The New York herald., 1878-12-31
The New York Elevated Road
Opened to Harlem.
PALACE CARS FOR THE RICH.
Proposed Introduction Of the European System
Of Travel by Classes.
OPPOSING THE SECOND AVENUE ROAD

teres to the people this city, representative of
the HERALD called yesterday upon Mr.. Cyrus W.
Field the president of the New York Elevated Rail-
road Company, whose Third avenue line was ycster-
day opened to Harlem. In the course of extended
conversation reference the various suggestions
made by tho HERALD to facilitate tho enormous traffic
of the line Mr. Field freely gave his views to tho
measures proposed and the steps which the company
must take in order to make rapid transit perfect
'what is your opinion. Mr.. Field of the aEnALD's
proposition to reduce your fare to uniform rate of
fvo cents?'
II have thought the matter carefully over.' Mr..
Field replied. "and will gladly tell you what my
clusions have been in reference to fares. think
what shall have do to satisfy all classes will be
to run trains of three cars-onc at fifteen cents,
another at ten cents and third at Ave cents fare
Every train according my idea. should have five
cent car. thus epabling all passengers who do not
wish to pay fvc cents to the
road at all hours of the day. The fifteen
cent car, of course, would be palace car in
all respects in which people who are Indifferent to
the slight increase Of expense could enjoy CORE
spending increase Of luxury and privacy. Suppose
you take young lady out In the evening to the
opera or to the theatre or to dinner party, would
you not often be glad to pay fifteen cents in order to
avoid crush and make the trip as pleasant and
joyable possible Or. take the number Of bank
ers and merchants who would be entirely indner-
ent to the small increase. I'm many would hail
such an arrangement with pleasure"
"But. how could you prevent people getting into
the wrong cars-the five or ten cent passengers. for
instance. rushing into the fifteen cent cars p
"It is done in England Mr.. Field replied. and
with pride in his native land which will reconcile
to him many Of his assaiants who have been exer-
cised his action in marking Andres grave by
stone, Mr. Field sententiously exclaimed, ''what
be done in England can be done here
'In England there is law which Furnishes pas
senger found offending in this respect
"a law could be passed here. If show our
willingness to accommodate the people and carry
them to Harlem in the manner have proposed, at
five cents-those who do not wish to pay any more
the Legislature in return, will certainly not refuse
q law to protect us in reform which is intended
to benefit all casses.
THE CITY HALL TERMINUS.
'.Do You agree with the HERAID's proposition to
bring your City Hall terminus down to the present
terminus Of the horse car line?
itx to build our depot there It would facilitate
travel immensely, and, moreover, Postmaster James
tells that IL the mail bags could be dropped into
the from the second story windows OF the Post
Office they might be, half an hour would be saved
in conveying the mails to each train. and in dis
tributing the mails upon their arrival. Just think
what convenience would be to the entire business
community to have the mails for every train close
hal. hour later and received half hour earlicr
According to our lawyers who now studying up
the subject, must secure federal, and probably.
also Legislative authority, before bring down
Office and as soon shall have obtained this
requisite permission shall at once build very
handsome terminal depot there There here mig might be
one from Park row and one direct from the Post
ONCE
'.Then your idea is not to stop At the of tho
Post Of1ice ~
at is-if we are not allowed to go any further"
And Mr.. Field added humorousy, IF wc can't get
champagne we must take lager In preference to bad
water"
ADDITIONAL sIDrNGs AND THIRD TRACK.
HERALD, by which trains during the rush hours could
start from several stations either up
down town ~
eve shall undoubtedly be compeled-to put in such
sidings pockets ut Hanover and Chatham squares;
ut Franklin square there is one already, and at
Fulton street there Ia no room for one But
this, I can already. will not be sufficient
to relieve the tremendous rush during these hours.
We shall have put down third track between the
two existing tracks from Fifth street to Harlem on
which can run exclusively express trains. From
Fifth to 10th street we have straight line OF six
miles and abundant room Tor third track In the
mornings when the rush OF travel is to the city.
press trains could be run from the Harlem and York
Vile stations down town. and in the evenings they
could be run up town. making no stops, say until
they reach Sevcntysxth Eighty fourth street sta
tion Then during the heavy hours the trains start
ing simultaneously from the Battery. Hanover square,
Franklin square and Chatham square could oil trnns
fer their through passengers at Fifth street to the
express trains."
THE GRAND CENTRAL DEror DIFFICULTY.
GLOW about the Grand Central trains. which at
present interfere materially with the through
traffcy'
..what we shall have to do there. I think, is par
TALLY to adopt the HERALDs plan. in this way We
construct bridge the track and our Grand
Central passengers get OF ct Fortysecond street.
ascend few steps, the bridge and then be rap
idly taken to tho depot BY cars, which should always
be in readiness on the other side. This would obvi-
ate the difficulty OF compelling passengers either to
the tracks or TO descend tine stairs OF side
OF the station in order to ascend again the other.
TRAINS
"ur Field. how about the night trains which
so urgently demanded by many passengers r
M
all hours OF tho day and night At pres
cnt we run no trains between half-past twelve
ut night and hve in the morning. think
trains should be run during these hours rs often as
public necessity requires. Ultimately we shall have
20 such trains. feel convinced tor believe tho
public requires them. l am also in favor OF doing
the freight business Of the city at night which would
in no wise interfere with our passenger traffic. 1t
would be very easy for downtown shippers along
line up freight by elevators their second
or third story windows, and thence. by means Of
sidings connecting with our track. dump them into
our freight cars. which could transfer them to the
trunk lines outside the city, and thence direct to San
Francisco any other part the country This would
solve the problem Of providing the terminal freight
facilities, tho want OF which New York and its
have greatly suffered in the past Ulti-
matey, New York will have an elevated railroad en-
circlng the city along the two river fronts and dump
ing freight from all parts Of the country right upon
the different piers and into vessels"
How soon will these ideas DC carried out, Mr..
Field y
..Thst cannot tcll." Mr.. Field smilingy replied.
Il only director ont OF thirteen. and while
jority Of the Board to carry them out not. At
present, OF course, we have quito enough
hanls In putting into thorough running ORDER vast
enterprise newly established, but in the
future hope to see tho views which have detailed
10 you all carried out"
opsSING or THE ROAD HARLEM
Yesterday morning. " five o'clock, the Third Ave-
nue. Elevated line was opened to Harlem, event
which had been anticipated with eagcrness by tho
tire population of Harlem. The rst down train which
left l2gth street ut fvo o'clock comparatively
empty, for few people knew thnt the road TO be
opened so soon But soon after, as the running Of
trains observed, large numbers OF passengers
paired to the stations to enjoy the long expected
facilitics OF rapid transit from Harlem TO the Bat
terry. Trains started every ive minutes with fair
regularity and after six o'clock in the morning every
seat was generally filled by the time they reached
Fifty-ninth street. Astonishci the employees of
tho road st the very large ten cent travel in the
morning. The trains between half past seven and
ten o'clock in tho morning oil carried many Hnr
lem and forkvilc passengers that by the time they
reached Sxtyseven street station they quite
full, and few stations below ten twelve passengers
were generally standing in each But
cecnt business wns done all day long ut the four
Harlem stations which were opcuod veetertinv--