New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-12-15
WHAT BROOKLYN TALKS OF.
GL1MPSES OF LIFE HERE AND THERE IN
THE METROPOLIS OF LONG ISLAND.


other bridge the East River. The prob abilities
arc that bill on the subject will be presented TO ,be
coming Legislature and that legislation will be siren
uousy urged. Just what form The bill Will assume is
as yet doubtful but there Is doubt n at the proposed
bridge will be laid out from the neighborhood of
Broadway. Brooklyn TO the neghborhcod Of Grand.st
New-York. The river is here. but especially on
the New-Iork side the sherc ascends very gradually
from the rivers edge. In Brooklyn there be a
much easier approach That is the case with the
present Bridge, the Brooklyn approach of which Is
only OIL feet 10 length. while ihe NewYork approach
is nearly twice long, being o62 feet Hence
when stands at the middle Of the river span he
Is not at the middle of the Brdge-s fact which is
probably realized by comparatively few of the thou
sands who walk the promenade. The mathe-
matca middle Of the Bridge considerably the
Ncw-York tower than the point where the so-called
broken back Of the structure Is situated
How the new bridge supposig It to be undertaken,
is to be bulltwhether by private company by tho
cities-is question yet TO be decided The expert
meDt with the present Bridge is hardly such as 20
make the cities eager to 60 into the business of
| bridge building again. But IL is certain that no
obstacle viii be thrown In the way Of any company
which wishes to undertake such an enterprise. There
are people who assert that 1t Is much public work
| TO build bridges as TO lay out streets. But much
closer comparison would be between bridge and
elevated road. We have not yet reached the point
where IL is deemed advisable for either New-iork or
Brooklyn 10 construct its elevated roads, though
| am well aware that this very thing was proposed
| by Mr. Hewitt while he Mayor of New York
In the case OF the present Bridge there some
| what different situation. The feasibility of such
bridge and especially its cost, matters of doubt,
! and the enterprise one Of such magnitude that
II seemed worth while for the two municipalities TO
take hold of It and insure It's But everybody
knows that during the long years between the intia-
nd ifc WAS
than one occasion the ACCESSIBILITY of giving the
thing up altogether seriously considered, and the
Legislature had be appealed TO to authorize the
! expenditure OF the last of the many millions which
| were expended. suggestion made by Bridse ffesi-
dent Howell In connection with the next bridge, Is
| worthy of some consideration. 1t is that the no"
bridge shall built out of the profits of the present
! one The TAXPAYERS would certainly consent 10 thS
| much more readily than to putting their hands into
their pockets for the sake of making Brooklyn more
accessible 20 Ncw-York. But il is evident that ui'
less the profits from the New-York and Brooklyn
| Bridge accumulate much more rapidly IN the 'utu'c
| than they have in the past, it will be long umo
h.fore anvbodv Will be able to build another bridge
/ with them.
CITY Works Commissioner Adams got from me
Aldermen the privilege of exercising his Judgment III
the matter Of awarding the bids for the eX'ensioh VI
the waterworhs, with the result that the ci'y VIII
| 5000. 30 more Tor the WOrh IMAM IL "V"'' -
Maid II the lowest bidders had received the contracts
IN all cases There may be excellent reasons for this
but II Is hard for the public to understand why one
man should be considered worthy TO receive inc ooi
tract for one section and his bid be rejeceo io t"o
other sections which offered TO construct Tor less
money than any of his competitors III LOOKS I'M Poi
tcsD of the worst and Will not be reiished py te
roone who are now paying in increased taxoiils Tor
| tho extravacance which has marked Mayor Chapns
administration.
II NAV we'll be hoped that the public interest 10
t,e question of clean streets Is not TO be measured
he the number of people attracted the other evening
70 the hall where street Cleaning Commissioner conc
man. of New.York. spoke on " CIVIC Cleanliness i'o
audience consisted of thirty three persons. can 1t oo
that the pcopIe of brooklyn do not consider MI 'oe
man a competent authority this subject PERHAPS
.y ,udce of his competency by what they nave seen
with their own eyes of the condition OF the streets
under bis care Judged by that criterion, IL mlgh'
perhaps be said that his knowledge ana MS WORKS w
not 90 hand IN hand. Stll, the subject Is an ihpo'
tant ono to all the people of Brooklyn ana Mt .'io
man deserved larger audience than gathered TO listen
IN him Especially ought the contractor Tor Keeping
rbe streets in order and large delegation OF MS
employees TO have been on hand
Brooblyn has not yet suffered either in fires or in
loss of human life the non-bura OF wires carry
ing powerful electric currents The subway Oomm'
sioners have been fairly successful In putting eie
nbone and telegraph wires underground, put utue,
ANYTHING has yet been done believe, in regard To
electric light wires. The subway Commission was
constituted under the passed in 1855 which pro-
ded for commissions of this kind in both New-fork
and Brooklyn the terms of which were to expire IN
November 1887 at the time of the passage OF the
law II was supposed that the work could all DC done
IN a little more than two years The Legislature Vi
1887 seeing that the work was far from being com
Melted. reorganzed the New-York Commission into
frO1a nd nv
extended the operations OF the Brooklyn Commission
untu November Of next year. There Is one notable
difference however. At the date named the functions
of the New-York Board Will devolve upon the TOM
mss,oners OF the Sinking Fund, while as 10 Brookiyn
there IS no provision for anything In this direction
after next November. The Brooklyn subway omclais
have gone slowly the matter of eectrc-lght wires
IN the ground that satisfactory method of burying
sncb conductors had been devised. Further legisla
,ion will evidently be needed this winter unless all
ATTEMPTS to remove the most dangerous class OF wires
from tho streets abandoned Why BrooAiyn mas
been so fortunate TO escape electric accidents whoy
not clear TO non professional observers OF the meh
DDS used in both cities II would DC COCA uihs iof
uavor Cbapin 10 cause special inquiries to be made
IN refer.nce 10 the general subject OF putting wires
underground so that he may be able TO discuss IL ID
telligently in his next message
Complaints were made freely and justly some umc
ago OF the bad habit Of the Kings county hc'Ae"
Road in letting oil and water from its engines drip
upon the heads and clothing of unsuspccfins pede'-
trtans The trouble appears now to have been
rcmedjcd. but something remains for the brooAiyh-
Union Company yet TO do in this matter All pas
sengers leaving its at the CITY Han ana goihs
in the direction Of Futon-s-snd II Is WITHIN oouds
-. s.v that nine enths of them 60 In that direction
IN mass under the tracks, which are unprotected
by drip.pans The road curves here and the tracks
ara dreotly over the sidewalk On this sidewalk the
ow ard and visible signs of the dipping OF the engines
overhead are frequently visible, and passcrsby are
compelled TO run the risk of having their clothing
II not spoiled else must choose their times
o., rushing under the tracks when engine is passing