The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-03-18
4 SUGGESTIVE AND REMINISCENT CoRRE-
SPONnENT
sPONpENT.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE HERALD
continue to read with interest your articles
relating to the question OF "Rapid Transit" Your
advocacy OF an extension OF the Greenwich street
Elevated Road to Forty.fourth street and through
Forty-fourth street east 10 the Grand Central
depot is worthy OF serious thought. To be sure
such an extension would be but small instal.
ment OF rapid transit Still 1t would be an 'ins.al.
ment," and would act as an incentive to the erec-
ton OF other roads, elevated OF otherwise. An
other point worthy of consideration in this matter
Is that the work Of carrying the Elevated way to
the Grand Cent trail depot would occupy out short
time. and If commenced soon an opportunity
would be given to test the experiment during the
coming summer. This, however though good In
Itself, should not seriously interfere With the main
question OF rapid transit namely-"How to reach
the City Hall or the Battery by a steam road
direct from the Grand Central depotG" the
answer TO my mind is plain. 1t is simply this, cX-
tend the tracks Of the New York and Harlem
Railroad south on the line indicated in ne
Vanderbllt charter. as surve, ed, laid out aud It's
cost estimated by the late Isaac Z. BucKhout.
l was amused IN reading ia tie HERALD this
morning the remarks OF a Mr.. Morell, mace ar q
meeting of the subscribers to the "dcterred ca pi.
tai lund," &c. This gentleman must DC an 'au-
thority" on the subject OF rapid transit Speaking
OF the line Of railway as alluded to IN the Vander-
bit charter he positively asserted MAT 1T could
not he built y "tnat 1t was imperative" &c. NOW,
. in opposition to the 'wise saws' OF Mr. Moreil, we
saying that the road could not only be built. but
built at reasonable cost; and have little doubt
but that 1t would nave been an accomplished TACT
at this time II the Commodore had been allowed
10 proceed with the work OF construction IN good
their surveying instruments Ill the City Hail PARK
TO locate and lay out the site .or the passenger
station house intended to have been erected
there, than oostructlons were thrown IN the way
and others s ,s The proceedings Of the
particularly the resolutions introduced
by Alderman Conover. Property owners, too,
when the line was located Through the block.
from the Bowery and Bayard street to Centre
street, neac the CITY Hall PARK, demanded enor
nous damages, when they knew very well that
instead OF the road proving damage to them
that Its construction wouIu nave enhanced the
value OF their property one hundred old But
they thought they saw Il cnance Of blceding the
Commodore Mr.. Vanderbilt was also obstructed
In ms operations by the deunct metropolitan
Underground Railroad Company" whose officers
claimed that their charter gave them the right to
all the ground under the city Hail PARK. and that
there. The Underground Company also claimed
exclusive rights III the vicinity OF Union square.
1t seems o me that the first step to be taken in
order TO secure direct rapid transit railway
from the Grand Central depot 10 the Battery is
Ing all cnatlers heretofore granted to rapid Transit
companies, either Tor Underground or elevated
ways. IN the city of New York. then to renew the
Vanderbilt charter, with whatever amendments
or changes may be deeme advisable by a BOARD
of competent. professional men. Let Tue moor
porators IN the new or Amended charter be men
OF known wealth. integlty and abIlity-such as G..
Vanderbilt, A. T. stewart, Mr.. Astor, Lewis b.
Brown, Jonn j. crane, Robers Hoe, Gouverneur
Morris, Lewis G. Morris, William d. Ogden, Peter
LOrllard, &c.
The means to be raised by subscription or bv
whatever plan or system the lncorpoiators NAV
in their Judgment, tnlnk best to meet the exigen.
cies OF the case. The work to be done under q
commission somewhat similar that under
whose direction the great work known as The
Fourth avenue improvements" is now being car
RED Oh. Ii the several companies whose roSds
now terminate at the Grand Central depot can he
induced to become parties 10 the construction OF
the Underground road down town so mucn the
better. The project would then be sure to sue
coed.
In conclusion beg you to call on the Legisa-
ture to clear on all the ''ruDbish'-to repeal all,
the old rapid transit charters except that OF the
Greenwich street Elevated), and let us have "A
new departure'-sOmetnlng similar to that sug-
gested above by JACK SMITH.