The New York herald., 1875-09-24
RAPID TRANSIT.
THE MODIFIED ARCADE" PLAN ADVOCATED
BEFORE THE COMMISSION


BEFORE THE COMMISSION.
The Rapid Transit Commissioners held a somewhat
prolonged meeting yesterday. There were present.
besides the Commissioners, Commodore c. X Garrison,
Judge John X. Porter, William Foster Sanford E.
Church, Jose Navarro, Alfred Specr William S Scott
W. F. Brooks, james c. Travis, Richard Morgan and
Peter Cooper Mr. Travis submitted the model of
metal suspension arch, and Walter +. Brooks was
heard by the consulting engineers in regard column
of his invention Mr. Cooper was present as the advo-
cate of Speer's moving sidewalk arrangement but he
said that for road carry both passengers and freight
he favored the depressed modified arcade road
advocated by Melville C. Smith, one Of its
original projectors. Mr.. Smith, Friday
last, made the opening argument in favor
of this plan before the Commission He was
then requested with his friends and continue
his argument Wednesday, which he did. In con-
Guiding hs address he introduced II. c. Gardner
known the advocate of the New York Warehouse and
Railway BILL to finish the chain of reasoning in favor OF
his scheme Accordingly Mr.. Gardner given the
floor yesterday and he occupied almost the entire
sion in the delivery of his argument The following s
the substance of his remarks:-
Upon the construction of railway for the transport
taton of both freight and passengers by within
city limits depends the commercial and material pros
perIty OF New York andthe health aud morality of Its
the crowded streets has diverted than one-hali
of her trade to other cities. This falling OF in
trade and the long distance between homes and
places of business have deprecated the value OF prop
erty and crowded poor into pestilenta tenement
houses where the death has reached one in nine
teen, while Murray Hill il only one in sixty The
densey populated district in London in 1sGo was
less than 176 600 the square mile while in New York
the population 900 900. The Council Public
Health in their report Of 1864 say:-The elements OF
public discord gathered in these wretchedly con-
structed tenant houses, where poverty disease and
crime find aboden The object and purpose of the
law creating your Commission were to remedy these
evils You have selected route for the proposed rail-
ways, and now you are To agree upon plan Of con-
strucon You have to aid you the results of the abors
undertaken by the Legislative Commission IN 1866
That commission was instructed TO examine and report
upon the charters government and general management
OF railways both elevated and underground and their
effect upon the property along the routes They
reported IN the strongest favor Of
the underground roads saying that they presented
the only speedy plan lot he present and prospective
wants of the city OF New York in the OF safe
cheap and rapid transit Of persons and property"
Mr. Melville Q. Smith has devoted years to this
subject and has received the professional opinion of
score OF eminent engineers on the subject among
whom were W. j. McApine and General Mcclellan,
and they all express their unqualified approval his
plan. From the Battery to Harlem by THIRD avenue
the distance is nine miles The surface OF the street
has a maximum grade OF not less than 120 feet TO a
mile Along this line transport IS required for least
80 passengers year and more than 100 600 600
miles year passenger travel This travel divided
into 80 900 600 way travel aud 20 600 through travel
The through travel'' is crowded into three hours in
the morning from the upper part of the city down and
three hours in the evening from the lower the upper
part Of the city Thus we have only hours per day
TO transport 20,0OOO00 passengers year. II they
allow the trains to three minutes apart wo have
twenty trains hour, 12O trains per day,
and with 500 passengers per train have CO. 900 per
day and fully Is, 900, 900 passengers year To
average rate of twenty miles per hour including
stops, must run thirty miles an hour between tho
stations To haul these trains twenty miles an hour up
the grades along the line will require engine of
least thirty tons weight Experience the London
roads proves that IN order to make this com
paratvely level grades requires engines OF fifty
in weight. With less speed than that will not have
rapid transit Here we have made provision for way
is of even greater Importance to public interests than
that Of passengers An elevated road constructed of
iron capable Of sustaining this weight-thc engine,
number and weight Of trains and rate OF speedw cost
more than ST. 600 600 per mile while this modified ar
cade road, under consideration will appear, from
the details Of the report before yOu 10 less than
$500 600 per mile The London Underground Railway
in 1874 transported a. us 225 passengers II but six
miles long Ours will be nine miles.
To elevate the road the tracks the surface OF
the road would destroy its utility. The engines and
trains running AZ high rates Of speed directly the
horse would righten the horses and make II ex-
tremoly uncomfortable for passengers The structure
would be offensive 10 the eye and the cang and catter
fact, nuisance. The construction OF this modified
arcade would employ more than 10,0O0 aborers and
mechanics Of New York for moro than a whole year.
while the elevated iron road would be the iron.
works Of Pennsylvania In short every interest Of the
city demands the construction OF this road with its
tracks on the solid earth.
Mr. Sanford H. Church made a few remarks in
support Of Mr. Smiths plan, and the Commission ad-
journed I'LL to day II is said that Commodore Wander
bit Is strongly in favor OF this plan.