The New York herald., 1878-12-18
A Remedy Much Needed.

Morning and evening there are hours
when the rush of passengers to the rapid
transit trains overtaxes the proper carrying
capacity OF the roads under the present ar
rangemehts and leads to the dangerous
crowding of the cars. 1t is not easy to deal
with this difficulty, especially on the east
side line, which is not yet open to Harlem
Bridge, unless the companies are willing to
afford increased station accommodation and
to furnish extra trains. There are several
points along the road where central tracks
could be laid which would afford facilities
for the operation of special trains that
would carry off the crowds that col
lect at some Of the way stations during the
crush" hours. This system is attempted to
be put in practice by the starting Of train
from Franklin square, but it makes no ap-
preciable impression on the crowding be-
cause it induces crowd to gather at Frank
lin square station, everybody hoping to get
n seat there. Now if trains were started
simultaneously from Fifty-ninth street,
Sixty-seventh street, Eighty-ninth street.
and some station between Eighty-ninth
street and Harlem Bridge during the morn
ing rush, and from Fulton street, Chatham
square, Grand, Houston and Ninth streets
during the evening rush, people reaching
these stations before and after working
hours would not be compelled to stand in
the cars all the way down and up town.,
The only difficulty to be overcome will be
met by providing switches and sidings for
t,o; Nc az %bn ,,o;rf. m opfionad For morn
ing service the extras could easily be
put in position without interfering with the
regular traffic, but in the evening it would
be necessary to make some trifing alter
ations in the present running schedule in
order to send empty cars to the crowded
stations.
Let US suppose that on the New York
Elevated Railroad all the proposed tracks
and station sidings are constructed. Up to
five o'clock in the evening all trains coming
down town run through to the Battery.
After that hour four trains coming from
Harlem display flags, lamps or signs to in
dicate that they will be switched off at GER
tain stations, thus warning through passen-
gers to take the next train. The switches
are opened at Fulton street, Chatham
square, Grand, Houston and Ninth streets
in the order given, as their designated
trains arrive, and the latter are run on the
extra track or siding for local passengers.
When filled they start north again, and are
succeeded at intervals by other downtown
coming trains, and so on until the rush is
over. Then the switches are locked and
all trains come to the Battery from Harlem.
On the straight line Of the New York Elevated
Railroad, and with ordinary care, this
system could be operated with the
most satisfactory results. All that is
required, as we have stated, is for the COM
pany to furnish trains and station accom-
modation. Tracks along both sides Of the
Bowery can be doubled without interfering
with surface traffic, and in the narrower
streets the difficulties arc by no means in
surmountable. By strengthening the trans
verse bracing girders they can carry switch
offs and extra tracks, and where this cannot
be done let the company purchase spaces in
the blocks for their trains. The whole
trouble now arises from the fact that large
crowds from . limited district assemble at
neighboring stations on the main line II,
for instance, terminal branches, such as
the Chatham street line to City Hall Park
will be, or one through Worth to Broadway
might be made, were in operation, they
would take the crowds from Franklin
square and Fulton street, Chatham square
and even Grand street, and the main line
would be preserved from the danger Of
blockades due to pressure at its stations.