The New York herald., 1878-03-25
THE HORSE CARS.

THE SECOND AVENUE RAILROAD REDUCES ITS
RATE OF FARE AND TAKES POSSESSION OF
ITS NEW DEPOT TODAY.
Passengers on the East River steamers can hardly
have failed 10 notice huge brick building that ior
year past has been approaching completion on tho
corner OF Secoud avenue aud Ninety-s rect Its
great size and commanding site render IL the most
Conspicuous building the neghborhood, and all the
world lives in that direction knows that the Sec
ond Avenue Railroad Company has butt now depot
Tho great building IL not yet nnishod in evcry part
but Is to DO occupied to-day US stable
ior the horses and house for the cars
A HERALD reporter on Saturday visited and inspected
the depot in company with the president OF tho road
Mr.. Solomon Mehrbach, who proposes to comply with
the popular demand Tor reduction Of fare by cbarg
ing on and after to-day, only five cens- ior ride
from Pcck slip to the Harlem River. Mr. Mehrbach
was asked this reduction was not AN indirect result
OF tho prospect Of rapid transit, but he said
that u WIS not. Tho pr ncipal portion OF his COM
pauy's traffic that would Do drawn away BY the rapid
transit roads would BE-, ne said, the "thTough
passengers" aud they were not source OF
profit 10 horse-car company. The reduction,
he said, was made tor two reasons FIRST. the
general reduction OF prices labor, grain and horses
being much cheaper than formerly and, second, ITO
SAVING which the company would make by occupying
the now depot instead OF iour different stables, car
houses repair shops &c, as Il mas been doing In IN
stancing the compai son OF prices no said that the
mouth that nftynvo cents bnsnel aud i0r-
meriy over ninety cents; 5000 bushels oil oats
month that now cost thirty 1--we cents 6ushel and
formerly cost seventy 1vo cens horses. ne said, ior
merly cost $165 apiece and now cost $40 By oc-
cupy,ng the new building, no SAID, there could be u
reduct ION OF twenty-five or thirty men mado in the
working force.
Tue building to DO occupied this morning is 200 feet
wide by 476 feet deep, and constructed OF brIck
with concrete floors and massive yellow pine timbcrs
IL is built in the plainest possible style, The only
thing about It which seems to hayc been made Tor
orn he "A II.
nearly hundred feet from the ground and forty
feet above The ROOT Of the building self In the mid
dlo of the 'front.' directly under the cupola is built
what looks like completed house, hfty feet square,
inside OF the huge depot This is to serve Tor Offices
flushed IN wood. Directly The rear OF
tns is another square building inside the
depot, which Is 10 be used Tor the loreman's
oice anu from the windows OF THIS almost any part
OF the depot can be seen. The ground door oil the
depot Is to be USED as car nouse. ano Is aid WIN
enough to accommodate 25O or 800 cars, instead of
the $50 IN There are three inclined planes,
less steep than ordinary stairs, crossed by substantial
ceas and carpeted tn tanbarK as luxurously as the
da'ntiest horse could desire. Up these stairs the
ascent easy the stables whore stalls Tor 12U0
horses Tho floor is OF concrete overiaid with plue.
tue stalls are substantially built with plenty of
room and ample facilities Tor cleaning Behind
row OF stalls Is u trough made OF a single stick
OF yellow pne through which the liquid refuse
Is carried 10 the sewer. hese trougns are 50 ar
ranged that they be flooded with Croton water
reaully and washed out as frequently as may be de-
sired Toward tho southeast corner oil this room is
tue nOsplta WueTc " IL eApeCteu tuut EoH my W
one hundred horses Will always iavo TO be provided
for that being the pumber that Is usually 'laid up"
by accident sick ness Tne room above the stables
Is huge lott, reached by another inclined plane
similar 10 those below. II Will De used for the
storage OF grain, &c, and aords ample room for the
cnlarsng oi The stablng modations should the
business 0i the company demand II. IN the rear OF
the three large rooms mentioned arc various smaller
rooms, the engines occupying one, the iced
mixing apparatus another third being used
for a repair shop, fourth for tho black
smith snop ana fifth Tor paint shop, &c
ia n a. u vi "A
ift tho various elevators Tor grain and cars
and TO run the machinery ior making cars tho COM
pany having boug all the requisite machinery and
having DuilL Its cars Tor some years Conccr
this SIR. MeE rbach said that be could build better
Car for $500 than he could buy Tor 81 $50. To-day
l35 cars Will run, unuer the new arrangement
II Is expected they VIII run at one minute Intervals,
aud that nnut loss time Will be required Tor
the turougn trip when the change OF horses was
mado at the old stables at Sixty-tnird street.