The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1880-02-25
Progress of the Elevated Roads.

Probably New York has never witnessed,
nor its inhabitants ever experienced, a greater
change in shorter time than that made dur
ing the past two years by the Elevated
Roads. The present extensive system COM
menced in 1868, in a very modest way, by the
construction of few blocks of very lightly
built road extending along Greenwich street.
For some reason it did not apparently win the
popular approval, and it was not until 1873
that it succeeded in extending beyond Thir-
tieth street and Ninth avenue. In 1876 the
road was completed from the Battery to Sixty
first street, and 70 large extent was made
double track: and Rapid Transit may be said
to have been fairly inaugurated in New York.
In 1878 the Metropolitan and the New York
Elevated Railway Companies completed and
opened two new lines, the former extending
from Rector street through West Broadway
and Sixth avenue to the Central Park, and the
latter running through the Bowery and Third
avenue, from South Ferry to Harlem. On the
20th of May, 1879, the Metropolitan and the
New York Elevated Railways were leased to
the Manhattan Company, thus bringing both
under one control, and since that date the ex-
tension and improvement of both roads has
been rapidly carried forward On the west
side the continuation of the New York road
above Fifty-ninth street has been merged in
that of the Metropolitan, and above Eighty
third street the road is continued in the style
of the Metropolitan. Trains are now running
as far as l35th street and Eighth avenue, and
in little while the road will have reached its
northern terminus at l5Sth street and Harlem
River, though the possibility in the future of
continuation to Yonkers is rumored.
While this work has been progressing on
the west side, the new east side or Second
Avenue Elevated Road has been under con-
struction. The work of erection was begun in
the early part of the current year, and for a
large part of the time 5000 workmen have
been employed upon it. The chief difficulties
encountered were in the construction of the
piers. For distance of four miles perfect
network of gas, water, and sewer pipes was
encountered, making special plan necessary
for each foundation. The most troublesome
pier of all was that at lOSth street, where the
centre was directly over large sewer which
received two large inlets within the area of
the foundation, and the problem was further
complicated by the presence of 30-inch gas
main and two croton water pipes. Though
twenty piles were enough to carry the piers
under ordinary conditions, it was necessary at
this point to drive eighty-two piles to get prop
Ell bearings, and to use 1870 cubic yards of con
crete, massive cast-iron bed plate, and 80 900
bricks. This road, which is nearly completed,
is intended mainly for through passengers, the
local east side traffic to be given to the Third
Avenue road. The regular time on the Third
Avenue road is forty-two minutes from the
Battery to Harlem, eight and half miles, in
Guiding stoppages. Trains are run every four
minutes, and commonly include four cars.
The time of the Metropolitan Sixth Avenue)
line is twenty minutes from Rector street to
Fifty Eighth street, about five miles. The
20 &c To
l35th street about ten minutes more, allowing
for slackened speed around 10th street curve.
Trains run to Forty-eighth street at intervals
of two to four minutes, according to the hour;
and to 10th street and beyond at intervals of
six minutes. The fare is ten cents, except
during two hours in the morning and two in
the evening, when it is five cents. During the
workingmen's hours passenger may ride on
the Metropolitan division, ten miles, for five
cents, in palace cars fitted up in the finest
style.
While the expense of an elevated road is
very large, some five miles of the Metropolitan
costing Sl0,300,000, yet the number of pas
sengers carried is correspondingly great. For
instance, during the year ending September
30th, 1878, the New York Elevated Railway
carried 100000 passengers, and during the
next six months following the completion of
Ils NEW Ioule, lf,uuu,Vuu were transported
This is the account from a single road, from
which one may form some idea of the enor-
nous business already done by the consolida-
ted company, and some conception of the flu
ture that now lies before the Elevated Roads.
A LETTER written by Benjamin Franklin in
1852, to Jared Ingersoll, of New Haven, is
now in the possession of the Historical So
ciety of that city and has just been published.
az should be glad to know" says DR.. Frank
lin, "what it is that distinguishes Connecticut