The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1889-05-12

The elevated railroads oi New y ors city
were constructed ln tho face of tne most dc
termiued opposition Property OWNERS united
aud made fierce fight against tAe project
and almost defeated DO. For many years be.
fore tho road. were built the subject ot rapid
transit had occupied large place 90 the
popular mind Owing % the n1rloWnr-s OF
tine island on which the city 90 New lora B,
built most OF those residing COZ employed I'D u
are subjected 20 the Inconvenience OF living
at con.i larable distance from their places OF
work or business Before the elevated roads
were built the people were obliged 90 depend
entirely upon the comparatively slow street
cars and 10 took over an hour OF % busy man 81
time 10 ride from One iiuAdroith street 90
the city hall
The street car facilities. although on vast
scale. we're inadequate to meet The great de
mand made upon them, especially Do the
morning and evening IN order CD 10 away
with this manifc,tly dilsrceahl' condition
of things. the public recognized Thar some go
tirely new scheme of rapid transit was nee
eSsarv. anu was prepared % rltiy almost
any practicable idea that would deliver them
from 80 annoying ana inconvenience lnerlp.d
transit agitation was az lts height during tho
latter part Of the dOs lnnumera5le invent
ors set 10 work to devise means t'shorten tho
time Of transit between the upper and lower
end OF the island
Some of the plans proposed were almost
mdicrous in their impractcablity, Others ~
volvei an expense that was startling even 10
the Cru,suscs who were interested in rapid
transit A tubular tunnel. eight feet ID di
ameter, through which cylindrical cars
nearly Of the same diameter should be- driven
by pneumatic propulsion, was demonstrated
"a bs quite prGcticahle. w0rking with com
( p.eie success IN "a section which the inventor
/ had constructed under Broadway The most
original of the projects was that Of an end
less movable platform. travelling with con
slant speei at ten miles an hour up one side
Of the street aud down tine other. crossing
the street IN curves 40 the tcrmin' being kept
o constant motion by friction rollers actu'
ated by shaftng, operating through hollo"
non columns, and driven 10y stationary en-
gines underground placed AZ distance oi
one mile apart
The moving causeway was 20 be elevated
above the street on iron pillars Al snort
distances were o. b. stations where pas-'n'
GERS could Toe transferred 90 nni from the
travelling Sidewalk bg the all oi wheeled car
ragos Passengers. by adding their own
walking speed 10 that Of the moving door
could advance az the rate OF fifteen miles an
hour. This ingenious scheme Was proposed
by Alfred Speer, OF New Jersey. Many
other plans. Of various merit, AMI demefiIs'
were suggested when the Investigation Of the
subject was most widespread the pubic
vas altogether avcrse To the scheme Of un
| dcrground railways, such as they have IL
| London-ihe Cimmerian gloom and nAu9sit
ing odors Of which are peculiarly dista-telul
/ OF all the plans proposal, that OF the elevated
railroad. practically a. IL Is today, was Tue
m ost practicable and at the same time the
most popular
The drst elevated railroad. 50 called, wa
constructed In lSG A track was laid through
i Greenwich street and Ninth avenue. between
Battery place aud the Hudson River railroad
! depot, in Thiitieth street. on u irame"orS