New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-08-03
WHAT BROOKLYN TALKS OF.
NOTES AND JOTTINGS HERE AND THERE IN
THE FOURTH CITY OF THE UNION.

cleVdVeu
Of substituting for horse power some more rapid an
convenient method Of traction have been conten
plating the Introduction Of the overhead wire systef
now I'm use I'm Boston Albany Hartford aud other cites
In the course of week the fact has been once NOR
brought public motto" by the reaSserton OF this nsn
ton Of rhc Brooklyn city, the Atlantlc-ave ana IN
Brooklyn and Concy Island companies. by hearing
Albany and by accident In Boston. The general sys
ten, is pretty well understood and those who care 4
sc In opcraIon have only TO either 70 the oute
limits Of Prospect Park. where the electric on Tx
Old horse car line 10 Coney island are doing thriving
bnsineSs or 20 East NewYOrk where the street cars
runnng Jamaica have been propelled by this method
for considerable time. on country roads the system
Is not particularly Objectionable The electric force is
conveyed by Of wire strung along the middle
q the rad and this small wheel. or trolley, rolls
The trolley is connected with the car by means OF a
wire and when circuit is formed the car moves. A
high rate of speed. comparatively is possible, and the
cost Is said he much less than that Of any other
system devised This appears 10 be the principal rea-
son why il Is 10 be adopted The Eagle" asserts that.
60 far as the companies concerned at present, 1t
Is this system nothng-tlat j., unless consent Is
riyen 10 the introduction of a method which involves
constant and imminent peril, the companies will con-
time TO use horses as a motive power.
That a system Of wires carrying powerful currents
through the streets Of city is fun of danger III more
ways than must be apparent on tic slightest
observation In the first place. 1t Is directly contrary
10 the belief. which is gaining ground all the tmo'
that the removal of all overhead wires is desirable
II not a necessary thing within city limits. Then
wires OF whatever sort are certain 70 interfere at times
with the work of the frcmen when hosting ladders
and apparatus for lighting flames Moreover, the
danger which is involved in the breaking OF heavily
charged wire has been too often illustrated TO be
Ignored II is true that BrOOkhn has not yet
witnessed the loss Of life by means Of the electric
light wires, nor has Boston yet experienced
fa atty n connection with the electric railway system
But only "a few DAYS ago two horses Instantly
killed BY the dropping Of a wire and that not ono OF
the currcntbearing wires but guard wire placed
over II for the very pupose Of preventing telephone
and telegraph wires from falling upon it OF
break. The guard wire, in falling, came m contact
with the principal conductor and was instantly
converted into an agent Of death Two human being
might have been It's victims easily as two horses.
Ii will he well for the people Of Brooklyn TO look
Tire matter sguarcy in the face before giving their
consent 10 the use Of electric appliances which are
easily liable 10 be turned into deotldealng forces An
improvement upon the orse-caT Is eminenty desirable
tN some improvements can be made at too mgh cOs'
and at too great risk The time will doubtless come
when electricity be used for street locomoton with
ont danger IN human and animal life. Indeed. there
Is some sicninr1nce in the fact that in the very
Eagle" witch affirmed that il the overhead system
or nothing 50 far as the street companies are con
cerned an account was published Of the trial Of
storage system which. 1t was asserted. could be
povcd with a. great economy and with satisfactory
results a. the overhead wire system. Further in
fo-ma0 on this point will be awaited with Interest.
certainly by the public and probably ny the companies
The result of the count Of The figures in Wash
ingtOn shows that supervisor Scdgwick little lib
erl IN the estimate which he made several weeks ago
Tie total now indicated is 5O4.337. whereas Mr. sedg
wick thought that SO coo would be far out Of the
vay Naturally there will be renewal Of Tie dis
satisfaction which has been freely expressed In some
quarters especially by people who had predicted that
tho city contained 100000 pc Jplc ana wOad under no
crcumstlmccs admit that correct cenSus could show
smaller number. The demands for recount and the
loud assertions OF incOmpcteucy on the part of the
enumeratOrS have died out however, and probably the
result will as rule. be accepted without much com
planning. II Is interesting and NAV be profitable, 70
recall now what Mayor Chaplin sad at the time MI
sedgwcks figures we're given ont and the feeling of
dissatisfaction al its height. have not fell,
he said that Brooklyn has any good cause for com
psnt if IL population is returned Al figure IN eX
TESS Of 100000. such a present population indicates
growth since 1880 Of about 40 per cent. ana that If
fast enough for any city 10 when 1t - as large
cty As BROOKLYN" That sensible and well CON |
sidered \ population Of 100000 shows that the city |
has more than doubled IN twenty yea The census
Of 1870 gave BROOKLYN $4,000 inhabitants Tie per |
Looking al The matter calmly and dspas>iOHacy, there
ran hardly fail 10 be a general agreement with Mr..
(hapn,S pho,ophc remark that Brooklyn is growing
as fast as il ought to- similar grow during t@ next
decade Will bring the population by the end Of the
century up 10 l,l1OOOO.
During the last few days Brooklyn has lost by
ieath two citizen, long identified with il. William II.
iusted and Reuben ". Ropes. The suspicious which
rather naturally arose in reference to the accident by
which Mr.. Ilusicd WAS killed seem 10 have been cn-
tirly dispcllcd by the medical examination, and no
reason for suppOsng that he took his own life remains
Though not in god health he in good spirits up
to the moment the Gun was G,,i and the circumstances
Show that he cOu,d not have fired in such way that
nc charge would penetrate his heart as il did unless
ne Trigger had been moved by "a string. Mr.. Hustled
Vas connected with family That had much to do with
he development Of the transportation facilities Of the
NY lie himself spent much time abroad and never
ought publicity in any way. lie student aud
connoi ,scui in art, hut not widely known in
Ohhecton with any public enterprise except the Art
ssVlaiion. Mr.. Ropes was more human man. II
he expression is allowable. There is something touch
" the fact that The three Ropes brothers who were
, devoted To each other in life. should have been
'paratcd by such narrow space Of time in their | ,
eaths. OF course Charles, who remained I'm salem
hen Ripley and Reuben zane to Brooblyn was nm |
lown to BroOklyntcs, but IL Is remembered that he
cd only fcw mouths ~ advance Of the other two
cuOeh W. Ropes was not 80 conspicuous public
CURE Ripley whose sympathies had a broader
NEE, but he Of almost equally strong personality
"a had many friends. lie possessed the same
Jeral nature and the fondncss for doing good
an unostentatiOus His long connection with /
e society for Improving the Condition OF the Poor )
WAYS spoken Of the = !. c. y. among those who
I'VE occasion TO use the name Often) gave him an ,
Innate knowledge of the needs Of the poor of tire
w. ana MS minNtritionS 20 them were marked by !
se and thoughtful discrimination.
'N"o III your suggestions for improving the BrdS"
."hals' The invitation thereto is broad enough TO !
Nv IN every body. "NO;icc is hereby given that the
49,, .u vi Experts viii receive plans for the
ioNchcht 81 the termin from any person who may
ve 10 submit them.' What opportunity fOD The U
= LIZ VINO arr sure that unto them has been given
ued Ior the solution Of all the difficulties which the
go anu the engineers have looked for IN vain all
ms IL e e.. seriously how many valuable sueges :