The sun., 1878-12-10
EXTENDING THE Easr SIDE RoAD.
Through from the battery TO YorkvIpc In
Thirty-four Minutes.

Two gentlemen, a station agent, and n
boy mounted the slippery stairs Of tho tenn
porary station Of the New York Elevated Rail
road at Eighty ninth street. lighted tho Ian
terms. swept or tho snow, aud then waited for
the first train that was TO run ovort tho extension
from Sixty-sovcnth street. The train started
from tho Battery station at 81 A. NJ. and was
due at Eighty-nlnth street at G:0i. 1t came
rattling down tho hill, all hidden except
the headlight by great banks Of steam
which the dampness OF tho atmosphere caused
to settle heavily around the cars and drew up
with jerk precisely on time. Three or four
passengers got on. two Of whom were from tho
Battery. tho first to take rapid transit to York
villc. and there woro five or six waiting to take
tho train down. Thirty-four minutes was re-
gardod MS a liberal time allowance FOR the six
miles between tho Battery and Eighty-ninth
street. especially uu trips. for the pretty stiff
down grade beginning at about Seventeenth
strectwll carry the trains along at a high spoed
with the steam shut of from the cylinders. and
the chief engineer says that the time can be cut
down to thirty minutes. Passengers began to
throng the platform by the time the third up
train arrived ut tho station and the ticket
seller at tho little aperture was asionished,
he aicrward said, to see how many Norkyille
residents were taking advantage OF tho first
opportunity to get down town inside Of half nm
hour, In fact. before O'Clock the trains were
running 10 some OF the stations above Eurty-
second street uncomfortaby nlled. and six
extra trains. were put on. These six reprc-
sent the additional number accommodated
yesterday above StXty-seventh street. which
was tho uptown terminus before yesterday.
But did not look 10 the officials as though six
would be enough. rumor had spread in
1orkville that fares to and from all stations
above SiNty-sevcnth street were TO he ten and
fifteen cents instead Of five and ten rs now. but
that proved TO be unfounded. The fares are to
be the same whether you ride from Chatham
square TO Canal street or from the Battery 70 the
Harlem hlyer. There are two stations between
seycnty-sixth and one at Eiehiy.fourth.
>, The section between Eighty ninth street and
Harlem Bridge is far enough completed TO be
ready for the tracks, and tho contractors be-
eve that thoy can be laid so that the first train
Tom thS Bridge h to he Battery can be run on
The Metropolitan Elevated Railway has IN
elaborate system OF switches and double tracks
nt It's downtown terminus which Is pulling
for passengers TO understand. but which the cx-
perienced dcspatchers and sgnalmen on tho
road manage with perfect ease. .south-bound
trains are switched on middle track and re-
switched to tho up track when the passengers
alight at the Rector street station. and other
passengers going up town take their places In
tho cars. Tho locomotive is detached, aud il
passes into the yard below tho station while
another locomotive is waiting on the track just
each train passes out of the station going up
town. another locomotive comes out of the
yard on the up track and follows TO tho wait
ing spot, In readiness TO couple 10 the next
trnin. Tho switching reswitching uncoupling.
and recoupling are done In rapid succession,
only few seconds capaing between each act.
As the down train due at Rector street at I :23
A. VI. yesterday reached tho last switch to the
up track. II struck waiting locomotive and
both were IN imminent peril Of toppling into
the street. Tho passengers wore Considerably "
shaken up aud scared, but no one was hurt.
saw that collision was inevitable in time 70
check his speed. As II was. the cab OF the walt
ing locomotive was badly smashed, and there
was delay OF thirty-Seven minutes IN the run
ming OF the down trains.