The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-01-14
RAPID TRANSIT.
Common Sense Consideration OF Facts All
That Is Needed to Give It to Us.


That Is Needed to Give It to Us.
To THE EDrron OF The SuS-Sir: Why
should the newspapers-THE Sun being the
sole prominent exception within my knowl-
e~dgs-hesitate to express the deliberate
opinion current among the great majority OF
railroad travellers in this city. that the Il"
system Is the one and only correct solution OF
the rapid transit problem for this city? THE
Sun has the logic Of the situation. Have other
papers become 80 used to abusing any and
everS enterprise associated with the name Of
the late Mr.. Gould that they are afra!d.t to voice
public opinion lest they lie called "inconsis-
tent! Or Is II through sheer cowardice that
they continue to talk Of stills and to de-.
nouncc the "octopus"p
Why should not the application OF common
sense and a recognition Of actual conditions
control our judgment in the matter OF rapid
transit rs well as in other important affairs?
A prominent member OF tho West side Tax
payers Association said to the writer n
year ago: Who cares who furnishes us with
whath 1fa t.e in ss IanS as S Se t fst G i, G! me G e
topheles. or any other good financier. so long
as We can ride from one end Of Manhattan
Island TO the other 10 the open air for five
cents.'
The question now is merely one OF facilities
forded opportunity to allow the public to have
rarid transit III the omen air. with means Tor
seating capacity ~ al! travel
lerst 1t is no answer TO charge that tho Nam
haitian. has It's hand on the Rapid Transit
Commission. or whsther it has ignored the
he knows as n matter OF fact that Mr. jay
s sSl'f his s's sn aSFs1aS mss: VI On i have very no s9 desirs
to . bring g any influence to- bear up9n
1 t loS SSmm not only even the II wisdom / s0G oi a iS5
,hs injury, q the Msnhattan i 1t Plii. The
~ 4 Inff krhnltv N L. M will - sN.alt
and in II SIMPLE way. No capitalist will invest
his money in the underground scheme. simply
Of a~rithmeticai calculation
And such the result has proved. There GER
t mindsG f9 Gam n issio ns s az asie T, Q" rms mo si,x h ,5in
the present Rapid Transit Commission That
body has devoted MAN. months to going over
vented any other determination than that
And now that Mr.. Gould's predictions. pure
tai invested. have Leen fulfilled in tho failure
OF capital to touch the underground. franchise.
is the public to be- Kept out of transit facilities
through the bugaboo OF Il naine or any other
mere piece OF folly! As q matter of fact. trave!
detriment to health. irrespective of comfort: it
would impair e%yesicit- even with the best Dos
the best. and even with electro motors. place a
population oil "A million PASSENGERS n day in n
hole in the ground. into. which the most care:
ful engineering and sanitary precautions could
rot prevent the rermeation Of %noNious vapors.
even II these could obNiat" the percolation of
fluids: and while 1t night mean rapid transit
in one sense. il would mean travel through
the peculiar conformation ofthis island. which
is such that at least double twelve o. moro
miles under ground would be Il rart OF tha
daily. lie Of the passenger who desired TO
be shot back and forth from Westchester
suburbs.
The logic OF health. comfort. and experience.
therefore. rs well rs thaE - cold figures. leads
to transit IN the az en- air. II is not - question
as to whether the Manhattan Company could
give real" rapid transit through increased
facilities, Any one at all familiar with the
subject knows that this coqld be readily Rc-
complished il tho opportunity were afforded
that corporation. An Il" TRAVELLER.
NEW ioEK. Jan. l3.