Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-10-03
SIDEWALKS IN AIR.
A Suggested Means of Relieving
Pittsburg's Crowded Streets.
HARRY METZGAR'S LITTLE SCHEME
One Way to Give Horses, Wagons and
Street Cars Plenty of Room.
THE NUISANCE OF NARROW HIGHWAYS

Superintendent Harry Metzgar, of th'
Central District Telegraph and Printing
Company, offers a remedy for the crowded
condition of Pittsburg streets in the lower
part of the city. Though stranger tC
Mr.. NIetzgar might suppose he was actuateC
to some extent by self-interest, as the tele
phone company is now being put to great
expense in burying its wires, yet such is
| probably not the case, as Mr.. Metzgar state:
that the multiplicity of electric light wires
on the streets compels the burying Of tele-
phone wires to make them effective
Though Mr.. Metzgar's plan might seem
wild to some people, it is worthy of consid,
Grafton in the district between Soho, the
Penn avenue and Butler street fork and the
Point. 1t is that the sidewalks be raised to
the height of the first story of buildings
within this area, and thus give up the whole
of the streets to vehicle traffic, including
street cars. It would have the effect to
double the width of some Streets and make
those of present fair width so roomy that
there would never be any jams. Wagons
could be driven outside car tracks, and
while it would obviate the necessity of
drivers pulling off the tracks about once
every square. at great expense of time, tenn
per and wear and tear of horsefesh and ma
chinerv, the street cars could make better
time and continue to carry the population
of the city long after it had passed the
million mark.
NOT AN EXPENSIVE PLAN.
Stota ro,,11 hn
very expensive, and in the business part of
the city would not Inconvenience property
holders along the line, and would accom-
plish all that elevated roads have done in
New York without the discomfort that they
occasion. Within the limits specified, on
which street cars run, there should not be
any residences except of those who are will
ing to live over stores law offices and ware
houses, and those who thus choose to live
would not be inconvenienced. Some of our
narrowest streets would then make good
ones for business were the present sidewalks
added to their width. Such as Diamond
street would have room for four wagons to
go abreast Processionists might object,
but as they do not turn out every day their
opposition is not worth considering. The
only drawback that suggests itself is that
person wishing to enter store between
squares would be obliged to go to a crossing
ere he could get down, but this difficulty
could be obviated by having recesses in
and stairways from houses to the side
walks.
One reads in Biblical records that 1000
to 6,000 years ago city building was quite
common enterprise. When a family of
consequence swarmed. its male members
went abroad and "builded city," Most of
them were doubtless small affairs. but they
could not have been built on a much worse
plan than the old portion of Pittsburg,
where strangers must carry city map, hire
a guide, or get lost every 90 minutes
CURSED WITH NARROW STREETS.
Though those who laid out the town
bought the lots for few shillings apiece,
they seem either to have had an idea that
the city would never amount to much, or
they did not know how TO lay out a city,
and most of the old cities of the East are
similarly cursed with narrow streets. In
the West, city builders are more provident
and are not so much harassed by modern
municipal requirements.
1t seems strange that modern town build
ers cannot catch on to something better
thau the Roman cloaca. To begin with,
streets should be tunneled to an extent that
a load of hay could be driven
through them. At intervals arrangements
should be made for the opening and
closing of this tunnel in a few minutes to
allow objects even as large as locomotive
to be lowered into them. All building con-
nections with this tunnel should be made
when it is built. All pipes of every de-
scription, telegraph wires and everything
of the kind should be in this tunnel where
breaks could be repaired as easily as above
ground, and then the street should be
finished for all time and any Councilman or
contractor who should even propose the
tearing up thereof for any purpose should
be summarily shot.
GOOD SURFACE DRAINAGE.
There should be no sewers, but perfect
streets and perfect surface drainage, and
cesspools should not be tolerated at all.
All garbage and filth offal of every kind
should be removed at least five times week
by the authorities, or rather under
their direction, and should go at once
to fertilizing factory, which in all cities,
when honestly managed, is found to be a
profitable investment. The Offal of Pitts
burg would enrich two or three counties,
but we dump it into the rivers and foul
them while farmers send around Cape Horn
for guano. In model city sickness would
be almost unknown and crime would be
greatly decreased.
But PIttsburg Is not likely ever to be eN-
tensively remodeled, at least, not IN the
time of the present generation, and +he
present problem is how to get more street
room downtown. Mr.. Metzgar's plan seems
to be the cheapest. With the sidewalks
elevated (and the elevation should extend
all along Carson street, on the Southsde,
also) and Sixth avenue run through Hard
scrabble to Second avenue, so as to relieve
congestion, this city would be compara-
lively comfortable one to live in and the
value of most of the property increased one
and transportation companies
and owners of teams should be willing to
bear a considerable part of the cost of max
ing the sidewalks.
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