New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-11-06
.STRBETCAR DEFEHSES,
TIE RAILROAD PRESIDENTS OBJECT TO HAVING
GATES on THE PLATFORMS.

TIE RAILROAD PRESIDENIS OBJECT TO HA'iN"
GATES on THE PLATFORMS
The Presidents of nearly all OF the street
railway companies appeared before the Board OF Health
Yesterday to protest against the enforcement oil an or
nance recently passed by that body requiring eas W
be placed across front platforms OF the cars anu o
against suits being Drought for dsobedence Oh an o
ordinance forbiddmg the use o. CUSHIONS on INC Gar
seot The debate was conversational IN Tone and was
made M chiefly Of questions ana answers
rcsneotinr the statistics on the subject, al
present seeming OF investigating the problem OF
TRANSPORTATION in n practical manner The fresiueo'
stated that OF the strongest oDeeuohs tney pau "
the introduction OF gates the front platforms was
it, would make necessary the use OF turntables a1 o
ends Of their lines; plan that was impracucaoe 10
a,orty of the companies owing the small space they
mad at their disposal at the ends OF their INES III "o
lower part of the city. Moreover the use OF turn
woud consume great deal OF time which tho coinpa-
MICS could III spare their effort to dispatch cars quickly
from Their terminus At either end OF the line IL was
their experience that fully many persons deseo 10
Get On hoard a car rs wished TO leave It, In case
all the Messengers were compelled TO leave the car by
the back platform the opposition OF the out going ana
incoming passengers would very serious delay
The comnanles whose lines end in the small space De-
fore the Astor House would be SUBJECT espec 10 sucn
obstruction. The companies years ago had rleu tc GA
pertinent OF placing gates across tho roh1 pid'i"i''
nd hat
new system than before. The people insisted on cho-
inc over the gates and doing would slip on
and fall under the cars. Every means h"u
been taken 10 prevent accidents; every "'en'io"
which seemed 10 promise to he help In accomplishing
this object had been at once adopted. Tho companies
did not desire TO the great expense OF ProNldhg
gates without being that it would not be use
lefs expenditure of money. The companies were as
eager as the Health Commissioners TO prevent accidents
inasmuch they naturally wished 10 decrease no nu
Der OF suits brought against them Inc suop.lon VI
gates would compel the companies 70 put on DoTe cs'
and the companies could not ahord III tbty were
allowed double their fares, more cars might ne put
on not otherwise. They would claim lnat tueIS va"
nowhere such cheap transportation as IN NeW-l0rk a.
President Chandler in reply TO the argument ol ue
portinacity of the population IN cimons Uel @ 80 %
sand that II all the companies adopted 'e ~ ~
population could be quickly educated nor 10 atIep, .o
feat The bad habit would be iar more lucky pr1I
than IT, at present, ONLY one company anopled tne
pan Commissioner :. smith sal1 mat inc teSorus VI
Bellevue Hospital snOWch tnaJ laI more 100
cured In leaving the car than IN gettlng on ootru
Drunken people ana children were the CHIEF sufferers py
there not being gates on the platforms. -. ~,
John Stephenson. the car-Duder siateh Una! as lue
result of many years experience and from the lnioi-
ton he had received from eOmpaMe5 In an parts VI o
world he OF the opinion that the ony way 10 stop
the accidents to have an inciosed platform anu 10
exclude passe myers IRON adutince 10 !, run, s
The adoption OF such rlgld rule wOu,u not, hoM-
rcd largo number OF passengers 10 ~" = eS w.
quickly discovered that Il was neediu 8 70
balance the ~ smoothly or even remain
the track. On TElrdaye car tiere was 7, tb
crowded on the back platform at least 10 persons ii the
platform should De empty, lne ION W
sengers on the back the would Int IL from the
track II the gate system adopted at the present
time py the city railway companies. every car wOuld
have TO he sent the makers and remodeled 50 AS
10 preserve the balance.
MIR Butler slated that the Sixtll-ave. Company had
opeyed the orders the Board ia respect 10 cusniOns III
The cars and that all the other companies were also
the order. Ia years time there wouId not DE
"A single car the city having cushions on tts seats
President Chandler assured the representatives OF the
railroads that the Health Commissioners would care
fully examine the subject before pressing the suits
brought against them for disobcying the ordnance.