The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-02-10
Rapid Transit.

The committee of the Society of Engineers
are discussing the question of rapid transit.
This is another step in the discussion which
we trust will bear fruit in the achievement of
feasible and perfect plan. We have had
committees in the House and Senate, public
and private meetings of citizens, Message
from the Mayor, more discussions in the
Board of Aldermen, inventions without num-
Der, experiments ct home and abroad. The
opinions of General Graham we print to-day,
and inasmuch as the problem is one Of prac-
teal engineering we should look with interest
for the conclusions of the Society of Engineers.
Our hope is that this body will give us some
thing practical, some real. tangible point that
will satisfy the wishes of the general public
who will use the line and of the financial public
who will build it We say the financial pub
lie, because it is clear that any rapid transit
scheme whatever will cost good sum of
money. To be successful it should offer
capitalists a reasonable assurance that the
investment will pay. This financial problem
makes US question the wisdom of any
plan which involves the purchase of costly
real estate or rights of way. The burden
of this expenditure would destroy the value
of any facilities supplied by existing rail-
ways. successful rapid transit road will
not be one plan or another We have little
doubt when the road is built it will be an
elevated railway, viaduct, depressed road
and tunnel, as the peculiar formation of this
island is such that we do not see how any
road can be built that will not assume each of
these forms. Nor can we have successful
road that ignores the shape and natural fea-
lures of the island. We must remember how
our population is distributed. There are two
great divisions-one tending toward the Hud-
son and the other toward the Harlem. We
cannot ignore one for the other. For this
reason we question the wisdom of what is
called backbone road, with its ribs of side
lines. A successful road must recognize the
habits of our people Our business men
ebb and flow like the tides in our
harbor, and the facilities that would BE-
ample for carrying passengers ct noon
would be inadequate in the morning and after
the banks are closed. No road could long re-
main solvent unless it could accommodate ell
lOe UruVeI 10 UO ILLS SuCCcSSiutly tucTc
must be succession of trains so close to one
another as to be almost continuous, con-
sideration that evidently points toward cars
and engines that shall be lightly constructed.
We must also remember that we have kind
of rapid transit on the east side from Forty
second street, and another on the west side
higher up. The effect of these fragmentary
lines on the property beyond the city limits
sufficiently illustrates view Of the rapid
transit question. In the convenlences they
offer there is deeply iorcible argument in
favor of steam railway extension to the City
Hall and the Battery
These are the different points upon which
we are anxious to hear from the engineers.
AS we have said, the first question is that of
engineering; the second, of finances. II
good, substantial and cheap road can be
planned m oney will be found to build it.