New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-03-14
RAPID TRANSIT PLANS.
COMMISSIONERS HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING.
MANY SCHEMES SUGGESTED AND ADVoCATED

MANY SCHEMES SUGGESTED AND hpNOOhAED
BY INVENTORS AND PROMOTERS.
Tho RAND Transit Commissioners gave public
hearing yesterday afternoon ana placed on lac io'
future consideration number OF schemes Ior 'c
solution OF the problem they endeavoring to solve
The mans were presented by ardent and enthusiastic
advocates who all received equal courtesy from inc
Commissioners But the fertility OF Invention IN de-
vices for quick transportation In NewhorK Is Simply
enormous and the cXpcdients suggested are increasing
SO fast that at the present rate of progress the Com
missoners should be able 10 supply transit pans
10 most OF the cities in the Union.
The Commissioners allowed the City Railway COM
DAILY to take a generous share OF the time yesterday
This company has certainly devoted much LABOR anu
expense to the work. for it able TO show eiaDoiae
drawn plans and pictures and finely finished mouei
as well. J. Coleman DTayton spoke for IT first. lie
said in part:
At YOUR last meeting it laid down as fundi
mental proposition By very eminent counsel tIde
electricity could not be considered an e:aGtnou nenr
in the solution OF the rapid,transt problem hc m
OF the opposite opinion and 1rny cOlVnGIeu' h w
only that The problem has been solved, pGo 'ia a in
the best way and the only proper method lOr USE III
system OF rapid transit for New-lofk to-day, "Vu u
suggest that should not offer evidence upon lin
point, but that if this Commits on tn ~ Won
To 20 into that question would suggest Una. So'
lies on the subject Of electricity and the general
management Of railways and "olid suggest d lUi r
Professor Thomson, of Boston, and George mG n
house Ir, of Prttsbrg These three ssne mel,
way tacton than all the other interests in the world
combined. As the financial features a. tney %i
lie further discussed Ut this ard perhaps future eeg
ings | would merely state that the plan pfopo.eea
OF purchasing the property in copgested poruGs Oh e
civ and constructing the railway II tie baseneht
without interfering IN any way with its usefulness
for dwelling or business purposes; tnJ S
shaowness OF the excavation the rapidly WIFI winch
the be built, are features when VIII, al"
convinced on careful aSse 1e aUH
plans from a financial point OF view.
Then Professor Trowbrdge, of Columbia College, read
@ paper The City Railroad Company proposes 10
strike Just medium between deep excavation and the
overhead railway by making subway 50 near TIE sur
face that a roof Or covering resting upon hea'y run
giIders makes it merely a covered way ana mol SUI
terrancan line The line, when 1t passes through
blocks will occupy the basement stories Of buildings
Tart of what Professor lrOwDrldSe eau III eAPaHato
OF the plan is as follows
The company has assumed that four-tlack ROAD Is
Indispensable, Two tracks being intended 1ol way Trains
Tor express trains, what are Familiarity AlOwn as
ponts and conflicting he Journey hom Battery 70
iigh Bridge, say eieven ana hat nilGi III Ill Ho ne
twenty live minutes, ana that uls double mug shaI! De
ton OF the city, shah afford access 10 te Nest Sido
neXed district to Long Island sound, ehecung as many
connections possible al It's terminus ana Oh us route
plan nom the Battery Thirty fourth-st is that OF
a subway railway occupying the basement story On
'as bu M Be " eS ThccSgG WITH
proof structures. Along this part Ca iAe roEte tlo
Pbe Of right OF way through the blocks, Including the
buildings and hndS ire proof nsGsS oelng Uc
c,sary These buildings, owned by the company
and built generally in muen more sHo,1snosb mas az
ncr ami more capacOus than those now occupying 'ic
blocks will constitute an important par OF te prop
erty o. the company when the whoe Is In'1Ltn dod 70
The bridge across the Harlem Rlvei Is MtenVeu %
be Of well balanced design similar t Ihe eAstns "s
ington Bridge aud II VIII form an eMcs G vcStcuar
.rSnt as 10 the Boulevard or Broadway. The plat
In
express and way tracks, so that passengers NAV eA
as their journey may require by crossing tAe pldto
70 the right left of the line but In other respects
identical with the express stations
Professor Trowbrdge said that the grand TOTAL COST
Of the line estimated at S57 ,o23,ell'
Colonel Hazard made some suggestions for moan
cation of the plans submitted by the CITY halfway
Company. His suggestions were IN SUMMARY
The suggested changes would result III sx-uach
subway railway below Forty second ST., instead oi d
four.track line. much-needed BIoadway ,eas
would he provided, the development ana d
of sevent-ave would be secured and an easter glaog
established upon the difficult part OF 's Int c"par
lively small additional expenditure and win, as DC
ieve a disproportionatey large increase III revenue.
Jacob H. Schulz, of the firm OF huhn' LoeD d Co''
,aners smoke on the general financial question in re-
card 10 rapid transit lie advocated the carrying OUT
At the city's expense of whatever plans might Do
adopted.
William Walter presented system for railway
cable electric motors, with provision lor al "Hos'
pipes, etc. .,,, -.
John Kyle Coett, of Brooklyn, had a big bundle OF
nlans in regard 10 suspended railway for convenient
transit and rapid transit" lie couldn't eI WHAT
his system would cost. The Commissioners told MN
TO send them his plans with written explanation
Ernest Wenigmann Of No. ll0 MAIDEN Lane, pro
nosrd an archWay system through the blocks. Con-
Tsble Brothers engineers and architects, sent IN sus
gcsons system involving the DIVISION oi INC CITY
Frank ]. sprague spoke in favor Of the Greathead
system OF all iron tubular underground way WiIh
eieclrcity for the motive power. l. GTaham UroDe
snhniitfcd his views In favor OF a duplex sysGhl-d
combined surface and underground eiecUric railway
operated from one power stauOi ,-- -..,...,
The Commissioners III executive session appomted
within r. Wnrthen an engineer and EDWARD OBrlcii
Jerk John NJ. Bowers, their counsel, eaVsea
them that there no foundation Ia law lof tno
I'm NJ the Ncw-York and NewJersey Bridge Com
nnV that Under It's charter it could construct RAPID
transit system under gne of approaches 70 us brdge
"Tba Ranid Transit Commission VIII hOld ahOllGl
,iiic meeting on Friday March 20, at p. H.