The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-01-30

UNREASONABLE
grow vastly larger than abe is now; indeed IL can
be no idle chimera TO imagine she may be the
future centre Oh the woria. surely TINS railroad
eventually be too big Tor New YORK; indeed, 1t
would not be too big Tor New York II It could be
made and finished tomorrow. 1t Is difficult to
form an idea OF the amazing progressive strides
this railroad would enable New York to take.
MY reasons Tor including Brooklyn in the rail-
road may be analysed as i0llow5:-If New York
had powerful railroad such as have described
running from the Battery northward and Brook
Ign could be apatnetic not to build railroad
to compete. In Jour or Ave years grass would be
are to-day busy with traiiic; Tor what manner OF
man would live in Brooklyn when he could not
move faster than six miles an hour when there
was city with lots OF room Tor him) within q
mile oil him, where he could travel at the rate of
thirty miles an hour. Or, suppose New York
been proposed oil late to the HERALD, and Brook
Ign, on the other nand. was enterprlsng enough
described, she would place her suburbs nearer to
the business parts Of New York than New
1orn woqr Raee onG and eonse
prevent BROOKLYN competing with New York Tor
the people, and the competition Will hencelOrth
be carried on by railroads. Is itnot BETTER then,
to recognize the fact at once, and agree with
Brooklyn on plan OF railroad that will Iced itself
(the New YORK railroad iced the Brooklyn railroad,
and the BrOoklyn railroad iced the New York rail
rOad), instead Of having discounted railroads that
will compete against each other and themselvesS
Allow me to further trespass on your space to
letter in Tuesdays HERALD. | cannot coincide
with Mr., Nasns amendment Of my pan-"to sink
the whole concern SIX or eight feet lower and save
saving '85 per cent Of actual costn on my esti-
mate is SO startling that imagine some mlsprint
enter into figures to estimate The difference Of Mr..
Nash's amendment and my plan, but l am at an
utter loss TO lOllOW MIN in his conclusions. One
palpable objection to sinking "the whole concern
SIX or eight feet lower'' Is as fol Ows In my for
mer letter estimated that the number OF pas
sengers tnat would use the railroad would he
about 100000 per year, but l endeavored
to underestimate the number. The HERALD, in an
editorial estimates "that steam cars would carry
100000 900 passengersn per annum forever Now,
taking either Of these estimates, the aggregate
muscular eXertiOn expended IN such vast numbers
descending land ascending) 'sIx or eight leet
lower" IL very material item in ejaculation,
ana Is one OF my objections to elevated railroads.
An Iron Tube shore Standardization of
Sewage.
To THE EDITOR OF THE HERALD;-
AS you have thrown open your columns for the
discussion OF the question Of "rapid transit" am
inauced to submit a plan which WILL think, meet
all the requirements OF the city, aud be ut once
cheap and practicable.
The principal objection to the construction of an
underground road is the danger to property along
the line from deep excavations. In this island the
grade of such road, constructed through the GEN.
ire Of the city, would be changeable to suit the
topography. An elevated road WILL on the other
hand depreciate the value Of propers5 besides
being nuisance and danger.
1t is necessary to adopt plan that will embrace
all the advantages with as few Of the objections as
possible. l therefore suggest an underground
shore road-thaJ is, a road running close TO the
water fronts and encircng the whole island. This
road be carried in cast iron tube, lined with
brick or artificial stone, and laid so that the road
bed would he from eight to ten feet below low
water level. Where soft or yielding ground is met
carry the tube on piles. The shell being put TO-
gether in sections can be rendered perfectly water
tight and kept SO, while the interior lining will
sst any tendency to collapse from outside pres
sure.
The iron tunnel will intercept the sewerage so
much the better and an encircling sewer must be
built which will collect the sewage matter and pre-
vent it from choking our harbOr at q rate OF de-
post OF over 1000 tons per day. This sewage
should be sold Tor manure and would bring the
city from 100000 to $1,000, QUO per annum, while
the health OF our most densey populated sections
or the city would be improved, because the waters
the sewage OF the city. Our docks are yet I'M
built and our sewage system detective. MY plan
the Improvement OF the latter and, II necessary,
all three important works can go on at the same
time.
notice that the HERALD editorially suggests the
shore route the best. The HERALD IL right,
because the new road should be built for the
accommodation OF the largest class that would use
1t, and that is resident along our river fronts
the east and west sides or the city.
The ventilation difficulty is one easily gotten
over, for every gas lamppost along the line
can be converted into a ventilator, and ALL com.
bned, would keep the iron tunnel free from foul
air. London has built quite length OF her under
ground road along the Thames Embankment, and
residents OF the strand and even OF the district
between that street and OXFORD street use the new
road New Yorks encircling ROAD would con-
venient to all parts Of our narrow island-to the
ferries, markets. &c.-and would be nearly level
throughout
have endeavOred to condense my proposition
so as not to occupy your valuable space; but
although IL is put in a skeleton form, II contains
the leading points in the plan suggested. Respect.
fully, JEROME j. COLLINS, &. +.
NEW YORK, Jan. 30 1874.