New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-11-21
AS JOHN II. STARIN VIEWS IT.
THE PROBLEM BEFORE THE RAPID
TRANSIT COMMISSION.

/ \ ROAD MI - bE B Ill ~ lNNDl.r. Ffsri'h'
A. WELL. A. PASSENGERS ONE THAT WILL
10 AWAY WITH MOST or TIRE TRUCKING
so HALFWAY MEASURES WILL 10.
The Rapid Transit Commissioner. held an execn-
tive session yesterday AZ No. 80 Broadway Those
present Commissioners Orr. Low. Clatiin,
Stclnway and Inman.
chief Engineer William Barclay Parsons sub
mitt"i maps and plans OF the along the
propos-i underground routes and Of the new sew
-rs which those routes would make necessary
Henry x. Beekman resigned counsel 10 the
board h. Ia wing been elected to the superior court
bench.
BY resolution the firms Of Parsons Shepard 4
| ogden and Tracy. Boardmsn x Plat APP
pointed counsel to the board. beginning with Janu-
AIRY J.. 1885
The following letter was received Icy President
orr from Commissioner John II. Starin. who has
gone Europe:
In y"w of my ansrnce from the city for snort
time. during a period when matters '; mpvltdhc'
Will doubtless be considered by the Board Of Rapid
Transit Commissioners, ANA b-ca1I@" II VIII b. I'M
losslbl" Tor M 10 take par III me 'I9Ju. oaH ."
IN" sghj"ci II l. possibly not intppropriatt ma
should ~" submit 10 my associates the opinions
/ mold regarding a Rapid Transit system for New
York ely. beleye that rapid transit und ls.
>Aoud consist vi not iess than four tracks OF stand
ard gauge. all one level am NOT in favor Of
explained II 1t is decided there shall b. four
tracked West side line and four-tracked East
|
opinion that d singh four-'rack road below Four
tcen,hst would be- inadequate to absorb thu traffic
tracks upon the half number would result In con
g"s'on Tor it is evident that the business Of eight
favor in general thu lines adopted by the last
Commission namely. four-irlck up Broadway and
track line the East Side extending beyond the
arem Ryrr Thr Eln-st route %'ni , seem n 10
Side line below Fourteenth-st. II for new and far
better reasons than have yet been advanced Il y
| decided that broadway cannot be used for four
track road below Fourteenth-st., although I'm
strongly In favor Of this route for the Rapid Transit
choice would be the f;m-st route for the East side
line ant line through streets parallel to and close
believe however. that Broadway can and ough.
20 br taken for the man or st side line DO not
consider the question Of vaults ana sewers as very
s"iiOus The street. from houselne to housellne.
beet Is-. II veults are he taken for the under
ground road some broadway property owners viii
necessarily suffer Inconvenience. But the rights of
IN" f'w must Weld 10 the general good The posi-
biiti"s 81 an underground road in the city have, IN
my opinion. been never iuIly r"hlized by th- pup
lc 1h~ underground road which New York ought
To-. and ultimately VIII have. mus, be planned on a
/, should not be n~fe passenger road Il ought
90 b., a railroad a railroad calculated 10 carr!
al tn internakcomm@rce OF ihe city. II should
J." tr%ck par. Sp Td sa nT tlery wagon
| II should b. NOR" IMAM a m"r" sub-suriace artery
traversing the city north AMI south. Il must be
do most Of the traffic IN passengers ana freight now
carried On upon the surface. and OF such size and
ear in Chicag, or ST Louis or other distant point
ana no, l,- rrnur.d 10 change cars until he reaches
Tn. station in the Underground road IN New York
n',nnrI hat freleh, could be- billed locked and
sealed At the underground receiving station and
the country without breaking bulk
The construction ought 20 he made OF not i'Ss
than four tracks. contained in on wsli-venihated
thoroughly lighted tune. 70 avoid the noise AMI
other discomforts Of Il narrow. separate tunnel tor
each OF tracks All the tracks should be de-
voted during the day to passenger traffic. whle
AZ night one-h ar the number would seIve. and the
other MALI could BE- used for freight enilrey ,..n,
Hundreds OF thousands OF dollars are ahniah t
expended in Newiork for transporting malls WIN,
in The Ely limits WIN hf prim,' i,r nmsa,e s ann
o, money is also annually expended by the eApress
from one portion OF the city TO thr o,het Oy VIZ
ons. proper Underground system would provinS
FOR the transfer OF the mails and express matter
far more economically. eApeiitlousiy ana auVa' ~
tageously The disappearance from our sarees ~, o.
result in increased comfort and convenience TO al
citizens The trucking OF this city mas reacne1
such PROPORTIONS that the streets are congested
from morning till night. The business Is constantly
the Increase. and the time Is nor iai dlstam.
problem and demand solution ms haPii iians'
commission solve the problem now; Dthe n
The rivers and the harbor are filed win INES
OF lows and carhoats Transporting cars anu tai
road freight around the city 10y me SLOW GvT Th
New-York Central Railroad maintains re,sn.
station At ST Johns Park anH mas .l''' ', fh
city. dragging long trains OK cars Ioauel WIN
horseback. waving red nag to warn pedestrians
and others TO clear the tracks This is the print
tiv. system at present In vogue bs Wh'ch Ii'lsh.s
is handled In our great and progressive city ana
goods that are hurried over the finest roaus ana
by the fastest locomotives In the "orid 70 tie DOT
iers or New York are Obliged 10 crawl throush our
streets to reach their destination a ane sosnh 81
cents more a ton ior Transporting . h;r
freight IN this cty and around ms oy 70 ~
this commission should be planned w embrace anu
comprehend the whole subject ~ passenger ana
freight traffic OF the city OF New, ork irosis .
should be- made for carrying the niteh states
mails The express companies could build tunnels
connecting with the storage vaults anu aiei losu
ing their could r9 them 10 the nam n"e 'o'
Tha roads approaching the city from New-Jersey
which now load their freight FOR distribution Dy
trucks might load upon cars ior uasieI ot ~, J
underground road various points In this CITY anu
h.voni Wholesale drygoods houses ana similar con-
Germs might send large portion or their Eoods owe,
the connecting system OF uidris vh,i 'orrar
mar, ~ m. commerce OF the city could De trans
ported on the underground road. apd the traiIc IN
the streets ~ the city would thereby DC maoe coih-
paratiVe.y free ana clear. -, .. ...u.
of dayelopmert that the proposed system OF uiuer-
ground railways can be operated ny eiec.IGy ,, a.
same mower could ventate and light the tunnels
and provide safeguards against acciaents -" .ne
iires so that every imaglnapi opJecuo" Will "p'A
actual liberation Immediately disappear.
The IN 1lment OF this idea far from pein& I'M
nossitl. does not TO me seem even very, uHcut
The pl.ni would propose must comprehena sucn an
idea i'm its inception. a doubie-dech ro"A - @P
parentiy out OF the question ,.n,
7 recognize the difficulty or the undertaking.
oso appreciate the seriousness OF the trust placed
in tho hands OF this commission. i feel that nere
il an implied limit OF expenditure, oeyonu "M mS
the pubic demands that we should not pass, Inc
powers placed In the hands OK TINS M thaU, "a
orinus matter The voters Of the city have by
large majority confirmed the trust imposed on us