The New York herald., 1879-03-18
RAPID TRANSIT.

OPENING OF THE CITY HALL BRANCH OF THE
NEW YORK 81" RoAD-FoUR HUNDRED AND
EIGHTY TRAINS IN ONE DAY.
The City Hall branch of the New York IL" road
was at last opened yesterday morning. The train
dispatcher from Franklin square station Mr..
Grafton. hand with his assistants carly as
three o'clock in the morning. and nine OF the now
engines and large number of cars were got ready
for the start at balf-past five o'clock. Owing TO the
miserable weather the traffic very light COM
pared to what it is almost TO be in the future,
and from halfpast five to halfpast there were
only ninety fve-eent north bound passengers. and
from half-past TO twelve A. N. there
were about ive hundred and fifty ten-cent
passengers going mp town. The main business
OF this station. as might have been expected.
done in tho afternoon from four to o'clock
when business men generally going to their
homes uptown. 1t manifest that the station
Afforded great relief to both Franklin square and
Chatham square stations. and also somewhat to Full
ton street station. where the rush during the i've
cent hours OF the afternoon much smaller than
usual There long line of people waiting sew
eral minutes for the advent OF the five cent hour and
extra ticket agent had to be employed to satisfy
the demand for tickets. 1t was estimated that at
least 1900 five cent tickets were sold during these two
hours. and nearly 5000 tickets during the entire day
This figure tho officers say does represent the true
limits of the traffic from this station which. in their
opinion. fair days. will be at least 5000 per day.
WORKING STAFF.
Mr.. George A. Lacas. the ticket agent ut the City
Hall station, is of the oldest in the employ of
the company, and previously at the South ferry
station. where he occupied the difficult position OF
ticket seller for both the east side and west side
lines. He reports for duty at eight A. NJ. and re-
mains till p NJ when he is relieved by another
ticket agent. whose hours extend from seven Z. M.
at the station who divide their time in the same
manner the ticket sellers. and the night ticket
seAer and four night gatenen Will sleep at the sta
ton. There is also porter. who has charge of
cleaning the station. Tho train dispatcher has a
clerk who acts the time telegraph operator.
At the lifelong uncovered platform. from which
passengers enter the cars . little wooden box has
been put up. whence telesraphic communication
all the stations along the main line There win be
assistant to the dispatcher to take his place
at night, and four switchmen and coupler will
complete the working force. Yesterday every thing
appeared to work with tolcrabe smoothness at tho
new station, except that brakeman in coupling an
engine to a hit by the draw bar and had his
seriously injured At the south end OF the sta
ton platform great bumper block" guards the
middle track, that the force of an engine which
might not be brought to standstill in time should
spend itself on omeformidable object
HUNDRED AND EIGHTY TRAINS.
The trains which were despatched yesterday from
tho City Hall station numbered about two hundred
and forty, according to the schedule as follows:-
utes making u trains from 6:45 to 9:45 every four
minutes. making 30 trains; from AS A. N. to 445 p
N. every nvo minutes, Oh trd1u5i rom 4:4o 10
every four minutes As trains. and from AS to 1880
A. NJ. every five minutes. 30 rans-tota 240 trains.
The number OF trains came into the station, so
that trains arrived and during the
day. The running time thirty-eight minutes
to and thirty-six minutes from Harlem, and
thanks to the new powerful engines adopted
on the HERALD's repeated suggestion most trains
either time nearly with the exception Of
the trains during the rush hours, many OF which
were from FIVE to ten minutes behind time. The
City Hall trains all carried red flags, and from an
early hour In the morning the down trains we'll
patronized, many of the passengers whose destina-
ton would have led them down the main line taking
City Hall train out OF curiosity to enjoy ride the
newly completed IL branch. All day long these
shoals Of passengers came trooping down the stairs
until evening" when the tide Of travel turned again
up town.
INCREASE OF CAPITAL.
At meeting OF the Board OF Directors of the New
York Elevated Rairoad. held on Friday last. it
decided to issue circular, and the Same has been
sent to the stockholders of the road. giving
them notice Of the increase Of the capital
of the road to the extent of $4,000 900.
one-half in bonds and the other in stock
This will make the total issues Of both classes of
curites $15, 100000. The new bonds aud stock arc
to issued par holders of record only. and to
be nlade payable by instalment before the 31st OF
July next. The funds derived from the sale of the
securities to be used TOR Construction pux-
poses in building the projected branch hnes.