooo. What he wanted to
ee an IN e s IN
company He WITH % other gen gentlemen M !, nGd g be been
woSa asee
o. ns re !, woud aaGt T.
But tscy should 90 to nim united and determined
and say that We must have tine accomplishment or
s Ts % s Ge a
ton the Lsgislature representing that the
MI. vail was listened to with occasional earnest
Mr. WILLIAM A. wHIrBEcK. Assemblyman from
the Tweaiy-nrst district, next addressed the meet
ing. he SAID t00t ne nad Stuuled the Su0lect OF
rapid transit Tor several years, and had come
10 the conclusion that the only means avail.
railway, whether skeleton or viaduct would
inJure property by its presence from fifty to eighty
per cent. Elevated skeleton railroads have been
tested IN London and have failed. They are utterly
useless. AS 10 the Viaduct Road the cost alone was
too great He understood that IT would be from
three to Ave millions mllc including the damage
To adjacent property. The injury would average
$4,000 TO each lot.
MIR. VAIL interrupted the speaker by rcmarking
before gong home that he possessed
TEE SWORN TESTIMONY OF Mr.. WILLIAM II. VAN
DERBILT
that the road through Fourth avenue was danger.
Gus
Mr. wnitpecx was then suddenly seized with III.
ness ana was unable TO complete his address.
Colonel Benjamin A. Wity delivered speech anu
was followed by several other well known citizens,
The committee OF Conference appointed by the
Chair Is composed OF the following gentlemen:-
Henry Waterman, George w. Palmer, Addison
Smith. James NJ. Boyd, William II. Roberts.