New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-04-08
NEW.YORK AND LONG ISLAND.


by those who profess to understand the present
and future needs of rapid transit in this city
and Brooklyn. This is local geography Ac-
companying the report of the Board of Experts
to the Bridge Trustees is an exhibit with which
NEWCOMERS arc supposed to be familiar, but
as reproduced in Engineering News" 1t re-
veals many things that are ordinarily ignored
OF forgotten. This is map of the relative
residence areas on Manhattan Island and on the
adjacent shore OF Long Island, arranged in
e1uidistant belts from the New-York City Hall.
1t brings before the eye at glance the dis
proportion between the territorial resources of
the two cities and convinccs The dullcst observer
that the swarming hives of metropolitan popu-
lation must ultimately be transferred to Long
Island. The plumbers and short-sightcdness
Of man may retard this consummation for
season, but nature in the end must prevail
Within nine miles of the City Hall there is
seven times as much available residence area
beyond the East River as there is to the north
on Manhattan Island. With the East River
Practically eliminated from the problem by the
construction of additional bridges and tunnels
and with rapid transit lines in operation
throughout Brooklyn and the outlying districts,
room will be found for a million new houses
in the near future. every one Of which will be
within a belt from three to nine miles of the
New-York City Hall.
A very intelligent article on this subject Of
residence areas accompanies this instructive
map in "Englncering News" demonstrating
that while circular cities like London have
254 miles and scmi-circular cities like Chicago
1877 miles Of area within a radius Of nine miles
from the centre New-York has only seven
teen miles. While it is admitted that a great
city will grow up in time north Of High Bridge.
il is contended that it will have the great dis
advantage Of being from ten to twelve miles
from the business centre of the metropolis
The salt marshes and the Palisades shut off
tic New-Jersey side from effective competition
with Long Island, which is justly considered
the natural home Of the surplus population Of
the metropolis. All these considerations find
their prima facie proof in the map itself. The
BROOKLYN three-mile circle, corresponding 70
Forty-sccond-st. in Ncw-York. stretches from
the Atlantic Docks to the Circle at Prospect
Park and thence to the outer line of the Navy
Yard. The next belt contains broad stretches
Of undeveloped territory, all Of it rs near the
Ncw-York City Hall as the twenty blocks from
Fortv-second to Sixty-secOnd-st. As belt fol-
lows belt great residence tracts for the future
come into view, including the town Of Flat
busb within the fvc-milc circle, Bay Ridge.
Fort Hamilton New-Utrecht Flatlands and
PavcnSwood within seven mcsr and Bath,
Gravesend. Coney Island, Winfield and West
Finishing within nine miles. These five belts
~ Hall A..
INNER NeE-York between SiXty-secOnd-st and
HIGH Bridge. The calculations arc made with
reference to the Bridge as the initial line II
r,dius If other means of crossing the East
RIVER at Governors Island. BlaclIwelPs Island
or intervening points were provided, closer
onnroaches would be made, and the residence
area within nine miles pushed out in many
directions.
The writer Of the article to which We have
urcviouslv referred assumes that the chief
obstacle of the present growth Of the metrop-
oils as centre of population is the East River
and nrocs that two or three bridges are needed
in place Of ono. In this opinion we heartily
concur. with the reservation that tunnels mas
be better than bridges. The arrangements
recently recommended for improving the
terminal facilities Of the Bridge are only the
beginning of policy which should end vir-
[ tnally in bringing the Western section OF Long
Island into easy and rapid communication with
lower New-York. Projects for new bridges
should be encouraged. No obstacles should be
placed in the way Of engineers and capitalists
who are confident Of their ability to tunnel the
Fast River. The growth of New-fork beyond
Ihoh Bridge il unnatural when far greater
areas are open on the Long Island side al
distances ranging from three to six or seven
miles. and only await the improvement Of
facilities for transit in Brooklyn and acros,
the East River With population OF 500 00C
and an assessed valuation Of S4oO0O0000
Brooklyn needs to look ahead twenty year,
aud prepare for its manifest destiny by b1ng
ing all outlying towns within the city limits
initiating public works Of magnitude and en-,
cclnaging in every possible way practica
schemes for Quickening transit and making