New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-06-18
TIE RIPID. TR1NNIT REPORT.

Tho commissioners appointed by the SUI
nreme Court to determine whether or not the
nroposals of the Rapid Transit Commissioners
ought To be carried ont report in the aiirina-
tive. Their approval, il confirmed by the
General Term will empower the Rapid Il rllSit
Commissioners to sell the franchise at public
auction. There is, we suppose, general eX-
mediation that the court will acquicsce, and
consequently that an undertaking OF immense
magnitude and Importance Will be put mo
execution within comparatively snort per'ou.
The conclusions of the Commissioners VIII NOT
satisfy those who have convinced themselves
that the construction of tunnels under great
thoroughfares, and especially under BroadWay'
would endanger the buildings above thcm. IL
must be admitted however. that the Weigh' oi
expert opinion is not on the side OF those VINO
entertain such apprehensions, and certainly
engineering skill is constantly solving PROB
lens which to laymen seem far more compi'-
Gated than this. Nor will those who are DIS
couraged by the prospect OF numerous evils
incident to great public enterprises be soiaccd
by this report. But they ought to reflect that
individual losses, and perhaps universal neon
ycncncc. are necessary sacrifice. kapid
transit is essential to the permanent comfort
and prosperity of New-Y York and nobody has
ever been able to suggest how it can be OBJ
tanned without temporary annoyance.
There are not few intelligent citizens who
are opposed to the tunnel system of transporfa-
tion. without regard to the feasibility of under
ground construction. They do not believe that
such means of conveyance can be made agree
able or even tolerablc. But with abundant OPP
portrnity to make themselves heard they nave
not succeeded in commencing any other sys-
tom IA the approval either of the community
or Of the Commissioners They have been in
q measure consoled by the belief that capi'ai
could not be induced 10 carry out the accepted
plans. and perhaps they are right on that point.
But it is to be noted that the Commissioners,
who have had the best opportunity to TEST that
oboction. believe that il will be overcome.
As for the operation of the tunnel roads, sup
uosing their construction To be assured, cleo
trical experts anticipate no trouble, and re-
sponsible contractors are declared to be ready
to guarantee the requisite power and speed
We have never considered underground
transit an ideal system in this city or else
where But the practical question Is not what
we would like but what We can have. IL Is
conceivable that solid yiaduct through the
blocks might be constructed and operated
and above all so administered financially, as to
Justify and reward tho enormous expenditure
which it would require. If such an enterprise
could be undertaken by tho municipality with
a certainty that it would be carried out with
tho highest skill and with absolute integrity
the arguments in it's favor would he many and
forcible But under present conditions Srch
speculatons are idle. so far aS we can see
one of three courses must be take Tho
elevated railroads must be permitted 10 mo-
nopolize the island, or the proposals OF tine
Rapid Transit Commission must ." accepted.
or the hope of adequate transportation faclI-
ties must be abandoned Neither the first nor
the last OF these choices is acceptable. The
only rational course it seems to us is that
which the General Term will shortly be asked
10