New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-01-01
SURFACE RAILROADS. ACROSS TOWN.


No question affecting the welfare Of New
York City is more fascinating. and certainly
none is more Immediately important, than the
transit problem. The utter inadequacy OF the
arrangements at present in use, not only for
the carrying of people back and forth between
their homes and their places of business, but
also for their conveyance about the city, has
become such source of complaint that the
public is disposed to hail any responsible and
honestly conducted enterprise for relief with
feelings of real gratitude. The approaches to
the downtown ferries are pretty well occu-
pied, and the facilities for getting uptown as
far as Fourtecnth-st. arc perhaps nearly as
abundant as the geography of Manhattan Island
admit But from Fourtecnth-st on to Harlem
the means of transportation are both poor and
scanty.
Especially bad are the accommodations for
getting across town. The traveller who seeks
TO 20 from the North River front to many
points on the East Side for instance, can
reach his destination more quickly by walking
than by making the detours necessary to take
his Journey in the street-cars. 1t is only at
the expense of several fares and by way OF
routes that take him in all sorts OF directions
before they touch the one in which he wants
TO go. that he can enjoy conveyance at all.
The cross-town lines aim to go as directly as
possible between ferries. They are not dilfu-
sive and they are so few and far between that
they can perform but a small part of the work
of distribution.
This feature of the transit problem is easier
to deal with than that which pertains to the
moving of large bodies of people twice day
TO and from their uptown homes. In view of
the undoubted value of franchises covering
routes east and west, and of the great treas
ures of capital lying idle and seeking invest
ment it seems odd that more efforts arc not
made to meet the public demand II is prob
able that the crimes committed by
Jake" Sharp and his gang of I'M
scrupulous strcet-grabbcrs ard the
scandalous tlallicking in public privileges
which has been going on in the Board Of Alder
men for years has had tendency to dis
courage honest men from entering the street.
railroad business. 1t has been brought as a
business into disrcputc. Honest men are not
disposed to submit to the blac<mail of Official
brigands. But the legislation of 1886 has
greatly simpllfcd the conditions under which
franchises arc to be obtained.
Two schemes for cross-town roads are al
ready on foot the precise character of which is
not yet fully apparent. But they look toward
a result that will be beneficial to the public.
One of them, which is now engaged in legal
contention with property proposes
line in Twenty-cighth and Twenty-ninth SITS.
The other contcmplates a zig-zag route from
the East Thirty-fourth-st. Ferry to Eleventh
ave.. and thence as far uptown as the travel
justifcs it in going. Even if these lines sue
coed in getting into operation there will still
be lack of facilities for travel across the city.
There is absolutely no way of crossing between
Fifty-ninth and nc-hundred-and-tcnth sts..
which mark the limits of Central Park. Under
the Park a.number of transverse roads bavc
| been cut which arc available for wagons, but
through which permission has not yet been
given for the passage of strcct-cars 1t IS
necessary that some way of crossing the Park
either under it or through it, shall be provided.
Investments in surface roads In this city are
among the most profitable to be obtained, and
better opportunities for honest enterprises have
| never been afforded than are now at hand In
the construction of cross-town lines.