New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-02-14
OUTEK TRANSIT

Out of the numerous quick transit Bchemes
which have been before the public of this city
from time to time, three have made progress
enough to hold out fair prospects of realiza-
ton, needing-sO their friends assure US
nothing but action on the part of the Legis-
lature to enable work to be begun upon them
at once. The Pneumatic Tunnel Company has
a few rods of road in actual running order,
and as an experiment on small scale appears
to be perfectly satisfactory. At present, how
ever, it is only the wOrking-model of road
1t is chartered for the transportation of par
cells, and needs further powers before it can
carry passengers. These powers the Legisla-
ture withhOIds.
The Arcade project has been deliberately dis
cussed, and its attractive features have been
warmly commended. 1t has not succeeded,
however, in getting a charter, and its sup
porters have not recently done much to draw
public notice to it, though they may have been
working hard in private.
The Central Underground Company was
supposed, two years ago, to have the start of
all others. 1t was incorporated by the Legis-
lature, elaborate surveys of the proposed route
were made, and it was settled that no serious
engineering difficulties would have to be en-
cOuntered. After the failure of its projectors
to secure the necessary capital in New-York,
Mr.. William b. Ogden obtained promise of
sufficient money in Europe; but, as he assured
us the other night in his speech at the meeting
of the West Side Association, the hot weather
" of last Summer, followed by the French and
" Prussian war" put stop to the attempts to
raise subscriptions abroad. We understand
how the war must have interfered with his
plans, but we do not comprehend the influence
of the weather. However this may be, the
money is lacking. In the bill of incorporation
presented by Mr.. Ogden, the City of New
York, the County of Westchester, and the rail
way companies having their terminus here,
were authorized to contribute, either by
loans or the issue of bonds, to the
construction of the road. This important pro-
vision was stricken out in the Legislature, and
the projectors of the road are now urging that
it may be restored. Surveys and estimates
have been perfected, and it is calculated that
double tunnel road, from the City Hall to
Forty -seeond-st, can be built and thoroughly
equipped at cost rather less than $3,OO9OOO
mile, including purchases of right of way, or
$10,000,000 for the whole distance.
Meanwhile the necessities of the city are
becoming every day more and more serious
The miserable insuficiency of our present
modes of passenger conveyance needs no COM
ment in these seasons Of storm when every
man feels them so keenly. But besides the
discomfort and suffering of the people we
must bear in mind the material damage to the
city. Shut in by water on three sides and
hampered on the fourth by the want OF
proper avenues of travel, the population be-
comes every year moro and more straight
ened for room, and as commerce crowds
upon it and rents increase, it is driven
into New-Jersey and Long Island. Thus
New-YOrk is gradually losing its most valua
Bile citizens-the industrious middle class-and
threatens to be divided between the very rich
and the very poor; and community COM
posed wholly or chiefly of those two extremes
is always vicious, corrupt, and danger to the
state. Commerce suffers from OvercrOwled
streets as the people suffer from oyercr0wded
cars; and at the same time the wealth of the
city is depleted by the removal Of the middle
classes, who only keep shop in New York, but
have their homes and as much as possible of
their property in another county or another
State. The only serious effort now making to
relieve OvercrOwding is at the expense of the
city-that is to say, while some of the best
portions of this island are still unoccupied,
we are facilitating the removal of the popu-
lation to Long Island and New-Jersey, and
leaving the upper half of New-YOrk unde-
veloped, The East River Bridge is q neces-
sary work which we shall rejoice to see
finished; but it is not more important than
nm underground railroad, and 30 far as the
interests of the metropolis only are concerned
il is much more to our advantage to enable
citizens TO occupy our own territory than to
multinlv their conveniences for living some
where else. If the City of New-York ought
not to assist in the construction OF the tun-
mel, fortiori it ought not to have assisted, %
it has done. in the building of the bridge.
We do not urge that the proposed amend
ment to the Central Underground Railway
COmpanys charter should be granted Tor we
| Drefer that the work should be done by DrlVate