The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-06-23

ready in existence, and the railroad COM
panies, considering the liberal profits
assured to them, can well afford to offer pre-
miums for improvements or original inven-
tions by which the difficulties now expert
enced from the coal gas, the sparks and the
fine dust may be obviated. The incon-
venience and annoyance arising from these
causes are felt by the passengers on the
cars as well as by the residents on the line
of the road, and will be more serious in the
hot weather, when it is necessary to ride
with open windows. The noise, which is
certainly. very great discomfort, cannot
be wholly avoided, but it might be ma
terially lessened The matter should receive
the attention of the engineers OF the roads,
and whatever is possible should be done to
decrease the din, which is at present in
sufferable. The lessening OF the noise of
trains has been the subject Of much thought
among railroad men, and various success
full ccntrivances have been applied to sur
face roads for that purpose. We be-
lieve that mechanical genius. will not
fail to find some means of decreasing
the noise on elevated roads provided the
liberality OF the companies invites the trial.
These roads are already proved to be OF
such vast public utility that everything
possible should be done to prevent them
from becoming sources of inconvenience,
discomfort or danger to the people living
along Or in the vicinity Of their lines.
We have no doubt that in few months
great improvements will be made in rapid
transit travel and that many of the causes
Of complaint that now exist will be re-
moved. There will not be such crowding
Of the trains in the busy hours of the
day, when the travel is divided between
the two main lines, especially if
the promise of doubling the present
facilities on the Metropolitan Elevated road
is carried out. Some means will no doubt
be adopted to prevent pushing and scram-
bling on the depot platforms when the
depots are completed, and thus dangerous
practice will be discontinued Already
the Metropolitan company has prohib-
tied passengers from riding on the
car platforms, and this regulation
when the cars are less crowded. 1t is prob
able that some means of more speedily re-
ceiving and discharging passengers at the
stations will be adopted SO as to avoid
delay, especially if the two minute head
way time table is to be run on the Metropol-
itan line. All these improvements will
be welcome to the passengers and
profitable to the companies. We would
suggest the use Of open cars for
summer travel. Such cars would be
especially enjoyable on an elevated road,
where there would be no inconvenience
from dust, and where the speed would at
ford the passengers a delightful current of
mir even in the hottest months. The cars
of the Metropolitan Elevated road are
handsomely and even lavishly fitted up; but
some of them are better suited to cool than
to warm weather. One-half Of the windows
can be raised only two or three inches, and
on some summer days with crowded cars
the passengers would suffer from the heat
more than on the surface roads. The cars
intended for summer use are cooler and
more pleasant, as all the windows open to
the full limit; but, after all. they do not
wholly fill the bill. Open cars would
be pleasant enough to induce people
to ride on them, as they sometimes
sail down the bay during the cheated
term" only to catch the cool air. The New
York Elevated road on Third Avenue, if it
gets to work as speedily as is anticipated,
SAonld mark its opening by the use of open
cass.