The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-08-11
At A SNAIES PACE !:
HOW the Work Of Rapid Tran
sit Is Carried On.
ANOTHER DISAPPOINTMENT.
The Metropolitan Road TO Be Pushed to
Washington Heights.

account of the exceedingly slow progress made In th'
construction OF the several elevated railroads. An
investigation OF the work yesterday showed that since
then scarcely any material advance has been made
and that the elevated railroads have improved the
slow pace at which they have been pushing their Gu
terprse On the Third the iron work still uT
only Seventeen street, the ORDERS indeed being W
only to Sixty SEVENTH the foundations laid pretty
much to Nins.y-hrst street above Ninety first
scarcely any work 10 IN progress. few Of the
foundations have been opened ON the west side Of
Third 70 l0lst street, and there lame
Of work by contractor who Is supposed TO proceed
from the Harlem River downward the east OF
the avenue. Tho block between Ninoty eighth and
Ninety ninth streets and Third and Fourth avenues,
TO be used for great coaiing and car
depot, is being graded, but, broadly speaking.
scarcely any work OF any extent or importance
is being done above Seventieth street.. while
OF the side stations only three-the Hanover
square, the Fulton and tho Grand Central Depot
s,ation-are sufficiently advanced to be opened for
temporary use on August Is, when all the stations
the Central Park were TO have been ready. On the
west IL Is still worse and nothing has been vir
tually done beyond sixtv-arst street, except laying
tho foundations to Eighty first street, which were
completed some time ago. No wonder the people
have become FESTIVE and ask If these wealthy and
money making corporations mean TO disregard their
obligations to the public. and contont themselves
with the short sections Of road which are sure to
swell their pockstbooks. - :.
MR.. NAVARRO on THE SITUATION
1t will be gratifying TO the public to learn under
these circumstances that there stil Ia these
corporations who take a just view Of their duties
toward the public Mr.. Navarro, one OF the control
ling owners of the Metropolitan road, said yester.
day:-.I have doubt that we.snali very 90
yton9 slim NJ liue MIN, n
and Eighth avenues to 155th street. We do not ex-
pect that this part OF road will pay. but know
that we have duties toward the public we'll a.
toward ourselves ana that we only built those por-
tions of the road that are sure to pay VI well we
should lay ourselves justly open TO public indigua
tion."
1t will DO remembered that the Sixth avenue eIe-
waited line branches Off into Fifty third street to
meet with the Ninth avenue line, and from Fifty
third 10 Eghty-frst the road Is to DO jointly owned
and run by the two companies The Metropolitan
limo continues from Eighty Irst Ninth avenue to
10th, then branches oil TO Eighth avenue ana runs
up Eighth avenue to l55th street. Mr.. Navarro says
that all this streten OF road to 155th street under
survey will be soon put In tho hands OF the con-
tractors, and he hopes that IT, Will b
he says great doal OF work is 10 be put Ia this
section before WINTER and IN no event will the opon-
spspp VIC AS the New York company intend 70 do
nothing above Eghty-Hrst street, this promise by Mr.
Navarro holds on! prospect Of At eas. par.si relief
heights, who will be only hall mile from the ihen
Of the Metropolitan road at 155th street Mr.
Navarro says that the building OF the Second avenue
line Will probably be postponed until the west sido
road has been pushed up TO the point named.
LOOKING TO rHE PUBLIC
"The Second avenue road, - said he 'Iwould be the
one should build nov u only looking TO
our own Interests, for we have no doubt that II will
be valuable line. But we looking to the rights
OF the public Also ana we believe that they first de.
mand the confirmation and completion Of our west
hAtn nnQid A Pt
whether We shall not take both enterprises IN hand
and build at on both sides. believe that mp TO
Eighty first the west side road will by DC.
toIer L." Mr. Navarro, when ask ed 10 the mootei
project OF surface road IN The upper portion Of tho
such a road except in RIVER street. e. from
l55ih street to Kinas0rdRe-sod they would not
counenance the project As vas IN .her interest 10
make that section OF tho city ~ attractive possi
Bile for residents. at II should remain . wilder
ncss ne. "t would be great loss TO and for
that reason we must do nothing that would be likely
to rcpel those In search OF pleasant homer" Nj.
Navarro omphatically denied that tho mortgages OF
the road we're made TO the New YORK company and
explained tho popular which had arisen In this
regard by the fact that certain sections belonged
Jointly to the Two companies anu for tnat reason Ihe
name OF The New York company had to be men,
toned IN the mortgage ,ers. The elaborate station
houses OF the Metropolitan road arc nearly finished,
ma will be simultaneously opened TO the public by
September l. The passenger travel IN tho past and
present month, which are tho dullsst OF the year,
sand per day. The road was nrst mortgaged
for 5000 900 per mile So 600 600 recently
40
Mr.. Navarro aud other stockholders declare that
there nothing mysterious or surprising IN this
transaction, understood all along that addi-
tonA money would have 10 DO raised push the re-
mandcr of the vast enterprise.
BLANK PROSPECT
In reference 10 the contnuation OF the New York
Elevated ROAD beyond Eshty-nrst street. the west
sde Mr.. Bshop, one OF the managing directors yes-
lerday openly admitted that nothing would be done
bcoro next spring. Surveyors acre out under the
direction OF MT Courtrght, tho former president Of
road, TO examine the ground which preseu ted very
sttfklc ultie Mann nviIl.
there was deep hollow which would have 10 be
brdgcd over at an elevation Ut IT'S ieet Indeed, Mr.
Bsnop thought IL Was not quite certain whether tho
road could butit at all until the report Of the sur
shall have been received, ana when thoss gen
temen will be In position TO report appears equally
uncertain. Mr.. Brewster, another director, pointed
at the fact that scarcely any considerable body OF rcs
dents in that portion Of tho west side united
to tho best route 10 DO chosen, and to whether
they would put up with a surface road or not. The
New YORK company have right to 60 jointly
with the Metropolitan to llOth street, but they will
probably separate from the Metropolitan at Eighty
ihrd street, buld through Eighty third stree, 10
Tenth avenue and up Tenth the KiDgsbridgo
road. There as much difference OF opinion among
the directors to the most advisable
among the residents OF the upper part Of the west
side, but the above the route Indicated present
as the most hkoy one to be chosen.
TO THE GRAND CENTRAL DEPOT.
For weeks II has boon announced that the side
section 70 the Grand Central Depot would be opened
on August 10. Mr. Bishop says that owing 10 tho
mands Of the ,rafnc the opening will PROBABLY not
take place before tho 26tb, or Two weeks
from TOMORROW. On thRt day passengers
Will DO taken from 70 the following
stations South Jerry. Hanover square Fulton street!
Ninth street. Fourteenth, Twenty third, Thirty fourth
and Grabd Central Depo,. AL these stations will then
be ready for USE though tho station buildings, Of
course, VIII be far IRON complete. rhe Franklin
tquare Chatham square, Canal street. Grand street
and Houston street stations will not DO ready until q
week or two latoE Twenty Of tho new ana two
locomotives for The east side road have already ar
rived and eighteen locomotives wslIas y~snty
additional cars are expected next week. The new
cars have perforated wooden voncsr seats. de-
Iightfaliy cool aud clean, aud the officers
Of the road think that In point OF perfect
cleanliness these seats cannot be cxcclsd.
They opposed 10 cushion ssats from their liability
to DO infested with vsrmins ana even the drawing
room cars viii have only rattan seats, like those an
tho Metropolitan road All the seats are arranged
lsngthwise, like those OF the old cars the Ninth
avenue line The decoration oil the cars ~ simple,
but the effect 10 neat. An admirable feature the
nearly four feet high platform gates and ratings,
which are to prevent people iron Jumping over them
| or tumbling Oh. The low gates Of the Metropolitan
ROAD allow reckless people TO leap thcm and u
would b. well II they were raised to the height OF
those the new 1hird avenue cars Mr.. Bishop