New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-09-13
wnAT BROOKLYN TALKS OF,
EARLY AUTUMN TOPICS OF GENERAL IN
TEREST IN THE CITY OF CHURCHES.

A., hours in the busiest part OF the morning. Under
s,nary circumstances this would have caused serious
Inconvenience 10 a large number Of people l"s
nonnanv however. was able to carry its passengers
A the Bridge by the old line through Iludson-ave'
and Yorh-st, trains leaving the main line at Myrue-
ave and Navy-st Those who felt the inconvenience
most were the people from South brooklyn, who were
compelled 10 leave the cars at Brdgest take train
hack 10 Navy-st and there transfer to train running
IN the Bridge and ferry. The fire happened In place
,rbere all this could be done without great loss OF
fine: whereas on a road without branches, business
would have been brought to a complete standstn'
The late Charles Pratt was snguarly averse to
perSonal display notorlety Of any kind. In re-
sponse 10 the wishes OF his family he had, however
consented TO the preparation of a bust OF himself
Auneate of which was 20 be furnished TO the Pratt
institute at the earnest solicitation of the students
slnsulariy enough. his last sitting was given on the
morning of the day of his sudden death and the work
Of the artist then practically completed MI
Prat's presence will be sadly missed at the insute
which bears his name, the pupils OF which were al
wavs glad 20 see him and hear the little talks when
he seemed TO enjoy much as they. lie keenly
realized his own lack Of carly advantages, and was
oHcitous that those enjoyed what his generosity
had made possible should make the most OF their
privilege There a charming qua'ntness IN MS
language. which made his earnest words particularly
Imp~essjve lie did not hesitate to use common
language-even that which Is ordinarily regarded as
sang-and while his plainness Of speech sometimes
provoked a SMILE what he said was 50 direct ana was
so evidently from the speakers heart that II never
failed 10 produce the impression which he hoped 10
make.
Professor Franklin W. Hooper, the diigent sec
rotary Of the Brooklyn Institute, proposes to enter
the lecture field and is prepared to give large num-
Der of illustrated lectures on subjects reiaung 10
geology and archaeology. They VIII be gwen sinsV
or in groups Of four or SIX Among MS topics are
The geology Of the Adirondacks. White Mountains
Green Mountains and Catsdlls -four ectures), "The
Age Of Coal.a The Age of Ice in America" " How
Mountains and Rocks are Made" "The SWISS Lake
Dwellers," "The Mound Builders OF the Mississippi
Valleys and The Prehistoric Indians" Whatever ne
undertakes Professor Hooper does with horoughness'
and these lectures will not only be found instructive
Int will embodv the latest and most comprehensive
information on the subjects treated o.
The conductor responsible for the recent collision
IN the Bridge railroad very properly relieved
1,,,m duty as a tIanman, and il is a serious
toueston whether he ought not TO have been dis
charged There no room for doubt as 10 his
!carolesSness in falling TO heed the signals The
system of signals the Bridge is such that II they
were observed accidents like this would be out OF
The question when train enters either OF the
stations it sets red danger signal and the following
train is bound to halt until this signal has been
chanQeA which Is done by the first train when it
pulls out upon the switching tracks. Several hundred
feet in advance of the red signal Is one showing
green light; this is warning 70 the man in charge
OF an incoming train t. be on the lookout. In the
case in question not only these signals all right
hut when the second train was coming before
the first was out Of the way. the dispatcher ran out
with lantern; but even this was not regarded by
the conductor as, Of course, it should have been
The best system Of signals is unavaing unless there
are keeneyed and quick ited to observe them
ffqtaafn
smashup was the failure of the automatic coupling by
which the switching engine hooks on TO the tran' to
work properly. That caused delay, and the next
tgan overlook the ono already in the station. The
wonderful thing IS that more people we're not hurt
IL the collision had occurred when the cars were |
crowded and many people were standing the results |
would have been had indeed. The Bridge railway |
has been remarkably free from accidents thus far
The impression seems TO be gaining ground that
en- effort win DC made the coming winter to secure
authority for carrying the Bridge railway to the City
gall The scheme in view in reality 70 extend it one
block further than IS already planned-that is, from
Hillary to John, then 90 tear away the tll
angular block Between Fulton, Washington and John
son-sts 30 a. % give adequate approach TO the
Bridge terminal station The belief also exists that, |
In connection with this pressure will be brought t.
bear on the LEGISLATURE to secure a repeal Of the !
law Of this year which provides for the widening and
extension Of Libertyst. II is certain that large ex
pehdi'urcs will be required if either Of these schemes
IS cariied out and it is very doubtful whether the
public benefit will be in proportion to the amount ex-
pended. Said one who has given some attention
to the subject " don't why they can't let well
enough alone. when the proposition made seven
Dr. eight years to the Bridge railroad mp Wash
ington-st. 10 Myrtleavc., believed It would be good
thing. The idea 10 make this trunk line for
the elevated roads-practicaily that what II
amounted 10. The elevated roads would then have
run only - the City Hall, and people going to New
York would have taken the Bridge at that point.
That would have saved the construction Of elevated
road in lower FultOn-st to which good many people
were stoutIy opposed. But this has been done.
and the character Of that part Of the street has been
cha eed The elevated roads have all arranged for
connections with the Bridge in the neighborhoOd Of
sands-st. ! can see little to be gained by running
the Bridge nearer 10 the Hall, though am confident
that some Of the leading interested in ii have had
Their minds set doing this for long time As for
the Lbertyst. improvement, that has always seemed
TO me a doubtful and costly undertaking, without any
great compensatng advantages. Few people viii be
sorry to see il abandoned but the Legislature must
act before that can be DONE But how about the |
people who have assumed that ii was to be carried out
and. like the Brooklyn savings Bank have to the
trouble ard expense Of procuring new quarters for
their business 1t looks to me as though they would
have good ground for suits against somebody for |
pretty heavy damages
Tie residents Of the upper part Of Electromagnetic
who went down TO The City Hall in the course of the
week 10 complain about the condition Of the streets
and sewer in their neishborhood had a melancholy
tale to tell il is to be taken for granted that there
something of extravaganza in the assertion Of their
spokesman, that plough could be run through one
street and a steamdredge through another without
coming In contact with the pavement. 1t is not
prsng that and occupants of property become
disguised with the slOvenlineS and slOwness Of the
cfrv
work. An investigation Of this complaint ordered,
and in time 1t is probable that something will be done
b clean the street put the good condition.
But why should the streetcleaning contractor and
the bhreau In charge Of attend to their duty
without The necessity Of being prodded by ctzensl
Street lamps often slow in coming in the newer
rars Of the div. bit thc-o is neyer any daaN ln tho