New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-03-15
UyDgRG ROUND sUBURBAY TRANSIT

y
The great storm this week will call renewed
attention to Mr. Ileman Clark's suggestion that
number of underground railways, at least
one hundred and fly feet below the surface
be built from some central point In the business
part of the city TO all the large suburban '0wns'
If the idea is fcasiblc-and no valid argu-
ments have yet been adduced to prove that II
IS not-nearly a score of towns which are now
reached with more or less discomfort and diff
Guilty would be brought within few minutes
Of the heart Of tic city, with the result OF max
ing them virtually part of the great metrop-
oils.
Supposc. for instance that it should be found
,Jacticable to build such roads to Brooklyn,
Jersey City. Hobollcn. Wcchawkcn, llackcn-
sack. Orange Newark Elizabeth, staten Is
land Long Island City, Jamaica. Flushing and
number Of towns III Westminster County, 1t
would of course, be an obvious advantage, as
suggested to have them all start from ono
Dont downtown most convenient for business
men. Where could such n point be found
Perhaps the block bounded by Rector and
Morris SITS. and Washington and Greenwich
sts. would meet the requirements. Or if a
terminus above the City Hall were considered
low the Tombs.
A plot of land amply large enough 70 meet
The requirements of the united suburban transit
companies could doubtless be purchased at
reasonable figure az either of these points, ana
either one of them would be convenient for
business men. It would not be desirable OF
course 70 have a union station for all these
roads. as i would lead to endless confusion.
| There would therefore. be for each road n
scDarate shaft large enough to admit Of two
immense elevators being used that would carry
about a hundred people at once One OF these
elevators would descend as the other rose. IL
might even be possible to place one OF the
regular passenger coaches on these elevators,
So that the people could quietly take their seats
above ground and not have to change until
they reached their destination.
The building Of such roads would naturally
and necessarily rcvoutionizc life in the suburbs
Of New-YoIk. For each road beng lndc-
pendent Of all others and having no inter
mediate stations. trains On all Of them could
be run a. such a rate of speed as to bring the
| suburban towns nearer to the business centre
Ct the city than the upper part of the city now
! is And not only would the transit be quick
incident to ferry transportation would be COM
pletely obviated. Some one may say that all
This would be detrimental to New ork, be-
cause it would tempt It's citizens to live in the
suburbs But while it would undoubtedly do
that, it would. as already stated, make the
suburbs so connected with the city virtually a
part of the metropolis and cause their interests
TO be identical 1t would. in word, result Iii
such bcalthfu expansion of the city as is
to-day needed more than anything else.
One of the subsidiary, but nevertheless i'm
portant, results Of such great scheme OF
suburban transit would be the building up OF
an immense retail business around the proposed
terminal square and the streets adjoining IT.
This square would be less than fifteen minutes
from at least million and quarter people.
Great drygoods houses rivalling those uptown
would therefore spring up in this vicinity, and
Grst-class theatres and possibly even an opera
house would be built for this immense suburban
constituency, which could reach such places Of
amusement more quickly and with less trouble
than many NEWCOMERS now experience IN
going to the uptown theatres. The square
itself with its stately buildings and busy life
would be one Of the show places Of New-York
and would rank in importance with Union and
Madison Squares. 1t would be virtually all
| Of New York to a constituency already large
and constantly growing.
All that appears to stand in the way OF this
great plan Is the question of money and en-
cheering skill and this Is the sort Of question
that Americans have always been fond or
tacbIing and answering satisfactorily Vague.
therefore. as the idea now seems, it may yet
become practical reality