The Cairo bulletin. [volume] (Cairo, Ill.) 1872-1878, 1874-01-28
THENEW YORK ELEVATED RAIL
ROAD.

Tho Railrosd Gazette for January
Twsnty-sour gives an interesting eccoun.
Of the New York Elevated Railroad, from
its inception 70 its present comple!enoss,or
rather incomple.eness 30 far as regards lis
inAdsquateness TO at!ording rapid transit
TO comparatively moro than very few
Of the population Of the great metropolis.
The plan Of tho road was
originated by Mr.. &. 7.
Harvey and the charter for its. cous.rac-
ton grsntedin 1867. The Ars. halt mile
OF the road was erected on Greenwich
street, from the Battery to Dey stveet,srd
was completed in 1863. 1t was afterwards
sxtsaded to Twentieth street in 1910, hut
upon e1psrimentilg upon ths plan pro-
posed to propel the cars, 1. was found to-
tally imprscticable and a failure In every
way. This plan was 10 cure ondlosS chains
or cables, worked by stationery engine
tor moving the trains After this fail
uro those who had con.sibussd lar-a sums
towards its construction los, confidence in
the. prejs2t, and tho roa! wGs finally
placed in the hands Of trustees and u..!-
,nate'y sold under foreclosure or mortga-
- held by various parties. A new con-
psny was then Organized called the New
York Elevated Railroad company,
with capital Of ten million
dollars of which eigh. hundred
thouAand dollars is sait 20 have
been paid up. Meanwhile the wire-rope
system had been abandoned and removed,
And light four wheel engine had been
constructed and placed on the road. THIS
proved 30 successful that the company
commenced transporting passengers April
Twentieth, 1871. The road rapidly gained
IN favor, so tbs. more engines and cars
wa,s needed.
After the failure Of the wire-rope sy,-
Ten, the road became q standing otjec, Or
sidiculs. II wAs obvious that there werc
grave defects in its construction. The
supporting columns consisted Of iftecp-
inch PheuiI columns, which were made
with two curved branches at the top, like
the limbs Of tree. These It soon Gp-
psarsd, we're very weak, and were a. once
sngthsned with braces. Lac. year The
company dstsrmined 20 improve on tkc
asst plan employed, and erected another
section q the upper end of the line, ez
tending from Thieie,h to Thir.
ty- fourth street. TIE new
plan was gratifying success
and from . road which was universally
pronounced a complete failure hss dov.'.
opsd line which is steadily growing
public favor, and has clearly demons.-s.
ted the prac.icabiii.y Of roads bull. ~
this sy,ten. This has bosn done 500
quietly. and although trains have bos
runaipg regularly for nearly three years
alarge. proportion Of the people ia New
York are still ignorant Of that fact.
The rnsnner in which the new portion
Of thu line 70 built ia thus described bv the
'RAilsaAa Gszssis
ItesnsisA Of columns formed out Of four
round, soiid wrought-iGon bars four
and shall inchesin diatnsIer These ara
ere attached TO a heavy foundation plate
bolted down 10 foundation Of masonry
A. the top the wrought-iron bars are ben,
outward into four branches two Of which
are for lateral support, and Two Tor Iougi
tudipsl stiffness. The four bars are lic1
together with wrought-iron bands Of tn,
neck Of the columns, or just below ID,
point from which the bars begin 10 branci
outward, and slso At the top. Those col
unna are placed from Thirty 10 sixty feel
npart and the roadway between ID sup
ported on two wrought.iron grindors esct
formed of two tweiye-inch chlrnel bars
These are trussed at the stree, crossing
but not In the shorter spans. The Sta
lions are usually placed over tho stree
dressings with Jths s,nirs leading Gowr
The cross street.
Tho length Of the limo is now four n.ile
and the equipment Of The read consists 0
four engines and ten cars. The hight
Of the track above the stree. crossing il
in NO place less than fourteen feet. III
company runs eigbty-two trains oyor tht
road sactday and the faro for all Dis
ssncss ID tan cent?, j. has been in opera