, 1874-04-04

no TO e1Amino Whothor
SOME OTHER METHOD
might not bo devised which wonld bo fully oqnnl
III capacity, lcBa costly, antl moro satisfactory.
It seems to 10 oloar, II tho space oyor tho
central portion Of tho roadway III tho existing
ssreotB eau DO utilized for the desired purpose,
Without serious Interference with their proaont
uHe, or injury to tho adjacont property, by
STRUCTURE not too costly, TINT plan combining
favor and adoption.
10 thls ond Devised and pntentod plan for
sustaining a douhle-traok railway
OVER THE cEHnrE OF THE STREET,
at such elevation US not. to intorforo with It's
ordinary uao, and occupying Mt tho Buriaco, by
L is evident thnt tho odgo Of the sidewalk noar
tho ourbatono ie tho loast nsoful for general pur-
poacB. Upon thla space propose to erect iron
ribs opposite each other, md meeting over the
arch. below the apox will bo placed an ollipticn1
rib, at m elevation above tho atroot, go rs moi
to intorforo with Its uEo. Connecting the two
outer ribs, aud with osher connections complete,
az competent transyorao arohod t7uss,-suoh
arohed tr,1aaeB to DO Bot up at suitable intorvals
say about 10 feet The ohlco Of these iron nrol1os
Is tho samoaa that Of tho piers Of IN ordinary
brlago,-to, sustain scriea Of Longitudinal
WY above and over tlso middle Of tho. ,atrcot.
Tho cars move on tho track above tllo elfipticnl
and undor the outor ribs before described.
When Dr.: dilbort originally proposed tho con-
employ pneumatic powor in tubes az O. meaus Of
propulsion. Aftor MY plan was devised and made
public. he adopted tho structure to support hts
pneumatic tubes over the centre Of the streetB.
Az article on that subject, accompanied by d
fnl-pago Illustration, showing tue method tllon
proposed BY Dr.. Gilbert, will be found in F,:auk
Lesle'a Illustrated Newspaper Of March, IS, 1871.
6lnco tint time, charter for what Is known as
TIE oiLnEAE noAD,
has been obtained; but tho luont1a of propulsion
mn ina If
pnounatio tnbes, tho engncs mud cars to r,n
on TRICKS supported over tho middle OF tho
street md tho whole plan, though modified In
form, embodies substantially that devised and
We now como to tho latost phase Of this aub-
joot, alluded to III tho opening OF thia article,
tho plum upon which Mr.. Vanderbilt nnks au-
thorlty to construct nm elevated road, bill to
ably reported to tho Legislature by tho Railroad
Committee as to excite sharp comment by the
ontiro pross Of Now York.
1hia plan, as proposed, is to sot up, at inter-
walls Of about 18 foot
POSTS IN THE MIDDLE or TIE ROADWAY,
to support tracks for tho pasaaGo Of englnos ard
cars. Until tllls limo, it has always been as-
sunod TINT my plan Of rapid transit must leavo
tho carriaso- way. Of the stroot entirely unob-
structed. and euginoors hayo therefore directed
their attention to doyising methods which would
secure tho epd desired without Infringing upon
this Indispensable requisite. Tho structure of
Mr.. Vanderbilt il tho first one eyor suggested
which designB to any portion Of tho carriage-
way tor tho support Of Il railroad. II is nothing
moro thnn simple trostlg-bridge (mnde Of iron,
1t is truo), Which las boon known since bridges
wero first constructed for TIC crossing Of small
streams. II such plan can bo tolerated, tho
| labor Of tho last twelve or fifteen yearH, which
was devoted to this subject, was quite uRelcsB,
| and tho delay and Inconvenience which the peo-
pie Of New York hnvo suffered wcro unnecessary.
Such road would DO cheaper. moro quickly con-
struetod, and equally efficient, rs any other
| roa1.
It ls extraordinary, to say tho 1east, that q
roat SO 1nilt should not long ago havo bean pro-
posed, it it is to be permitted therefore, must
| have been lept in tho background by sound and
obvious roaaons. Tho objections to 1t eoem to
structed along Third ayonuo over the present
Burface railroad trucks. Tho width Of the sup
ports Of n double-tracls railroad must be moro
is 60 feet, and thoro viii be loft therefore. on
oitlcr sidc Of tho hestle-tcorE less than 20 foot
in width. The
MIDDLE OF THE oARnrAdE-wAY
| Of any street is always tho part most useful ;
load, and obstruct in that part Of tue street the
| passage Of yehiccs. If tho posts or bontB to
support tho elevated road arc sot up Mt intervals
| Of 16 feet, M proposed, teams Gun cross tho
atrcot only substantially at right nnglos ,and il
s1ch crossing becomes difficult for fear Of col
| lision with tho atroat -cars. Some time ago, I
uotced tho number Of cars passing Oh Third nvc-
1ue, both WAYS, at Tifty-ninth street, and found
thom to average not less than one por minute.
This alono shows how difficult it would DO for
teams crossing to avoid collision, lan1nea in by
| posts between which they must pass. at pres
ont, teams passing use tlnt part OF the
street occupied by tho railroad-tracks, and arc
able. without difficulty, to turn off when tho ap-
| proach Of q COL makes it necessary. But il
I those tracks are to be ruin between rows oi
posts sot up on both sldes, IL foot apart, itwouc
bo difficult forany, md impossible for many, ve-
copt to mako direct and hazardous crossing.
In eiTect, it iH to giyo up onethir or more OF the
carrago-way OF thnt street entirely to railroad
uses, aud
| DESTROY 1r
for all purposes Of ordinary traffic. Tho part
thus surrendered, il iB to be observed, il TINT
tho use Of which Tor purposes OF ordinary traffic
most facilitates tue use Of tile otlor parts, the
sides, for tue purpose which thoy ALONG can Of
fect,-tho loading aud unloading OF vcholea at
| objections become still groatcr, 1,nloss, fndood,
tho street is &c nhrrow nd to bo spannel by the
\ bent6 Of tho trsstle-wnrk.
hlr. Vanderbilt is untitled to whatoyor credit
| may bo due to tho plau under consideration,
which solves the problem 30 long aud earnestly
discussed by tho o!tizons aud press Of Now York,
| aud to which civil engineorB of this aud otllor
| countries llave given 80 much attention, upou q
| wholly ttl1lefent baa1B.
The plan is
AZ ADDAOloUB
nH it is simple, anu Gnu only bo adopted
| when tho conclusion shall have boon reacAod
TINT it s necessary to Bacrlnco the usefulness OF
sono Of the streets existing to Hecnro rapd tra,s-
sit between tho parts Of the island remote from
each other. Whether tho ond to ho accom-
plshcd is Of sufficient importance to warrant the
sacritice which this plnn iuyolyes may vol be
| doubted, md ID q question which tho pooplo of
| Now York must determine for themselves.
| RICHARD T. MORGAN, JN.,
J Civil Engineer.
| a Dc1el Bctsvccn llOyB.
| FRAN tho Iaa&t HAL Gazette.
An extraordinary caso was brought before the
| Lindsey (Lnco!l,ahiro) magistrates on March Ia.