New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-12-23
Rapid TRANSIT.


dtOus Of and freight through our
long, narrow city we've at time seriOusly alarmed
lest the vaduct plan Of the late fraudulent city Ring
should be foised on this tax burdencd community.
The readiness with which certain capitalists allowed
themselves TO become associated with men whose crimes
will be matters Of history seemed to leave little doubt
that this additional fraud would be inflicted on the city,
and that hundred millions would he squandered In the
construction Of work. the plan Of which has been con-
demncd by European capitals where 1t has been tried
The breaking up root and branch Of the nefaOus Ring.
1t ia to be hoped will lead to the repeal OF the city grant
Of 100000 to start project that even under honest
Administrations will cost from tso 100000 to 9O,ocOOO be-
| fore II is completed
But for the reorganization OF the NewYOrk ViaducD
Railway Co.. minus the fraudulent members OF the late
city Ring, might regard the undertaking AZ dead.
As these gentlemen have made no declaration OF their
purposes OF any intention to abandon the Vladuct
pan propose to demonstrate tho absolute fallaey In
vOlvcd the system itself and to show what those hav
ing this great question in hand required by unan
| swerable reasons to do
Whatever objections exist against the Broadway On
dergrOund plan Of rapid transit they should not for
| momentbe allowed as valid Arguments In favor OF
yaduct railway II these two projects were the only
susceptible OF execution then 1t might be- choice
between two evils Such, however, is by no means the
dilemma which engineers and practical railway mcn.to
| which class profess to belong. are placed. SHALL
therefore, argue the principles involved oil their merits
! alone, and by the light Of experience.
Now, start with the broad general principle which
10 scientific engineer will attempt to cOntrOvcrt, that
the construction of series OF arches no matter Of what
material for the support OF the permanent way OF rail-
ways should never he rcsorted to without special
rra-oI--such as TO maintain workable grade or 10
| cross a river TO avoid crossing another Railway or
common highway, the same level In fact this mode
of preparing railway bed line Of support, is always
Odcd when its cost exceeds that OF an enbahkncnt
or where emlnnkmcnt is inadmssibe as it would be
in city, where the necessary levels cannot be secured
10y cutting and filing" In London, where the vaduct
system of railways first introduced for the purpose
Of reaching the heart OF the city by the great lines rai
ating from IL in all directions, which In i'll
tended for local traffic. il did not occr to engineers tat
the object could have been attained at half the
cost aud to far better purpose and what Is also very
Important, il not sparamont, consideration, that 1t
could have been attained without the enormous injury
inflicted by the present method on the owners Of the ad
iaccnt property The know ledge OF how this 10 be-
d4uc had to he acquired like that Of the best and cheap
est rauSc-hy experience, and London has paid
dearly for this experience. NcwIork must avoid tins
cnorinous mistake OF London and she Will do it when
The whole question is better UNDERSTOOD But even In
London, where the inequalities of the ground might
Justify the Naduct plan in cases the very
plan bc-t suited for steam railways in cities had TO be
rOrtcd to in several instances. The Northern Railway
of London will at supply the example and evidence
am in search Of large part Of this line, kr that OF
al country railways terminating III London. II
supported Of pondcrUns brick arches, with
and there iron crossing. But there
many places where the railway leave it, >crricd arch
and crosses blocks and streets in open cuttings. the
streets being bridgcd and In some places the
buildings beng restored over the railway
This brings to the pith Of my argument.
which claim to be administrative OF the whole ease at
issue. There reason. Of engineering scientific
nature. TO require that steam railway should be ce-
waited arches in Ncw-iOrk City. 1t is proposed by
the vaduct party to purchase and phil down houses
enough lay four tracks-the gauge not being stated
This will require any the breadth Of two lots ~
25 feet each and the lots Of various widths and
liz in regular lines ticrsvery often breaking
ioiDis"it Will, general thing. rcquir" that three
buildings I've RACED to the ground and that their sites bc
forever hotted ont for building purposes. Having made
TIN, clean lane, nearly 20 miles OF blorks of buildings, ii
l. proposed cost most stipend
rics Of arches. high enough to span all the streets,
to interfere with their ordinary traffic. This is
a repetition Of the utterly discarded plan In
London. Tie last examples OF It are To be found
in portions OF the London, Chatham, and Dover
METROPOLITAN extensions AMI the CharnS Cross line.
The rst Of th - London roads cost through district,
where the value Of property in instance approaches
OF the least costly portions OF the rone of the
posed Ncw-iork viaiurt more than double me pub,
liNhrd 'Smatcs OF this later TO say nothing OF the Fact
thai labor and materials OF all kinds III London cost less
than half what they do here The London. Chat
ham ard Dover line before the Company built their city
extensions, paid good dividends Those extensions bank
rnpcd the CoInpay and caused general ruin TO tlon-
SANDS who lad invested in il. I'll" Claring Cross line
through the BnrrOngh almost the cheapest part
Of London and cost fully two millions sterling per mile
Why should rr.i capitalists desire to f"st np"n
city II system utterly condemned In I"ndoni They
cannot and will not, when they examine the subject
with the care OF business men. and know that better
by science and tested by experience do not propose
to advocate the socallcd broadway UNDERGROUND plan
cheap.r railway built IL cuttings viii h." Take the
they
and make cutting y feet deep in some places may
just as 1t viii bc necessary in tho viadlc plan,
Higher IN some places than IN 1thrrS Ta up inG rns
r fr"is and the building and You viii secure
exactly what is needed "a steam railway OF easy aces
ally pa sing tram. The wol., Of tXcayaion and wan.
~ VIII rot cost above so per cent OF tn" valuct and the
buidlngs V bcccrainy for ls!ness puiposes-~orih
But suppose we go Il step further aud. instead OF pull
and work under them iut Mr. Gladstone tell. US IN
MIND" :" the U"d SPsd rawy, was done
of the old heavy church Ct e. Nicholas The space be,
every area in front may also be left open and be
rallied Of So admit additional light and air. But BIT
standing saving win be fully s.Goooo milemior
the Vadact cannot be built OF any substantial material
There is another objection already limited at to the
proposed 1t the injury cansed to All properly IN tne
Thu Sas s aen Nooy who can help
will live In house in proximity TO these yaduct
railways The roar Of passing trains day anu night IL
nearly and the consequence Is that villas near
the Northern Railway Of London ~ the nexhDorhood OF
built for aoO year. soon nfter fell to $40 But. where
the ue runs in cuttings and the balasng rests on the
earth one ia scarcely conscious " passing trains BY
laying the rails on ne WY invented pap this evil may
I be reduced to almost nothing. r,
The Vaduct will destroy tho beauty OF the city This
lie another consideration Of great not OF vital import
ance No engineer is warranted In designing q struc-
ture that will stretch its unsghty proportions IN TWO
nearly parallel lines, from end to end Of our long anu
| hoart NJ