The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-06-09
some Suggestions for tho managers
Gf Rapid Transit.

days twenty ychIs siuHpci "o"A" Nos
have been needed to show him, on his
awakening strange sights and astonishing
changes If he had taken brief twelve
months nap in some New Jersey valley, and
miraculously escaping malaria, fever ana
ague and mosquitoes, had returned alive TO
New York to-day. the spectacle OF the trains
OF the Metropolitan Elevated Railroad,
rushing noisily by with their living
freight, would have appeared mere Won
derful than anything he beheld as he
tottered through the streets OF his native
village after his twenty years absence.
The sight would have been even
more astounding had he postponed his
awakening until n stormy winters day.
While .loubled mp" teams of the street rail-
roads were toiling and painting in the VAIN
effort to drag their loads over the hidden
tracks; while truck horses and hack horses
were ploaghing their way through drifts or
sc.ambing over miniature mountains OF
snow to the horror of the wntchfui Ber5h and
his humane assistants; while foot passengers
were YEARLY struggling through sea OF
slush, he would have cast his eyes upward
and sc N the crowded cars OF the two e,e-
waited lines dashing swiftly onward free
from obstruction and carrying their
messengers in comfort and warmth
to their destinations. The accomplished
fact Of actual rapid transit does IN
deed seem like n dream. Two years
ago, despite the partial success OF the
Greenwich street line. rapid transit was
still an experiment, and the obstacles In It's
way appeared to be almost insurmountable.
To-day it is in existence; the people OF New
York possess it and enjoy it, and already
the falling off in the business of the Sixth
avenue horse car line points the fate OF
the old means OF locomotion.
4rrne Metropolitan Elevated Railroad is
decided success. It's cars are comino-
dious and handsome and its trains run
smoothly. 1t IS probably one OF
the most comfortable and enjoyable
roads tor passengers ever constructed.
and the people manifest their appreciation
of it by their immediate and steadily in
creasing patronage. 1t is essential, how
ever to the roads permanent prosperity
that it should be carefully managed and
literally conducted from the commence
ment OF its career Nothing must be left to
chance, and nothing that can contribute to
the su:ety and comfort Of its passengers
must be even temporarily neglected. There
are already complaints Of on insnfficiency
OF cars during those hours OF the morn
ing and afternoon when travel is ut
its full tide, and cot m overcrowding
OF the platforms which would not
discradit a Third avenue horse Cur. II is
announced on the par. OF the company that
the capacity OF the road is TO be increased
in u few weeks by m addition to the roll
ing stock which will permit tho running Of
trains every two minutes, instead OF evory
three minutes as at pres mt, and that each
engine will then draw tour passenger cars
instead OF three. The proposed increase
will exactly double the present carrying
capacity Of the road. With three minutes
healway and three cars to train, sixty
cars an hour are run, while two minutes
| hentlway and tour cars to u train will give
one hundred and twenty cars an hour.
! This would no doubt be sufficient to accom-
modate the travel during the bnsiesthours Of
| the morning and evening, without crowding
| the platforms, and to carry out the pro-
tessed intention of the company to supply
| each passenger with q seat. 1t is to be re-
| GREETED that the iull accommodation was
not secured at the opening Of the road, cs-
| pocially rs the overcrowding of the cars
| cannot be altogether tree IRON danger, and
| any fatal accident on tho line, tlom hat
| ever cause, would be calculated to impair
! public confidence in elevated railway
| travel. 1t is besides desirable that the
company should from the start live fully up
| to it's pledges OF ample and comfortable nc
CONNIE daiions tor the travelling public;
for, while allowances ought in justice to be
4 made Tor the en- barrassments and Difficult
ties Of opening new line, 1t is not adyisa-
BILE that the management should be al
lowed to slip into careless habits, which,
when once contracted, are net easily ADAM
doned.
| The curves and switches Of the road have
been subjected to the critical examination
of capable engineers have been pronounced
safe, and we presume that they are safe.
We certainly have no desire to create any
| distrust or alarm in the minds of those who
constantly use the line. Nevertheless, we
think the company would have done well to
mako the curves natter, which could readily
have been accomplished by the purchase Of
n few corner buildings, similar to that at
the corner OF Murray street and College
place. The ordinary passenger imagines
danger in tho sharp curves, even though
none may exist, and feeling of entire Sc
curity is necessary to educate the people
up to the free use OF elevated roads Be-
sides, apart from the paramount question of
safety, so splondid arcad as the metropolitan
ought TO be made rs nearly perfect rs pos
sible, and fatter curves would have ac-