The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-02-19
j RAPID TRANSIT.
Report CT the Committee Of
Civil Engineers.
What They Consider 70 BE
Necessarily
A FEW PRACTICAL HINTS.
important Memorial Of Citizens to
the Mayor.


The question ofrapid transit for the ely OF New
fofk naturally Interests civil engineers, who
consider the matter exclusively from a practical
point OF view. Alter much discussion an the eN-
change OF ideas TIE American society OF Civil En-
sineers' special committee have prepared bulky
and exhaustive report OF the proper method OF
introducing rapid transit. We present 5, nopsIs
OF this report
PART L-RAPID TRANSIT FOR PASSENGERS.
The FIRST and most important requirement. Is
that the shall be as low or nearly As low as
upon the street railroads which run through he
city Nothing else would enable the rapid transit
roads to secure the enormous trd1ic which they
must have TO be profitable or TO euab.e
Them to OF real service 10 the general
public In 1873 the horse railroads ann omni-
buses alone carried r'y 100 600, 900 passengers
and with proper lacii ties this may be expected
to increase largely The present accommodations
are clearly inadequate, and there must be more
roads from the upper to the lower part of tue
island. The trains should run 1T high speed. but
low fares cannot be charged II an enormous bus!'
ness is not secured or If the cost OF operation
and construction be GENEROUSLY expensive. The
people OF tic city o. New York perhaps them
selves in some degree he cause OF the failure
thus far 10 devise any practicable scheme OF rapid
transit. without procuring the collection OF the
udtd upon WHICH diouc au tpiHOu SuOulu DC pdstu
they have hitherto insisted upon expensive
and onerOus requirements. Roads OF great
capacity, to be operated at high speed have been
asked for; but at the same time 1t has been
quired that locomotives should not BE- used or ii
they we're that they should be run out OF sight
and out OF hearing, and especially that they
should not run near respective individual prop
critics and that the fares should be lower per mile
than upon the ordinary railroads OF the country.
These are incompatible requirements; they have
produced plentiful crop OF imptacticable devices
TO reconcile them.
In order TO sscure rapid transit for the city OF
New York II IL necessary TO sac1i6ce TO ii some
eOnveniences and many rrejudiccs; TO furnish at
least o practicable location for the roads, free OF
charge, and to consent to sucn cheap ard sound
plans as win make It reasonably certain that the
enterprise viii! eventually pay moderate return
spon the Investment. New York capt. aists are
probably quite ready to undertake rapid transit
Under these conditions
The cost OF Transportation Is de penden, upon two
ercums tsDces-frst, the cost OF actual operation,
and second. the interest upon the capital in-
rested. Rapid transit seeks TO substitute for
pystem OF street car lines, costing, fully equipped,
about $50 coo S90 900 per mile OF double trace.
and operated by animal power. 9 cheaper mode or
PROPULSION, in connection with when the speed
shan be greatly increased, passengers shall all be
provided with seats and with lar greater comfort
Inan they now enjoy. but Tor which the fare shan
h0t be materially higher .han a, present.
Being oil the opinion, alter weighing all that has
been said aud written en- the subject. that tue
;htef Obstacle IN the way Of the construction OF
rapid transit road 10 New YORK mas been the un-
certainty which exists In the mind capitalists
b regard 10 the important question whether such
} road would be profitable. rne mmittee deemed
necessary, as preliminary basis TO ascertain
y rapid sransit roads, ana on what amount OF
capital the net revenue thus estimated would pay
1air rate OF interest. Prom the result OF these
Investigations the committee has concluded that
snch ROADS can be made to pay upon volume OF
irafac not much, II any, greater than that now
carried upon exisiinF street car lines.
From the large mass OF information gathered
me following seem TO be tie leading conditions OF
Euccess Tor rapid transit roaos IN the city OF New
Frrst-Capaety-Each road must be prepared
enSer business nan i. now done upon sny steam
railroad LII the world, save the London npder.
tround roads.
The rapid transit roads should be ,loube-tracked
over the whole Of the routes, ard be prepared 10
provide four tracks below the point where the
business gathers in sufi1cient vOiuInc G. warrant
H. IL Is not practicable 10 accommodate freight
rains over the passenger lines. although an ex
press ana mail business may be done.
.SecONd-Safety.
rhtrd-Acccssioiliiy.-N only must the roads
ana stations be 30 arranged that they shall be con-
yenient OF access from the rect. but arrange
ment must be ~ made that business shall be gatn-
cred readily rom all parts OF the city. The best
suggestion presented 10 the committee this
eubect was the proposition that this shall oe done
by . system OF cYossto1n lines or morse railroads
operated In connection with rapid transit roads.
FUurth-Cncapness OF ConstructioD.-ln order
70 economic money IN construction the right of
way must be given through tee existing sireeis.
FUN-Adequacy.-.t seeins 10 the committee
that IN planning even the first Of the rapid transit
roads It is neces AIRY 70 consider II as part o! a
general system and TO inquire what lines
likely hereafter 70 be built. II one road is success
full other portions OF the city VIII clam equal ad-
vantages, and capital may be found 10 undertake
rival roads. me topography OF the island ana It's
DIVISION into nearly equal portions on each SIDE OF
Central Para seem 10 Indicate that ~ must be
two rapid transit roads-one for The east
roads are hereafter con,tructea. It seems
that matter by whom nuilf. sucn
are likely In line 10 amasamate IN groups on each
side OF the city and TO DC operated, f possible as
q belt upon which trains VIII be run around err
cult IN both directions The lime and expense
consumed In switching and making up trains,
with the varying requirements az TO frequency
over various parts OF tue lines, might indcce
their division INTO q series OF loop lines. on winch
cars OF different colors ITO distinguish iLem), aud
having different rates o1 iare. might he run In
circuits OF such length aud win such frequency as
would be found 10 be requisite. This would truly
secure rapid transit; the trans from the upper
loops, for nstsnce, after gathe Ing their loads.
local passengers at the points or junction OF the
succeeding loops, and below certain point would
proceed at hgb speed upon independent tracks.
sirth-Krcogniiion OF Existing IL terests. The
next condition OF success seems 20 be the consider
alton and promotion OF existing interests: The
roads should be made 10 supplement-, so far as
possible. tbe existing street railroads, instead or
being III opposition 10 them. New trafic viii,
under such cirCpms ances, be developed so rapidly
that IL ~ not ~ probable the increase Of SPORT
local travel viii compensate lor the diversion Oi
through business. The present surface lines can
be made OF great use III collecting way travel Ior
the rapid transit roads especially as IL " desir-
able. IN order 10 save the time consumed in stops,
that the stations on the latter shall not be less
shan naIf a m lie apart. II seems fair, therefore,
ihat wnen = route ~ decided upon, the
control OF the improved mode OF travel
should, under proper restrictions be first offered
10 the parties now operating q surface road pom
hat m nd In . rny Ia that .l,as
railroads shall make suitable arrangements for In
terchange OF tickets. We must also recognize
that there are many miles OF rapid transit roads
built within The limits VI the city. Tue Hudson
RIVER Railroad, from Slxty-rth street TO Spuyten
Duyvil; the New York Elevated Railroad, the
Fourth avenue Improvement or the Harlem Rail-
road. the SpuyteD Duyvil and Port Morris and the
Harlem and Port Chester, IA well as she railroad
IN mn al