New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-10-10
OPENING UP STATEN ISLAND.
WHAT TIE NEW RAILWAYS WILL DO FOR IT.

last score OF years las almost altogether attributable
to tue inrcIuency of the communication, It's sowness
and natequacy, resulting largely from the peculiar
geographical formation OF the island and the inpossi-
billy heretofore reaching all parts Of 1t by u snnl
taneOus service To remedy tins difficulty the Rapid
Transit Railroad Company has for many months been ut
work. and Is now RAJ lilly approaching tue perfection OF
its plans. BY concentrating all the ferry traffic at the
point Of land on the an nearest to the city, frequency
IaIidy and enlarged communication to be secuI ed.
while tie distribution OF passengers mp and down each
shore of the Island by trains instead Of boats will accom-
psh tho island what the concentration OF the ferry
traffic accOmplshcS the Bay. An hourly service has
been about the best that could relied upon heretofore
TO perform which eight boats were needed
with three largo ferry by the plan fifteen or
twenty minute service is atandblo while the rapdity Of
the railroad compared with boats cOasting along each
shore will to tho parts OF he island closer
and rapid movement. IL addition TO the Increased
frequency 81 the trips.
The railroad now building along staten Islard is
largely composed made ground specially prepared for
H. and Is projected almost tho whole way underneath the
high blnls Unlike almost all other railroads, this one
IL DO operated from centre, at which point to be
concentrated all the ferry traffic from New York This
centre Is known St George, and IS situated at the ex
treme northeast point or tho island htting out into tue
bay toward NewYork, IN the umcdato vicinity Of lhe
Federal Light House Depot TOmpknsyillc. AMI tho
cricket grounds. ON this point ot Land two ferry slips
building ample Tor accommodating oil the ferry
traffic which is likely to exist for many yeais to come
The piers substantial structures pushed ont 10 tho
pier line which here IS 6OJ feet from low water
mark tbs bank. sips similar to those OF the Jersey
city AMI Erpokyh ferries. whereby the boats run
end on" will greatly facilitate the III charse OF paSscn
gers. II il almost straight line from the staten Island
ferry slips at tho Battery 10 the ferry slips at st.
George. distance being Slightly five miles. and
auoat all tides Il c3n be covered Ia twenty mint es,
or with boats specially built for h, purpose. in ntteen
miIucs. A ferry house oi. ample proportions and at
racyc exterior Is To be erected the docks
completed, which viii b. within month. The bridges
Of tic ferry slips to be double deckcrs, rising aud
falling with the tiio At - George these bldg,
sixty fec, long AMI constructed with poat0uus and
iron work to Ice OF the most substantial character
TIC expenditure upon ferry h1u--t Gcpots. etc.
at thi- Iolnt will no. fnl sIVIt % eloO.ooD
Immediately ornnd these piers has ueen filled In with
In the last year area OF land surprising Ia those un-
familiar vita the masuudc OF tins work quantities of
earth tlkcu nom "a" cry consisting ~ cellar cNrdNa.
tons. etc. together wita the large amount or rN'dcd
f.oil the adjacent tunnel AMI cnttn, bc"Ll the
land to the extent of - 10 - The promoters
Of til, railroad now control water front NJ tLi, p,int
of m' IA length, auI apparently they
are nov working only Tor the accommodation 81 thu
regular trI1r aud the excursion business winch - yearly
trpwns ~ tn~ al. cct' hn also Tor ltcl"rN oI ithk
lines. aud through bu,ii"--. MIN extensive freight
developments. Hnd c'e"!"i.ly 'h eAoFLoAs storage
iao railroads practically terminate at this place
the North sh"r" road aud the Es' -H1rc road rs Train,
viii he IN waitius for each ferry bat {" transport
passenger, IN each direction The Norih shore road
mn, 40 clu.ey underneath the bank to o." mostly
invisible the rouia"ys alou- Ike shore for long
tstahce It l'asoh structure ihIly i,,t M!u'. ana
lem 80 mi -t,c rails. - compete u IT. separation
pn, tL other rud, ~ lAc island that the railroad only
crus-c, street n distance of n'ar.y thicr miles
TLtough Sew Brighton II crosses ncai tho old terry
Landing ~ The foot ui Jcr'cy ~, whN,c station j. 10 De
Iilcca tncn continuing under the bank Il orossr- th3
sailors -,uE iirp"r terrace a; io"huty unph.rcuou
able G" that great cOrp"ral"n heavy Na. Ma nov
ever at tA!s point and the -l" 81 consiruc
uon Tcr'"''ng The gnderIkas anJ II, C"lr,, 'rne'a
Dr. es'si rom th" tact that me NaIl nero hi"he
rp-t >2I.uup. The limo crosse, the IyLc mL.,dMcIy
west ~ Inc -ung ittbpr ON substantial Fcsr. WHru
cr- rlI zee foot At the font 81 H'r ave !, To bo
.,iiou known Livingston. where valuable property
rro, siur uithrr uotth the ROAD sul continues under
toe bauL fouovIus c,p.cy the shore mul 1. r'achc,
ic yrpt c.tIbl-.mcut and other important r~prri"-
dchpIohug again int tho water as arpr"a,Le' Fort
nug stretch 81 wafer 'front.' over which Il has cou'tuccd
nearly 100 i,ct 90 substantial trr-uc.
IL was tuis point TINT thc contest with Mr. Stain
rI,,prr.y Tor sLpy:i purpose, me - iway tr!unphrd
Viz starn uotLin- diuutci. l. sttl gong forward with
slI yard. and Las cots ru'tcd an important per out
10 tic Ter uc. which at tbi place rams Tar ont INTO tho
XIII. The railroad. co-utuns It, way strikes Port
Erlupnd Iust east ~ tue Jrwru Lead Works, where 1t
crosses ar 0horn Road ami honcciurih r' l"i"n-n l'
iatercr Ut the Island tlI tho point opposite L"0cth
{, reached Many workEcn arc rnshins forward con
ton here. rl-cHhcr". aud u l. -iid tht "iH
-vty ay, the wuo,c road from ~ George 10 lin Park
Tor lols cp1-ug along tie Norm shore ~ hrie"i'Jc
Will hc cDViar station, mr." 10 Ice placed at ln Iath
TAYLOR II and at the ferry landing West Brighton; ~
,ur-ton foot OF Bari ayc; ~ New Brighton north IL"
The Ilttcry. Now York. 10 Port Richmond D, rieiy rs"
tulu boar under the present system" 'h''r 'h' new
Hi"l cement " ""s"' ." ~ '''"''' ~ '"'"
r. ro,rc.s Of tho En.i shore line ha- been much
Ir-, rapid because Of the great engineering diicnltie'
encountered Immediately cast OF ia" cricket AVN tue
p.,, lul on the side 81 the hill through which it WAS
necessary tHut Ia'-Irc should hc h'd because a'hE
tho front eNI rnsyc government buildings ahd t"t eIs
81 the American Dock and trust Company rH''tua'y
barred progress u any railroad state Ih"N were
poycc,, against Federal property b tGr 'o"IAl} GOV
from C"yfcss special act arih"riHuc tue constitution
OF .nl!roal ny means ~ tunnel thiOnEh 'nT 'm'i'
ant Iirce OF United states properly hIr, m"" I h
vigorous struggle this object Was accent l''nou' out
though the act was liberal one. tue IlIl nl' ",ti
hrdgrh around WIN r"aiHrii'S so .ie.u' oi'
slnwc-t progress hhs been made Toe tunnel necessary
he dincu les II ali accomplished except perhaps
$50 feet sire aud height II II largo enough to accom-
fan speed lie stone walls ~ each side cause surprise ~
thcir magnitude, but II u explained that the nrl oi
the .nk great and hlt the requirements OF the "oN
slnIop. ,dr tb irt c"nSrnction essential The
tunnel archcd Th u two foot c3uFho OF Iilch ~
cement. II Is believed that within Two months
The tunnel Will bo completed Immediately
south of the tunael enormous outline
has lccp necessary. ard great h'o.t ol H rHntn
has taken away from lchini the American Docks
within the last months lay Italian lL"r,is on rem
rorary trucks To dumps further r,ot ANY, '" tn',r
ucd {, the creation Of the railroad ior"'n'' III '"''
fns.iag through this large excavation there then at
ioJpEiDayIlc encountered tac completed INK Oh tls
RAND Transit Railroad which last yenr was constructed
ibis point shch WIN stralgh ua,k n'h1S , s"I
connection with the rails ot tlc olI staten ' So b
portion OF tho road through To Iolenyio iny a,n"
" ion has hitherto lcon ona hour and forty iNe nnhtss
from NcwNurk to Tottcnv.lc. has now been reIcd 10
QUO hour aud ave minutes A. s00n ns tc tun 1r - IN
p,tel and st. made Hcccsslulr ny rhl th' uo
t,u, NrN rrk To rottcuyilic Will be still turhtr lc
du c and is promised that all this region Ct the Island
Am, 70 reached ouly much more frequently Out III
Tim, 30 rer cent less than over before. -, 49,.
Tho Rapid transit railroad IA to be ShteIsT' T T
time and circumstances will permit stil Iurthcr ito
linton south around the eastern shores OF tlo u"' o
ro,nt t,ynnd tho Quarantine station, whore deep
fayno ia high bank Will permit the track 10 eh. VIC
SAUL Avoiding Fort WadswOrh aud the MSn mus w
talt vicinity and cruising New York ave )'t boy nu
~ Johns church. the road will ran parallel 10 ,io
luger,odrd road Ia TOmpkinh-ayr anu tnrc"En soi'u
drep r,yincs finally dehDuClrc across ki'hmn1-n'e'
M NE Snnth Beach where IL Il expected that large nc
velopncnt oil excursion and sumner trhuic VIII 'aA'
place next SIMMER.