The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-04-29


Jersey. and was At his home IN shorter space Of
| timc and With greater convenience in getting there
than 70 80 to tho Central Park Or IN IKE manner h.
ull the world about HIM, breathing tho salt
sea ar or on Brooklyn Heights resa h sn n%
bells OF that good CITY, And so II came to pass that
everyone cried out with n loud voice thai We must
have rapid transit quick transit by steam, else every
body would lice The Island. Tho grass would grow
green the unlravellea streets; the houses Of the
port would DO driven to Brooklyn Hoboken and Perth
Amboy. aud Macaulay's picture OF the wild New
Bridge sketching the ruins OF ST. Paul's would be
transferred TO the smouderpg walls Of Stewards cash
house.
Various were the expedicnts devised to meet the
great emergency. Invention ran riot through the
community. Mon's heads were bursting with new
made schemes. Newspapers were enlarged IN order
that the public might DO accommodated with Their
manifested IN the history OF mankind was DIS
played. Every anxious 10 save the city,
and TO immediate himself upon the altar oil nor great
mesa While would dig down into the earth
and mako trench another would run pell.me
through the houses; another would bestraddle the
streets with iron stils another would blow The people
through the air or underground rs the case might oe
in great tube, while still another would swap
sdummyn Tor pair oil horses and get The
people up town oy ashmatict pubs Now, VIII
not pretend to pass Judgment ~ 70 whicn was the
best which tho worst OF all these contrvances
In all OF them there was perhaps something OF good
In all OF them there was something OF inconvenience
something objectionable.
Ihe question occurs, Is any ono OF them practl-
sIhe Travc or''-whch runs AFTER this fashion,
Experience tells in every SOIL
And those who think must govern those who toll
LoSDoS's UNDERGROUND SYSTEM.
Now let US think little while the toilers after
"rapid transit are at their work, and while thinking
let US gain something by experience. We ind II IN
LONDON, CITY where rapid transit" began before
we even thought OF horse railroads in our
great city. The great heart OF London is
called the "MetropolIlan District" Its boundaries
arc well Defined and thus Tar no farther" saith OF
Parliament shall steam transit 20 above tho ground.
on that boundary line you find all tho great terminal
stations, which concentrate in that rimmcnsc city
They sought 10 enter the na!owcd ground, but only
one instance was the privilege granted. A road Was
allowed the city near the old Temple Bar Tho
company WIS, however, required 10 purchase tho right
OF way. Thirty ieet on either side OF tho track
was condemned. The road cut through
blocks But who tire property was condemned 1t was
not connscated. II was by process OF law. through
ut It's full market value. Damage donc to property
not within the condemned belt was likewise paid for
determined bya jury. Tho road was built II is
called u viaduct road. 1t Is OF sofia masonry. When
completed the trains running over IL made SO much
noise that people fled tue neighborhood as
II pestenco had come among them, until
finally, by another OF Parliament, the
company compelled to take up their rails and lay
beneath them two feet OF cinacrs IN order 10 dcaden
tho sound. And thus ended elevated railroads that
city. \ more dilicult and expensive cxpedient was
then resorted TO IN order TO meet what had become
public necessity They tunncllcd beneath the ground
and thus made road TO connect the great railway
stations. And now an underground road about
are even now extending underneath
the famous London DOCKS and IN that gast VIC
lind rapid lransi; dead earnest The rails of tho
heaviest metal used Tor such purposes The iocomo-
tives sixty tons weight ana SO heavy and power
fu are they that within tho length OF tram 5U0 eet
long speed OF twenty miles the hour can DO OBJ
tanned. Between tho stations, which are from quar-
ter TO hall mile apart, they may reach speed OF
sixty miles the hour and como to q dea stand
within tho trains length.
THE COST OF TuSyELLxG.
Now, tho cost OF this tunnel winch runs underneath
rywhero-coss nearly 81, Ooo 600 per mile,
yet great is the travel through II that air divl
dead is mado on the Investment trust tho commit
VIII pardon mo Tor this digression We have seen
that elevated road, bu on solid masonry, con-
dcmned In London public nuisance, account Of
the noise by the passing trains, aud not al
loved to continue running until tnat nuisance was in
some measure abatcd. We have seen them go there
under ground. The bill before the committee pro-
against ~ In the first place IT Is said that will IN
jurc the Streets In the second place IT Will inuro tho
adjacent property; In the third place II Will interfere
VIII the sewerage. also the water and gas pipes IN
the fourth place the money cannot DO collected TO
compllshed although tho charter has been IN
existence several years and lastly my
TREND from Franklin INF. GiiDert) caps the
climax OF objection by declaring the bill unconstllu-
tionaL II any OF these objections we're true In act
would be he nrst TO condemn tho measure. But they
not true except IN th!s-that the company has
cone nothing. They have raised no money. they
have Issued no certificates oil stock as informed.
Practically The scheme stands whore " did IN the be-
ginning. But they have fallen on evil times Embar-
rassnents have besct every interest during tho
past three years. Very few enterprises here
met with encouragement, and ,hcir excuse Is vand.
This bill simply extends the charter II gives them
another chanceanoh lease OF ic. SO 10 speak. IL
gives the pubic another hope tor real rapid transit.
solid anu substantial As TO the constitutionanty OF
the measure have only TO say lhis-that am not
lawyer, while my friend from Franklin, Mr.. Gilbert,
is; and yet can tell nim what Us lawyer he ought
to know, and that Is that the Court al APP
pcss have over AMI over again. decided that to extend
charter already granted IS not 10 tall within the con-
sttutoual prohiblions And this statement no lawyer
this floor will question As Tor injury TO the street,
think has well SHOWN that nothing OF the kind
would take place. fncre would not even DC the slight
est interruption TO travel while the road was being
structcd. IL such interruption could possibly occur.
or, rather, should say, not certainly provided
against l could hardly venture 10 taco my con-
sttucnis among whom tins great highway runs
alter advocating this measure. But they do not
oppose II. No rcmonstrance comes 10 Us from the
property holders IN tho district represent IN
nny other touched by the broadway i.nc, SO lar ut
least AS l am aware. ! never yet heard any one
Broadway seriously object 10 II. Property London
not injured nor disturbed by the underground rail
ways, nor Will II be by any such road In The city OF
New YORK, where, IN consequence Oi the lcwness
OF tho streets running up and down the
Island, we must, wncn We get real, solid, rapid transit
either go Underground OF cut solid roadway through
the blocks There l. no complaint about injury TO
property along the line OF tho Fourth avenue improve
ment above Forty second street, there vs. com
plant against somewhat similar structure IN the city
OF ST. LOUIS; there Is no complaint IN LONDON, ana
alter examining the foundations OF the oflicst build
ings on broadway competent engineers have decided
that harm would DO douc even 10 the grand old
walls aud majestic spire OF fnnny Church.
TINE
Now, Mr. Chairman, Ia conclusion, ! have only to
repeat that tho projectors III this railway hero
only TO ask I'M extension of time wherein TO fuihl
thor obi cations. believe they came Ia good iath
They asked mo 10 present their petition 10 tho
scInby, and dd 30, alter carefully inquiring into
The feasibility OF such woJec. may be mistaken,
but think the work can Uc done, and that they
will earnestly and iaifiy try to do H. Give them a
chance. Tho Senate has already passed III. bl by a
vote OF 20 TO l, and do not sec nor have heard
any suicicnt reason Why We should not follow tncir
example.
A word more and have done; and FAY this word
because position with regard 10 The matter OF rapid
transit has been somewhat mi undcrstoDd. desire
say that ! am IN layor oil any and every scheme OF
rapid transit which tho people may demand, which
. capitalists viii ray Tor, anu which does interfere
with tho rghtsDl the private citizen guaranteed to
him by the constitution nni the laws
MIR. II. H. Rockwell lnsisied that thls company
never intended " build road, und 10 the London
underground road u was no more Ike what proposed
III this charter than daylight Is like darkness The