The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-01-30
Brooklyn To Unite W it'll New York in a
Grand steam Railway system.

Brooklyn to Unite W it'll New York in a
Grand steam Railway system.
JANUARY ~, 1874.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE HERALD:-
again venture to address you on the subject of
rapid transit, and feel that some apology Is due
from me- a stranger in the country, for doing so,
and therefore, plead your invitation and the TACT
that have had some little experience in design
ing and constructing railroads in both much older
aud much newer countries than America. Having
travelled considerably, may venture to express
an opinion that metropo itan steam railroads will
ere long be peculiar to the great cities OF America,
as 1t is only in America that cities are systematic
Caly laid out, and that consequently, steam rail-
roads be constructed with little destruction
to property. To repeat paragraph from my
communication which appeared in your issue OF
the 22d nst.-"It win be easy in future for sur
veyors to take example from London and New York.
and in planning out the future great cities that
destined to rise in the West, to first of all plan and
reserve the metropolitan railroad site and then
plan the confguration OF the city subordinate 10
the railroad.'
l have read all the propositions for the solution
OF the question of rapid transit that appeared
within the last few days in the HERALD, and IN
my opinion all your writer's nave fallen into the
error of sacrificing efficiency to false idea OF
cheapness. Not one OF the railroads the. nave
proposed embraces comprehensive scheme; not
one Of them Is grand trunk line not one o
mighty artery running IN the midst of a million
and q quarter Of people; not one OF them could
carry more than half the number OF passengers
my railroad could, and doubt II one OF them
would in practice carry one-fourth as many, and
not one OF them could attain more than one-half
the speed Any one of them would indirectly
destroy or seriously injure five or ten times The
amount OF property that mine would ana could
not ia to be caiamitous pubic nuisance In
addition to these objections such railroads wi!
not permanently satisfy q great people, and II
railroad Is to be but temporary one the prospec-
tive price OF old iron would be question oil sui
ncient gravity TO deter any prudent capitalist nom
Investing.
so weighty is this question of rapid transit that
am OF opinion that the eyes OF the Civilized world
will eagerly watch the steps of New YORK, which Is
predestined TO take the lead in this matter Inc
interest, however, for reasons before stated, VIII
be chiefly attracted in America. NO sooner VIII
New York have commenced to build her railroad
than the other large cities In the Union will COM
mence TO examine their own confgurati0n ana
endeav0r to discover whether 1t VIII admit OF
steam railroad Rival cities will be especially on
tue ALERT chicago will jealousy watcn st. Louis
anu ST. louis jealousy watch Chicago, and II one
mas steam city railroad the other one must. Tue
size anu shape OF New York more imperatively de-
mand rapid transit than In any city In the world,
snd sne mas oy Jar q more splendid chance OF build
Ing good paying railroad than any other CITY,
NOW, sir, beg again to advocate my views, as de-
tailed by me In your Issue OF the I'D inst The rail-
road, as there described, IL mighty artery rum
ming right through the entire length of New York
and Brooklyn q include Brooklyn advlsedly for
reasons which win presently EXPLAIN and a
railroad that VIII carry twice as many passe ers
and carry them twice as swiftly as any orner cty
railroad in the world. 1t is q railroad that NAV
branch out north OF Central Park and cast or
Brooklyn, and bring million acres of land within
an hour of the new Post Office. besides accommO-
dating most OF the internal transit OF the present
population OF New York and Brooklyn. Ii would