New-York tribune., 1872-01-30
RAPID TRANSIT.
WHO ARE ITS ENEMIEsi

rEoPoshD-"uf TIE BROADWAY ROAD Is
QPPOSED.
Tbe>JOint Committee Of the Senate and
Asssmbly'at Albany will devote "Wednesday. Thursday
and Friday qcSt 10 hearing arguments In favor Of IN,
several roiec ed rapid transit roads with view II ia
understood TO ci,drteriDg the best feasible line Th,
resolution Of the Committee to settle upon single
line, leaving # without rival 10 defeat 1t by detractng
from the value Of its fraOcse, tho subject Of very
general discussion In railway and financial circles, and
generally pied the FIRST sensible step toward
the accomplishment Of the octlydesred 'snd The alb
soutc necessity for such road was everywhere con
eeded, though IT Ia known that raINd transit has great
many powerful and wealthy enemies. A gentleman
prominently connected with former schemes enumerated
these enemies 3s follows
l. The horse railways and stage co,npsncs, included
among whom are the late leaders OF Tammany, VINO n
came large owners In these companies by aiding ID Tue
passage Of their charters Adequate means Tor the ac,
leave only few way passengers to be carried by the
stages and ears, except such are c,osstown lines.
H. Owners Of large tracts Of real estate INTENDED az
sites for villages, Long Island and elsewhere. IL
for rapid transit defeated the Of these
building sites believe the population Will bo diverted
from the island 10 the adjacent suburbs thus beneDunS
them.
ferry companies OF the North River. The number OF
persons crossing te lcrries depends, OF course, upon o
number VINO live outside, aud yet carry on business
within the city.
along the line and at the termination OF these roads the
V. The owners Of real estate in New-Jersey situated
near Hew-York and the connecting railways.
VI A few rich and selfish Inen-thc owrers or tene-
ment houseswho transact business beyond that of
receiving rents who drive their private carriages,
rather driven by their cOachmen, who neither feel
nor care for the suffering, wants ana injuries or the
great mass of the community.
These hostile interests nave een able thus long To
the construction OF railway OF capacity sufficient
for tho accommodation OF the travel within tho city
limits. These who growing richer year by year
by gathering up smal portion OF the general public
loss do not openly oppose rapid transit but the
rary apparently its most active advocates. They
only oppose the construction Of under-surface rail-
way ON broadway, with four tracks nnd
sheltered sidewalks. Such road, they say,
would be monstTOus outrage on private rights.
They willing To be Directors In companies whose
plans not feasible, and thus defeat tho schemes Of
those which possible OF accomplishment When the
experiment of the Central Underground proved that
Capital would invest they well knew 1t would not
because the capacity transportation less in pro-
portion the of construction they invented another
plan-Or, rather, adopted one already inyented. ana
which the most able engineers had condemned utterly
impraccable The Vaduct became their IayOre scheme
because it could not succeed
There were to be two lines, ono the west and
the east side OF Broadway with four tracks to each
line This would accommodate both the way travel and
through travel and the best argument OF ALL the city
would furnish the money To bulid it, This road was in
dependent Of capital What if il did absolutely destroy
for right Of way $50 Of land, twOthrds OF II
cred with buildings worth more than S2J90oOOOot The
city paid for all.
An erroneous impression exists with many that the
owners and occupants OF property Broadway Op-
posed to On Of railway under that street.
large majority both Of owners and their tenants signed
petition the Legislature in favor OF such road The
value Of Broadway business street IL greater than
any other in the city. because there IL more travel
through It, The side OF that street or more value
IA tle #
higher because OF the greater value. As the population
moved up town the shtewd business men moved
their store. IN the same direction. Were it
not for the eXtont Of travel through this great
thoroughfare any side street would DO OF equal
II not of greater yGlue, as place Of business
A railway consfT0cted Tnderneath It. With for tracks
and shaded aud sheltered sidewalks would bring three
quarters OF the entire population Of tho city within
quarter OF mile Of every store the street The travel
would than doubled and yet with the increased
facilities it would not be crowded Onehaf much
now. the value of business locality IL measured by
the of the travel the value OF the property on
Broadway would bo than doubled. 81 true that
II the railway only for the accommodation OF the
through travel. It would be OF little advantage to the
street The taking the plSsnS6rs up at the lower part
OF the city, and putting them down At the upper
would only the extremes. The true object IL
10 accommodate the way travel as we'll the through
aud thus benefit every part equally We're it possible to
ts operation would be Of rrcparabe inTyto Broadway.
It would divert all the travel and leave that street
deserted and vacant OF the silent yways. But
there il a st stronger for the adoption OF the
line Broadway. and that is 10 bring the population OF
the city in direct communication with It's business To-
caity
The part Of Broadway under dispute f. that from
Unon.squarc to the Battery. The bitter enemies
OF rapid transit 10 object to the OF the other pOr
ton. engineer urged that it il the only line where
the construction of railway for rapid transit il possible
II the and most direct route to through
the business locality OF the city. It along the
Of the island and the highest part OF the nigc
There of any extent 10 Gloss, and the gas
aud wator pipes are easily disposed Of. 1t is an
average i2 feet above tdc-water and all the unersur
face consists OF firm, dry sand the water being drained
off, bile within 100 yard, on both sides the whole island
Is quicksand and the tdewaor comes within few
feet OF the surface The cost OF the construction OF
railway along ths line would DO less than Onequarer OF
that on either side at the time 1t would far
excel In convenience OF aud accommodation to
the travel
An advocate Of the Broadway road declared that the
enemies ot rapid transit knew that il they prevent
the granting charter for the construction OF
dergr0und railway Broadway they efectuay prevent
the provision OF any rapid transit The Oppo
sitiOn 10 "a road on Broadway means hostility to RAPID
transit. aud nothing else
In an article lately published in THf TEDrNr on fho
subject of rapid transit, it pointed that the
nation OF thc 2and m,Ss thc city long anG narrow and
~, 5 Central Park divided again iuto i"' SUI more
sections. each abOut mile vide. .ho O''ihess
locality is situated at the extreme souther p'r conhn
ing the trade and commerce within th9 Qar-
row situated below Cana.-st.. while all
the population resided above at continuous in
termediatc points extending TO distance OF more than
six miles thus imposing upon the business men the
,sty OF travelling long distance, to and from their
stores and offices twice each day. For the accommOda-
ton OF this travel it requires railway with four
tracks With !ts location commencing a the Battery and