, 1874-05-14

10 tho Editor gf ths CHICAGO Tribute:
Sin: Kcop tho subject before tie people
Lot tha matter bc we'll discussed. Let people
have thoughts and let them think on the matter
Of rapid transit through the City of Chicago
for this fs what 1t must come to. We want TINT
plan which is best adapted for Ohioago,-and
Chicago must have some rau by which her peo-
pie can got rapidly through her streets to dis
tant parts Of tho city as surely as that Chicago
keeps on In her march Of progress with tho
march of civilization. This is tho epoch Of
groat growth OF cikles, 80 that great citios are
moro aud mora to make up tho social ooulblna-
tons.
Mr.. T.. q. schoiiela'u suggestions may DO
valuable, ,--ccrtainly worth looking at. But ho
eeems, us many othors who havo written on
transit in cities, and nbout straet-railways aud
ono truck ways, and elevated and suspended
waya, not to have kept up properly tue distinc-
tion between ordinary traffic, aud rapid traffic.
It iB worry dihoront matter to provide mems Of
travel through city ut a more horae speod than
steam rail way speed. Now VIC hAve in various
ways.-the horse on the wood paving, the bus
and tho Rtreet.cara,-Hpeed as great aH will bo
nllowod whom 1t has to encounter the thronR in
tho street. To have rapid transit, wo must haye
it equal ut lcast to twenty miles to the hour.
Hero is where Mr. 6choheld's p}an will
probably, fail. 1t cannot be made, practicable
necessary to fill tho ordor for rapid transit. Il
is not 30 susceptible to utility in this line as tho
plan OF e1oyated-way over tue centre Of the
ntrect. There certainly the noiBo aud rumble Of
the rapid trim, overhead. will not be tolerated.
Here under the walks, with the thin paving az
sounding-board. tho noiBe will bo, four-fold-
| more like perpetual thunder. Tho space il con-
fined, and the concusston Of the atmosphere
will be great and the vibration fearful; aud,
al, %ho pInf ~ f,,st1
inga and glaHs windows, 30 that no modern style
Of construction would long stand 1t, the sound
would 60 up from tho openings through the
whole building like rushing tornado. Woshail
allow sncl . commotion overy few minutes per-
potually i'll front Of md under their promises.
Besides, this plan is only repetition Of the Ar
cade Bchane alluded to BY Mr.. Morgan, with less
ornamentntion and aGaptabiity.
Some people think guch an elevated way
would bs tolerated over the sidewalks or tho
curb lino, something like tue Greenwich streot-
track. But property-owners will not permit
such rush and dash Of a fyiug train past the
front windows OF their upper stories, either Of
their fashionable residences or places Of husi-
.neH8,
Tho fact is, We must in this discussion keep
constantly In mind what must bc ondurad with .
fast traiu, compared with what we may and do
endure with the. street-car speed on Or over
many streets. Theao arc bad enough.
It will be found that the eu1less cable. drawn
By stationary power to 10 clutchod By clamps at
totally lmpracticable. Tho cable could not be
run 1t that speed, and If It could b. the rush Of
one car into another, In their various attempts
to hold on mud lot go, would produce collisions
innumorablo. The endless chalu cable would
be good doytco for tho speed Of tho strest-car
and at TINT speed tho surface Is safest aud best.
The faot Is, il ne would hhye rapid transit
through our city--the timo ID fast coming when
We must have it-then wo must havo it in
the most practical way possible. There will
10 diGiuulttDa to DO overcome; but VIC must can
did!y face the difficulties. Generally VIC can toll
before We begin a projecs ii we sot reason to
aud what will not.-wl4at will DO allowed and
what will not, In nine cases out OF ton, money
spent on experiments has proved nothing moro
than What might have been proved BY Analyatt
or analogy, without Wasting tho money IN the
experiment. III this IL the Hecrot OF the true III.
yontor he knows what is wanted, what is practl,
cable, aud what will work, when his mind IL put
to tho task OF deylsiug.
We must then have THO public street, and con
daInn it ~ tho ateam railways lloT do, ana stick
to tha surface; or get up where tho road will be
out OF the way. for to got down below tho EUR
city. Our bascments will not givo us undol
the sidewalks moro than eight foet safely, ami
then at tllat no 1nuAt cut all Kas and water ppet
md sewerage drains at tho croHH streats1 tAt
sewerage plpoH cannot be ol,t, or bent, or de-
pressed ut tho CROSSINGS, for It would make {
placs, of depohit OF a!l heavy substances tha
would koon ohoka up tho drail!s. Shall we tle1
60 over the public streeta. Or condemn . eerie'
Of lotB, or tako tho alleya7 70 those thro.
points or Lines are we forced for tue essential,
rapid tranBit. But practically, for tue timo being
oannot We get from tho streets all thu nccoBBi
ties that grow from them, by improving thoa'
NO have, In way to bring out their greatsa