The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-01-22
RAPID TRANSIT.


Mr.. Charles Minton Gives His Views Of
Rapid Transit.
WEST NINBTERNrH STREET,,
NEW YORK, JAM q, 1874 !
To THE EDITOR or THE HERALD:-
The will OF the people ID the law Of the land but
II the people Will not exercise their VIII "tne cor
rupt schemes OF the lobby and the greed OF legis.
lators" mentioned In your article yesterday will
prevent New York and Brooklyn having what they
can have and what they need. viz, the best met
ropoliran railr0a0 In the world. Tue citizens of
New York and Brooklyn sorely need an eiflcient
and comprehensive metropolitan railroad, but
they are helpless for want Of q disinterested,
powerful and energetic leader. You, SIR have the
issue appear to be inclined to exercise that power
for the benefit Of the people. only landed here
ior tne nrst tune lew months ago. and have no
and the greed OF legislators and my ideas are un.
BIASED, so that nave endeav0red to describe q
the citizens can only be led to decide on @ thor
oughly efficient scheme and only one-fourth of the
money can be raised amongst siem as guarantee
ness OF the undertaking, London and Berlin cap
ltalists would soon subscribe the remainder. As
far as Brooklyn iS concerned, all the assistance the
railroad would require from her would he that her
citizens used the road and patd their iares.
20 sss
AN EFFICIENT METROPOLITAN RAILROAD THE BEST
n0DR OF COMMUNICATIONS.
Nothing but q thoroughly eflctent metropolitan
railroad can make communication what 1t ought
event" It was easy after the example , cot Of the
crooked, narrow streets Of the cities OF the Old
World-ln some Of which cities one might spend
weeks in learning ones way ab0ut-tO build
American cities With straight, broad aud hand
some thoroughfares, so systematically laid out
sna q once learn his way sn about viii
De easy In future for surveyors to take example by
London ana New t Yo,k, and IN planning out the
West TO first or all plan and reserve the metro.
politan railroad site and then pla9 the Sonhgura-
1n Of sns & % Sne
as. ss e 5fsM kAIfRoAD scHESss. '''' -'A
ss Tae Yt 5s sas raw nonS r 1s
road, and Whatever scheme is eventually adopted
should be an efficient one. because. II an Inferior
railroad 10 made In New York that viii materially
tighten the present pressing necessity for an er-
cient railroad, 1t win in all probability keep away
an efficlent one forever. Of course leave such
road out OF the question, not that wish to dspar-
age 1t, but because II is not calculated to mate.
rally influence the passenger trafac OF the city.
Az well might one set to work to empty barrel
with teaspoon as attempt to materially influence
the tradic by such style Of railroad Under
ground railroads and aerel railroads should be OPP
posed by New Workers. and 80 should any other
railroad that has but two tracks. metropolitan
railroad IN New York with but two tracks would be
very inefficient, because 1t cannot accommodate the
majority Of the people. The great desideratum in
passenger railroad Is speed and trains cannot run
three minutes unless they all run at the same
rate of speed II the stations are at short intervals
apart nothing approaching good speed can be OBJ
tained because OF the frequent stOppages and II
at long intervals apart the line Is nearly useless
for those not IN the vicinity Of the scattered sta
lions. 1 rtf I
THE METROPOLITAN RAILROADS OF LONDON
In many OF the great cities and towns OF England
uoorsr casses the
the great city OF London almost the entire pOpula
ton OF it's central districts emigrates en- ,nasse
from all points of the compass on the following
morning. The metropolitan railroads or London
s LII a @ place ey
one descending several nights of steps before the
cars can be reached. In the second place they are
mediate vicinity Of the station, one might
almost as well take horse car or
Or the psSs as ne% %
direct TO or from the centre u the city with the
exception that there should have been two up and
two down ines-the two outer lines for slow trains
and the two inner lines tor express tratns-the
LONDON metropolitan railroads are as efiicient as
run trains on the surface and right through the
centre OF London, Mcause people travel to the
centre Ofthe city from oil points Of the compass,
and one straight railroad would only accommodate
small fraction Of the inhabitants. 1t "a thus EVIL
don and the general ineficiency Of It's many miles
OF metropolitan railroads, the prosperity OF
the London metropolitan railroads must neces-
sariiy be far inferior to the prosperity OF an eff
Gent New York railroad, where the conHguration
OF New York. and OF Brooklyn in relation to New
York, admits Of one short powerful railway monop.
olzing the whole of the metropolitan railroad
traic, and monop0iizing it, as far as human fore
sight can Judge. for all time to come.
THE AMERICAN PATTERN OF OAR UNSUITABLE FOR
CITY RAILROADS.
Now beg to propose what consider an EN-
ctent metropolitan railroad for New York and
Brooklyn First OF all 1t is necessary that the cars
should be after the European style. The reasons
are manifold and manifest. First-Space Is precious
on metropolitan railroad, and the European Car
Is constructed SO as to accommodate q much larger
proportion OF passengers, relative to Its sixe than
the American car. Second-It is necessary to keep
the trains as short as possible consistent with
great carrying accommodation as platform room
on metropolitan railway Is very costly; hence
the platform az each end OF the American car is OBJ
jectfonable. Tnird-On metropolitan railroad the
trains stop frequently at stations; hence It is ne
expeditlously; one door at each end, as In the
American car IL insufficient for the necessary ex.
pedition. Fourth-The American .pattern Of
railroad. The freedom Of movement enjoyed on the
politan railroad because the journey is too short
be irksome. The cars on the railroad propose
would pass under 2lo bridges and It s most essen;
traffic that these bridges be kept as low as possible
It Is thus obvious that the American pattern Of
DC as the European would be on the Pennsylvania
Central Railroad. Should however, suggest that
the cars have sliding doors similar 70 the horse
cars as being preferable to doors which open out
wards on hinges, as In she European car.
WHAT WOULD BE AN EFFICIENT RAILROAD FOR NEW
YORK.
The railroad propose would commence at l45th
street, or az much further north OF 145th street as
might be deemed expedient, between Eighth and
Ninth avenues, passing through the blocks about
fifty or 100 feet rom and parallel to the western
sidewalk of Eighth avenue. Prom this point 1t
would run in 0 straight line to Fifteenth street,
making six and half miles OF perfectly straight
track on which 1t would be possible to atari trains
every Few minutes and run them with iacil.
ity and SAFETY At the rate Of thirty
miles an hour. The track would then
curve between Fifteenth and Fourteenth streets,
and pass diag0naly through the blocks on the west
side and parallel to Greenwich avenue, curving
slightly TO the east 1t would pass through the
blocks between Eighth and Ninth streets, and
crossing University place would curve to the south
ward, and crossing washington place would pass
through the blocks between Greene and Mercer
streets, and proceed in direct line and parallel
| with broadway to the Battery. Here the line
would curve to the east and run on to long wharf,
| and the passengers would proceed by ferry to
! the Brooklyn side, where train would be waiting
| ON lOu0 wharf he and