The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-01-11


Avenue Improvement.
That fretfu impotence and readiness to look at
the g00mest side Of things, which many philos-
ophers have remarked as being among the most
conspicuous traits of the human mind have been
rarely more plainly displayed than in the matter Of
rapid transit. Talk to the average citizen upon
this subject and he will at once doefully tell you
that he doesn't believe shall ever have anything
better than the stages and cars In which we are
most OF us now condemned to pass tenth, and per-
haps even an eighth of our waxing existence, and
which constitute. in discomfort and positive phys.
ical suffering, so lively picture OF the hor-
rors OF purgatory: while even II we ever do
it will be at much too remote a date
in the far future to have more than
speculative interest for the present generation
Yet how far this is from the truth An instalment
OF one rapid transit line is now actually running
Tor length OF about three miles ut least and two
other projected schemes are being pushed rapidly
FORWARD, one OF which will have to be completed
from the Battery to Forty-second street, under
pain OF the forfeiture OF It's charter, within Pc
rod OF seventeen months from this present
writing.
THE ELEVATED RAILROAD.
Probably not more than tenth of our citizens
uuVc cVcT dVdiicu themselves Oh the elevated rail-
road which after surviving so many vicissitudes of
fortune and explosions OF popular ridcule is now
carrying daily some two or three thou
Band passengers There are many things
against tits apparent perils, its ftful
timetable, It's adhesion to the .'early closngr
movement and the desolate and poverty stricken
Dir which seems to cling about its stations. But
these are mere tribes The danger is probably
little, II any, greater than on surface road and
the coaches are passably comfortable If they are
not positively luxurious. And trial is enough to
convince anyone that it is Infinitely and immeas-
uraby superior in point of speed and convenience
to the horse cars Just now. indeed, when block
ades occur hourly even in the widest avenues, and
car passengers, after waiting patiently for quar-
ter of an hour within half mile of their destina-
Lion. are frequently obliged to get out and climb
Ing over mountain OF s0iled snow and then
wading through swamp of ice.cold water
and they are lucky if they do not tumble
way home over dangerously slippery pavements,
the advantages of the new road to any one that
hyes within few blocks of its route are especially
obvious
NEW STATION
has Just been opened at Morris street, within
block OF the Battery and one can now, therefore,
either start uptOwnward from there or from the
corner of Dey and Greenwich streets, which for
long time previously had been the terminus, as
The stairway is not very inviting, but it is kept
free rom the usual coating OF ice, and, arrived on
crowd Of perhaps two hundred people. Frequently,
indeed, towards the close OF the afternoon, the
throng Is 80 great that the officials close the gate
,One OF the fixed and unalterabe rules OF the COM
pany that there shall be no more people carried
than can be seated in the coaches. In little
while the train consisting OF two coaches and
small dummy engine, comes swiftly along, making
comparatively no noise at all, at the worst not
than a ClatterinQ the STONES
Broadway. The coaches are rather curiously con-
structed. the main body between the wheels being
let down very near the rails, while at each end
there is a sort Of upper apartment. This probably
gives the cars frmer grip upon the track and
!, to o,svsSs S Sa Fiat vibration
lrom side to side which indicates greater OF less
degree Of top,heavness; Each car seats
sSs sss BESIDES ps s Soen so
of accidental ''standees." AS you sit inside
the COACH there is at first rather curious sense Of
and, as you look down through the windows into
the street, you notice that you will have an I'M
long distance to M ha me eve1 II o.
known signal Of :'Al aboard" the conductor looks
tie a had
apSabled down altogether, and then, without any
to in your previous Journeys behind the iron horse
the train begins slowly to move along at level
lust little higher than the second story, OF Of
been written about the strangeness OF
FIRST journey on a London railroad "over
the rootops' and among the huge stacks Of chin
neys which are the one great picturesque feature
Of domestic architecture in C0ckneydom, but it
may be doubted whether
Hong this new city railroad does not surpass 1t in
interest On the rooftops there is nothing to be
er Of
and damp linen, or cote OF pigeons or = flock OF
swallows, or something OF that sort, you Know"
and these objects soon grow tame and monotonous.
But to be gifted with what practically amounts to
the mower OF Asmodeus and to look into the secrets
OF the second story rooms OF New York street.
that IA indeed worth ten cent stamp, especially
as most OF the inhabitants are OF the poorer classes
Of society and take the chances OF being discovered
ut their domestic occupations with nonchalance
and indifference that are to say the least OF 1t,
somewhat surprising; But ut,
at which you arc borne along prevents these
Ulimpses into private life from being more than
momentary. For, after you have once left the sta
ton the engine pods forward with an earnestness
and yigor that strikes a hOrse-car passenger dumb
with ainazement. From Dey to Canal the journey
takes exactly five minutes; from Canal to Twelfth
fs another five minutes; from Twelfth to Twenty
first street Is only a matter OF less than three
minutes more, and you reach the present terminus
something less than twenty minutes Surely this Is,
indeed, an earnest OF brighter future.
lew words must now be said about the running
of the cars over the curious structure which forms
the track and Its support. The jumping al the end
ever an ordinary surface road Is much more dis
tinct but the jump takes place at each
post. You are plainly being transported along
a line OF sending rails and though the declension
Is very slight It Is enough TO be unpeasanty per-
cep,ibIc and suggestive Of possible mshaps The
s)ficials however, are confident e. the safety OF
che road, and smile when you talk of the chances
OF a broken rail.
RI EsENT CONDITION AND PROSPECTS.
This line began running as far back as the Goth
April, 1871, but Tor q long time Its rolling stock
was single dummy, and there was no serious at
tempt to begin passenger traflc In earnest until
much more recent period. Even now there are
only about twenty-four trains each way daily, and
as they run to connect with the time table OF the