The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-04-23
QUICK TRANSIT.
The Financial Aspects OF the
Problem.
The London City Railroads as a
Frightfl Example.
WHAT WE DON'T WANT.
The Viaduct and the Tunnel
Will They Pay?

Greatness whether OF individuals or OF commu-
plnes, has its well as It's pleasures. IN a
shor, half century New York has leaped into the
'front.' rank OF mammoth cities and though Lon
siop and Jeddo and perhaps one or two other
uiaces are still its superiors in numbers IL will
probably begin the twentieth century as the
largest as well as the wealihiest and busiest of the
great cities OF the world. But even now, though we
are as vet only In sort of embryo condition, we
brought face TO face with the
SANE GRAND DIFFICULTY
that Tor twenty years the civil engineers OF London
have been trying to overcome. Our main avenues
ol tfafic daily blockaded with a hopeless Jam OF
vehicles; and II has become desperate
enterprise to cross Broadway at noon. Worse
than this as population steadily increase large
hunters OF our people are. perforce, compelled 10
reside al distances OF ever increasing remoteness
from their business and full quarter OF the active
waking life OF scores OF thousands Of citizens is
absorbed In the unproductive occupation OF getting
up aud down town. Twenty OF thirty thousand per-
sons i've at Harlem ana at the best OF times, and
under the most favorable circumstances all OF these
who nave TO come down town and go home again give
up three hours out OF every twentyour the task.
II rs appalling to think Of the
WASTE OF HUMAN LIFE
that thus takes place, TO say nothing OF the discom
fort and filth OF the horse cars In which these daily
journeys have to be made. Some idea OF Though
very laint and feeble one-may perhaps be CLEANED
ron the computation that saving OF five min
uies on each Journey made by all the
car car pa PASSENGERS n n New YORK city during
more than eleven hundred years OF waking e xist-
snce' while an average saving Of twenty minutes
5000 years We therefore lose about hundred
lives per annnm.or seventy years purchase at that.
ana .et We boast OF being a practical people.
Eus
"wHAT ARE GOING TO DO
nag
we ssdly recognize that she is in this as in MANY
Ss repse mercy er9e Marn1s she has
railroads, most of this distance on the surface with
9 Ge three long stretches 81 5anneng three or
failure; all the lives that have been saved by quick
transit have been lost by the unwholesome manner
ioul nd unhealthy, and no efforts to purify have
eeep successful Il indeed established beyond all
AN UNDERGROUND RAILROAD.
NCIt ed WIN ordinary locomotives, or even with
locomotives that consume their own smoke, is
nmp.y new form OF slow murder. Then again the
london system OF city railroads Is almost useless
because ~ Is lrlghluy slow, and cannot be made to
run quicker. Forty minutes Is the time taken from
hotnlg hll to the city, distance or four miles and
u B2, wnlcn used 10 be accomplished by fast stages
VI about three-quarters OF an nour And the same
.Ang holds good with the rest OF the lines. Taxing
fnio account the TACT that railroad rarely deposits
peopie exactly where they want to go TO, and that
generally passengers on such railroads lose five or
zen minutes IN walking from the station where tney
are SET down 10 .he place they bound for II IA
sea snat tne 9id system OF venicular traffic has not
neeh very mucE improved upon. And, as u matter
ofiact-
IN LONDON
tue city railroad lines have scarcely affected nj ali
we sues Oh stages and omnibuses, which are In
ana xea vg qsn
great deal II passenger traffic but Is very doubt
paos vehicles OF he % nsSbbs S. stages
HACKS and cabs all included. cockney, II he IS in
being upon Hanson cab it Should also be- re-.
menDered that only one small metropolitan line IN
PEcuNIARY SUCCESS
THAI hne for os lime paid FIVE per cent,
lar enterprises thrown itself into hopeless abyss
OF financial despair. Taken as whole, 1t may be
IT mas mad the advantage OF connecting Inc
Rreai railroads of the country that for
NOT closely meet, has not paid one per cent upon its
capital. The collapse OF the London, Chatham and |
mer visitor, Sir Morton Peto, must be fresh in the
recollection OF New Workers; AID this collapse was !
great corporation. though started with capital OF
near hundred millions OF dollars, engaged In the
patriotic TASK Of perfecting the civic commuEica-
Now we can't afford In this vast country, with a
thousand undeveloped industries to absorb proita-
hlf every dollar we can save, 10 throw away our |
iMPERFEcr AND MscHIEvoUs NUISANCE.
such as our London trends have compacently |
ceustsucted We want city railroad mat
and a: the same time, from the very outset yield
fair return upon Its cost If we cannot get that we
covered
The Legislature this year passed couple OF bills
TIE BEACH PNEUMATIC TUNNEL
and the vladuct-each Of wDicn has put its claims
former has been vetoed by the Governor, but II Will
~ dolbt again be lobbled through at Albany next
year. and IL is pretty certain, II it oniv has The
money ana the courage 10 persevere, to gam an
opp9rtunny Of showing wing what It IS practically
constructed under Broadway. it would he
SerianlJ free from the disadvantage that damns the
fnglisn tuhnes-i0ul air. Worked by pneumatic
lOcOmO.
ives and the gaze that constantly sweeps the tram
wJult in lime get used 10 riding by gaslight, and
wonic cease to be nervous about running on the
wniriad. "' : 'A -" '''"'en "n'o" 'Ne' are
50 car SO good; but in truth. this whole question
q rand transit hinges on altogether different
class Of considerations. The great problem TO I've
aett'ed in regard TO each one OF the projected
WILL IT PAYY
Heavily taxed as we are the city cannot shoulder I
shs hauitiona burden; and even II II could IL would
- crave economic blunder In a community such |
a. ouis Where capital is so sorely needed 10 develop
o1i ~ sources, 70 waste such an enormous sum OF
money as would be involved. And millionnaires
sannot OF course, be expected 10 take the stock
unless IL Is going 10 pay remuneratIve dividend.
NOW II is admitted even 10y the promoters that the
cost Il tunnel bored through the hard rocK or
Manhattan would be $1,000, 900 a mile Ana when
was railroad built at It's estimated cost Never
sSpeence m hubble works OF The cbaracte au srse
CO. Aoud be $1,000, GOO mile And eight miles
even " $1,000, 00U, come TO S24 900. 900.
PER CENT
o. tfi II $24uo,OO0 Now. such line could scarcely
tNpeSt 70 take more traffic than the THIRD and |
anA Elpnlh avenue railroad lines combined at the |
pIsseni ume; They carry 4o,OOoo0j passengers per
am lda, ana at I'VE cent fares this would give
s~eoo,voo income The operating expenses Of the |
rniru avenue line have averaged seventy 1--WE per |
cept " the receipts. and the Tunnel Railroad cod
scarcely nope 10 90 better They would therefore
have 5000, COO to pay divdends-aboui two per cert
on The capital The only way the Income could lie
made larger would be by
BAIsISG THE FARES;
and nat would be an outrageous Injustice 70 the |
poor, as well as suicidal TO the railroad In cutting
down the lumber OF passengers. Let IL be |
borne Ia mind that this Is the most favorable |
estimate that be made. A really fair |
csnate would probably give The cost OF the road at
SO. 600 900, while the working expenses would be
much higher than the horse car railroads, and the
Uulsr OF pasSengcTs very many less than the libe.