The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1890-05-05
IT Is AN APPEAL FOR LIFE.
THE BRIDGE RxTLRoAD MUST BE
MADE SAFE.
No Man Can Serve New York and Brooklyn
Better Than by Helping TO Pass the Pres
ent Bridge BnI-Ths Trustees Must 60.

| Better Than by Helping TO Fnss the Pre- =
ent Bridge Bm-Ths Trustees Must 60.
For three weeks The Sun has boen dis
cussine the various features Of n situation
which. "a n whole. constitutes the most deadly
menace that ever threatened the prosperity OF
n great city and the lives Of its citizens That
the danger is familiar and unnecessary makes
1t mono the less real and appalling. 1t is peril
peculiar to the sister city OF the metropolis and
one which is without parallel in the history OF
great municipalities. 1t Is a peril incident to
growth. but long foreshRdowed and without
excuse for those who permitted 1t TO turn Its
| shadow into substance.
| The essential elements OF tho present peril
are thoroughly understood by the people Of
both cities. The accommodating dangers OF next
week and next year are not appreciated in
either city II they were there would be no
need OF any argument to secure the prompt
application OF every possible remedy. The
problem ia q vital one. On one side Of o stream
lie the homes OF the people who toll In the
shops and factories upon an island In the
middle Of that stream. Their principal
meaus OF communication between homes
and workshops ia bridge. That bridge
has become cIogGed, 80 that It will
no longer safely carry the multitude
with the present means OF transporta-
ton. The structure itself Is long enough and
| strong enough to carry many times the pres
ent numbers but the means for getting them
safely and quickly back and forth are lacking.
Tho old way Is no longer adequate, and an en-
tirey new system must be provided. That is
the problem. What has boon done to solve itp
The great bridge is controlled by body OF
meu, twenty in number. and good citizens oil.
but who know nothing about the task before
them. They have failed to prepare for the In
aoi, mt NIL do ha 0f
their fellow citizens are daily imperilled.
They sought the advice OF mon skilled in all
the details OF the mighty task. and when II Was
given they rejected It, They did far worse.
They determined to adopt q plan which the
eminent engineers had distinctly warned them
carried with 1t inevitable danger and death.
That in brief Is tho situation which confronts
the people OF Brooklyn and New York to-day.
In that emergency THE SUN has demanded the
removal OF the entire Board OF Bridge Trustees
and the reference OF the question Of transpor-
tation facilities to impartial experts. To sum
1t all up. what are the essential facts which
Justify this demand?
More than two years ago. after having de-
layed far too long their preparations for the
steady increase in travel on the bridge the
trustees employed three OF the best railroad
experts in the country to Investigate the bridge
situation and report the best possible plan for
carrying in safety the greatest number OF PAS
senGers between the two cities. The Board did
itS work thoroughly and made an exhaustive
report. All Of the plans examined were
classed under one OF two systems oil terminal
facilities One was the loop or circulating sys vs.
circuit at each terminus. the effect being the
same as progress ALWAYS III one direction by
was the tail switc hing system so cal led which,
Ia simple form. is still In use on the bridge.
Under this system trains are moved from in
coming to outgoing tracks by mears OF switch
enRlnes- OF this latter system the experts
spoke thus emphatlcally In their report:
We are unanimous and most emphatic iu tie opinion
that under no circumstances should such devices be
employed the track. OF tho bridge railway They
misht. OF be employed safely for long time,
but experience uncrrngy points to the inevitable acct
dent which. later, is to We have
therefore arrived at this conclusion cardinal princi.
pie that II an arrangement Of tho New terminal
and system Of train operation be found common.
with the maximum train capacity OF the bridge
railway preserving cont nuOus main track unbrokcn
by either Switch frog crossing. that ia unQues;ion.
ably tho to be recommended for your adoption.
The experts then selected what they re-
garded rs the best OF the plans under tho loop
or eTSulatng system ana tS its
Chief Engineer Martin Of the bridge to make
Mr., Martin himself. 1t should be remarked.
had submitted a tail.sTwitchine Plan TO the eX.
condemnation. He made report placing the
cost OF the plan recommended by the experts
at more than tivo millions. The engineer who
had submitted the succeessfu plan was not
consulted, and knew nothing OF what was GO
Ing, on until the figures came out Ia ronnection
with the final action OF the Board OF Trustees.
Then he promptly protested that there had
been an outrageous eXaggeratiun OF fully 800
The trustees AZ a body were really in ignor.
anSe Of the real facts IN the case. It was q
feS6nH w me IN v TIsh 1seF bo
the mercy OF interested persons. They met
but once month more often without n quo.
longer than q few minutes. The plan recon-
mended by tho experts was rejected on the
Barnes Martin double-tai switching Plan,
condemned as above by the experts. was
offered d5 9 ssubstItuts and mmedate action
to adopt II. and ever sine 1t haA been the
official plan for bridge Improvement. which
presumably was TO be put In operation as soon
Two years have passed and and nothing has
for getting possession of additional laud Tor tho
New York terminus. Meant me the dangers OF
bridge travel have increased daily until they
have become altogether appalling. The trGs-
tees themselves no longer endeavor TO conceal
the fact that 1t is not safe to cross, the bridge
claimed It In unequiyocal language. And yet
they have done absolutely nothing to relieve
the situation. No Board in charge Of a public
enterprisu has power more absolute than
theirs. With, the great financial resources
Of tho bridge ut, their command. they
necessary except to take possession OF addi-
H9nS pr iE P10erty IN one certain drGGt0n
utilizing any OF the expedenis or powers at
command to give both TEMPORARY and perma-
nent reIlei, the Hoard has waited unit! within
thirty day. Of HIS date when II suddenly de-
cIared that absolutely nothing could be done
to improve tho bridge unless the Legislature
would give it authority to take additional
land north OF the present terminus in Brook;
Ign. At tho same time The chief engineer OF
the briige told the writer that even with this
concession q ani0d IL would require two years
TO IN AXE the necessary changes.
In the mean time the natural increase OF
travel OH The bridR" would be twenty-five per
cent, with no increase In the already over
taxed facilities. Tho new double tail-swltch-
Ing plan which II was proposed 10 put In was
carefully examined with the statements of tho
projectors A. 10 the amount OF travel OK pected
under H.. Tho amazing fact became at once
apparent Tint these men proposed TO run
trains over a grade crossing OF tracks at an
angle Ike the bars OF letter X at intervals u
thirty TO fortY-llve secOndS. 1t was a PROPOSE
tl0n calculated 80 make an ordinary mans
hair stand on end. II did not require n refer;
suce to tho report Of the experts above quoted
10 raise suspicion 9s to the sanity Of tho men
who advocated such plan These Tsyela- |
tons. together with the obvious peTis OF the