The New York herald., 1879-02-05
RAPID TRANSIT.
GOOD PROSPECTS FOR THE COMPLETION OF TIL

GOOD PROSPECTS FOR THE COMPLETION OF THE
"L" RArLnoADs-woRK BEGUN ON SECOND
AvENuE-THE OLD PORTION OF THE NINTH
AVENUE 81" ROAD TO BE REBUILT.
The great public interest centrng in rapid transit ap-
pears to be specially fixed just upon the Second
Avenue IL" which is about to be built and which.
It is generally hoped viii afford permanent relief to
the east side of the city. Such being the fact the
effort of the Second Avenue Horsecar Company to
forestall the IL by their new steam motor has
been widely discussed. and reporter of the HERALD
sent to ascertain the views of the officers OF the
Metropolitan Company the subject yice-president
Jose Z. Navarro was asked whether, in his opinion
these steam motor could possibly compete with
the "L" trains. Mr.. Navarro smiled and said thai
even II these steam motor could run at the rate
of thirty miles an hour and carry passengers for one
cent it would do the horse company little good so
long the legal restrictions to speed compelled
them to run very slowly. 1.-THE horse car company,
Ir. Navarro remarked. shave had charter to run
steam cars above Fortysecond street for some time
past, but they have not them for the very good
reason that they were not allowed to exceed seven
miles an hour, and everybody knows that any greater
speed the surface OF the streets would greatly
danger life Mr.. Navarro added humorously. II
only wish that they would invent cheaper
method OF running by steam at high rate OF
speed than we know of Mt present 80 that we might
he able to reduce the very high cost OF operating our
road
PROGRESS on THE METROPOLITAN ROADS.
The work The Metropolitan ''L's. on both siies
of the city, Is actively going on the operations on
to east side being. of still of preparatory
Character. The foundations are progressing rapidly
a way up to llOth street. on Ninth avenue, and to
l59tL street. Eighth avenue Above Eighty third
street. Ninth avenue the first iron girders have
been laid on the ground and about hty eur loads of
Within a few days the first columns will be set up
above Eightythirl street. and General Manager
John Baird expects that the constru uction Will
thenceforward go on without any interruption
until the completion Of the line to lo9th street.
The section to Eity-third and Eighth
is to be opened next week. and trains will be
alternately to Fiftyeghth street and Sixth avenue
aud to Fty-thiri street and Eighth avenue the run
ming tin,o to both terInn being about the same.
The Eighth avenue station is the most commodious
and the handsomest on the entire line. and it is
peced that it will attract passengers from the entire
vicinity of Seventh Eighth Ninth and Tenth avenues.
between fifeth street and Fifty-ninth street. The
Commissioner OF Pubic Works has already approved
the foundations as laid out on the Allen street
ton of the Second Avenue L., upon the condition,
the foundation stones are on the ground. This will
probably delay the beginning OF the work on the
east side line for couple of weeks.
THIRD AVENUE 81.
Mr. Hcber Il. Bishop. of the principal directors
or the Third Avenue H. who is specially in charge
of the construction work. stated yesterday that work
| was being continued the pockets which
were being constructed at Chatham square, Hinth
street and Eighty fourth street AS soon as these are
finished trains can started from these points stimuli
taneously with the through trains. Tho large terminal
station ut the South ferry and the Chatham street
branch to be opened about the middle OF March.
The almost endless delays in reference to the
pleton of the City Hall branch have put ct rest all
eager popular speculation prevailing formerly as to
when 1t really will be finished The terminal depot
ut Ninety street, for switching of and storing
| cars will be completed Lext month, and then, Mr.
| Bishop says, the thrty-elght additional
ready for shipment at Troy n w. can be put ut once
on the line With the LAT cars now running on the
east side Mr. Bishop says the Third avenue IL will
have total complement of 1875 cars, sufficient num-
| ber 20 accommodate the travel comfortably. The
foundations along the line Of the Thrtyfourth street
| branch nearly all open. and Mr. Bishop
poets that trains will be the foot OF Thirty
fourth street in June. This branch will be special
convenience to Coney Island excursionsts the trains
connecting Thirty fourth street with the Brighton
| Beach boats. The Manhattan Beach Company will
! also probably run boats to Thirty-third street.
TEE NINTH AVENUE ''L
| The New York IL" Company have wisely resolved
| to rebuild the old portion of their Ninth
| structure, the extremely rickety and dangerous
character of which has been so often pointed in
| the columns OF the HERALD. Mr.. Bishop said that
| the new structure would correspond in point of
strength with the Third avenue road and be capable
OF bearing pressure of 1000 pounds to the lineal
| foot. This resolution of the company will cause
| much qualification among the patrons of the Ninth
! Avenue 'I.," many of whom have bcen, and still are,
in daily OF their lives in travelling portions
of the road where tho vibration is so perceptibe
| to be alarming.