The New York herald., 1875-02-13
RAPID TRANSIT.

THE CIVIL ENGINEERS REPoRT-THE CAUSE OF
DIsAGREEMENT-THE ALDERMANIo COMMIT
TEE
1t looks now as II the report OF the Committee OF
the American Society OF Civil Engineers Will not
be given to the public through the newspapers
for several days. There has been considerable
time consumed In revising the proofs OF the docu-
ment, that was not expected to be lost There are
so many figures embraced In the report, and
they represent so many tedious and careful cal
culations that the committee would not feel com.
Portable If the types should mar them. The docu.
ment then, will not be ready for publication until
next week. 1t is somewhat unfortznate that the
officers OF the society nteriered with It's prepare.
tton for publication just before the late meeting
OF their association. II the members OF the
committee had been allowed to continue
the work they had then begun to do
upon their manuscript 1t would have been sent
to the printer very soon after the society's meet.
ing, and the substance OF the report would have
been known to the public al q time when it's in.
terest In the discussion OF rapid transit was most
lively. There Is shrewd suspicion that the ac-
ton OF the officers OF the society and that of the
society Itself were dictated by selfshness. And
this suspicion is given color by the statements
contained in letter written by Mr.. Richard H.
Buell., member OF the Civil Engineers,
week. 1t will be remembered that tho society re-
fused 10 discuss the report OF the Committee on
Rapid Transit on the ground that il was improper
FOR the association to pronounce opinions upon
local engineering problem thas IL discharged the
committee. ana determined merely to print the
report as means or revenue to the
society. The reason OF all this is iound in the de.
sire OF the society not TO run counter to the plans
which any oil It's members may have made and
published, to accomplish rapid transit. Mr.. Buell.
speaking OF the refusal OF the society to cemmit
itseI TO the conclusions oi Its committee, says:-
nripaI auta ainpt
sened at tho last meeting OF the society were as fol-
l. The individual members Of the society arc engaged
in constructing, designing ana snperintendng great
body; 70 pronounce an opinion upon the work OF any
ea That they are having saDs %h
the - Water ah WORKS saii speaker II wonder how
cietyl would like the society to investigate his busi-
ii. Probably there not ten in the society who
equd q npSn ps or & aa transit 50 So int
In aSn IN 70 the the oDan 5 or % l. m1 % be
body devise better plan snsineerns eI ns
rs RsSpo,s& ase HsvdSn na
s" BY not iS d s
pnialion Of the society or 70 the Of the
demn plan that Is Inadequate or unduly expensive
cey Il would seem advsaSc 10 obtain tie 81 semen a mt
Of ali the members throughout the country regard to
1t certainly Is strange, ir the argument Is cor.
rect. that not ten men in the Society OF Civil Eng-
0eerS COuu agree upon pan lot Tdplu IranSlt.
Especially Is 10 strange when the aifncuity Is
looked at In the light shed upon 1t by the state
ment, agreed IN by many Of the best engineers, IN
Society OF Civil Engineers, that the building
OF o rapid transit railway would employ only
But the argument cannot he true. II the Individual
members Of the society were all relieved OF those
minds by the advocacy OF particular scheIues
for rapid aey nope ,oo@ to
ing among them that 'local engineering prob
lens" are things which they ought to discuss
and they would feel that 1t Is within their pro-
vince to command simple, practicable plan for
the accomplishment Of rapid transit. Thus they
the hands ol c"ar!atans and DO grand service TO
the city.
yesterday :-"Th,s mater OF building rapid
transit railway must be taken away from the wild
scnemers. There must be 10 WORK done by 'prac-
always ruin. They always put more strain
upon supports than the latter can bear
continually, and nnally there comes q crash
The rapid transit railway Will have TO be built
oil roD and II must be constructed under the SUI
pervision of an educated engineer VINO knows
lust now mucn weight can TIC put upon iron with
cOntlnuai freedom IRON accident Now "A pracu
cal man Will usually put upon iron posts as much
weight as they can bear, While an engineer VIII
only subject them TO Onesixtn OF the strain they
can bear for a time. Beside- this. practical men,,
and not all the lOrce OF mathematical reasoning
can throw a rider from sucl a seat. The rapid
transit railway ought TO be built Tor the use on 1t
OF moved by motor that we know all
about-that is steam. II, when the railway Is In
use, some motor less expensive and equally
powerful 'caa DC used, why, take advantage OF 1t
then. Bat our railway must not he con-
structed with view to trying on
1t a motor OF whose capabilities we Know moth
Ing. In one case we are certain OF success. In an
there might he failure, and alter that rapid
transit would he kept from the city for years.n
The Aldermanlc Committee on Rapid Transit
have not held "a meeting since their public meeting
last Wednesday; hut Mr.. PurrOy, the chairman,
states the committee Will hold an executive meet
ing on Monday aud will probably have their re-
port ready by Thursday next.