New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-11-11
PEOPLES RIGHTS IGNORED.
HOW SOME BROOKLYN STREETS ARE
USED BY CORPORATIONS.
RAILROAD TRACKS TO BE RELAID IN FULTON
sr-RAD WORK OF THE NASSAU ELECTRIC
COMPANY IN cY-AvE.-SUMNER-ANE.
MADE A DUMPING-GRoUND-A GAS
COMPANY's OFFENCE.

Brooklyn's principal thoroughfare Is again under-
going the throes OF repairs to the railroad tracks
This. too. in the portion OF Futon-st. WHICH 10
most used. that below Flatbush-ave Wheh the
new tracks for the trolley cars were iaid Two
years ago or thereabout it was felt and hopeo
that there would not be another disturbance VI
the surface for a long period But these hopes
proved TO have been short-ived. 1t turns out 'hat
the rails then put down were not heavy e"oue"
for the large amount of trafic 10 "hich they are
subjected, and they must be replaced Inc "orh
of making the change is to be done at night as
far as possible but il is inevitable That there WI"
be serious delays to travel. as well as great an,
noyance to every one using Fultonst. for several
weeks to come.
1t is to be hoped that the work Of laying the rails
will be done with greater care this time thah De-
fore For some reason the Brooklyn CITY COM
pany did not secure very smooth tracks when IL
was preparing for the general introduction OF the
trolley There Is a marked difference In smooth-
ness OF running between the cars OF TINS company
and those in operation in De kalb-ave. ana OH
the lines OF the Atlantic Avenue Company. ohe
can test this easily. for instance. by gong u
Bensonhurst or Bath Beach by the line from
Thirty ninth-st. and returning by the one terhiih-
otinp at Thirty-sixth-st One is a Brooklyn City
line: the other belongs TO the Atlantic Avenue
Company The jolting and tossing about OF the
cars on the former are vastly greater than on ,he
latter This may be In part due 10 the srca'e'
pany though this really ought to make theih
steader; but unquestionably the way In whch the
rails are put down has good deal to do with H.
On the broadway and other lines more recently
equipped with the trolley, the rails nave peeh
laid not by workmen In the immediate employ OF
the company, but by special contractors VINO
make a business of doing this work and can turn
out a better job. The consequence Is smoother
track and increased comfort 10 passengers.
The little unevennesses are most felt. OF course
when the moving at rapid speed IN
Fuiton-st where slow progress Is the rnie' 'here
would not be so much complaint as elsewhere Out
1t Is easy see that the smoother the tracks 'he
better for all concerned.
In Sumner-ave. the work OF getting READY LOT
the trolley has been delayed by the dnicuity
OF procuring rails The rails for one set OF tracks
were put down last summer. but then work was
suspended and It has only recently been resumed
During the intervening weeks and months people
living along a part OF this avenue have been SUD
jected TO considerable annoyance from the use
freely made by the company OF their Sidewalks
Without so much as saying by your leave. the
company (or the contractors working Tor III
dumped down rails. cross-ties other timbers iish-
plates and various articles and allowed them TO
remain there for many weeks In places fuiiy
half the sidewalk was occupied by these ODD
s,ructons and at some points paving stones that
had been dug up were also heapcd on ire Sidewalk
The street was really dangerous for pedestrians
|
these piles OF stuff that had no right to be there
Within the last fortnight the work OF laying the
tracks has been resumed and the obsWu'uohs
have been party got out OF the way ON account
OF the rains recently. however. comparatively
slow progress has been made, and one section Of
the avenue has been allowed 10 remain In torn
up condition to one-half OF 1t for consider
able time.
Another illustration OF fragrant disregard OF the
peoples rights is to be found In the neglect OF the
Nassau Electric Railroad Company TO put the
pavement along It's tracks In Marcy-avc. In good
condition. The question OF It's right to the use OF
Marcy-ave. Is yet unsettled. though tho company
now claims TO have secured the requisite number
OF consents and decision has been rendered IN
its favor In the suit which IL brought TO RESTRAIN
the Commissioner OF city Works from interfering
with the tracks II had put down. No matter what
the final outcome OF the company's attempt 10
seize Marcy-avc. may be- steps should be taken
forthwith to cause the restoration 10 their normal
condition OF the pavemcnts torn up. Perhaps the
most shocking result OF the track -.aying IN ms
avenue is to be at liancock-st. IN which
there Is an asphalt pavement To relay broken
asphalt is not easy 10 put back paving
stones and make fairly good job Alongside OF
the tracks at this point are several deep eulhes
which usually filled with mud. owing TO the
liberal OF water by the street sprinklns carts
The mud also abounds after every ra!nstorm.
But the mud is not the worst thing. bad as II IT,
The worst thing Is the gullles themselves which
cause not only violent io to eycryn'dy VINO ir
rcnt If danger TO ali light vehicles Heavy
wagons also have hard time OF II here -
smoothly along Hancock-st. one evening last week.
when this wholly unexpected obstacle was struck
The violence OF the shock and the truck swayed
and swung in an alarming fashion The horses
and made "A desperate effort to escape from the
slough Of despond Finally he got across eros and
then dsmounted first to see whether his horses
had suffered any injury. and second TO ascertain
what could POSSIBLY have capsed such s,roa com,
gave to his feelings freely when he discovered
language indicated that r. the man responsible for
the bad condition Of the paysmc1t had been
the hands OF the angry truckdriver
1T Is an abomnable outrage" said he-ony
city to permit such thing 10 exist. Here was
driving pcaceaby along. when suddenly my truck
corduroy road in the backwoods II viii be a
nSrrcs 40 h not "4 ~R" mat mS
that one OF them brought one OF his feet down on
injury. wonder n couldn't sue the city Tor
damsges If that is the case or the COMPANY
street In such horrible state"
The uptown bicycle riders are complaining
loudly about the pavement al this crossing The
only way to get across II "ih case and comfort
is TO turn well out TO the SIDE and strike the cross
safe side and 30 get down every tino they come
rhe Fulton Municipal Gas Company has also
given rise to complaint In at east one OF the
streets Where II mas rcccmtiy been iaying us
ago. and AT the beginning the men worked dill
gently and made rapid progress. II looked as II
the tearing up Of the street would not last
a day two Then all OF n sudden operations
stopped. at least as regards The restoration
OF the pavement. For considerable distance the
paving stones lie In heaps along the sidewalk. and
y less yawnng gutter marks the place
from which they have been taken. Surely n com
pany which has so many privileges AT the hands
of the city should do It's work rapidly
sble and not allow any block OF a street to
main I'm n torn-up condition for more than forty
eight hours.
The Department OF city Works should give
early attention 10 these matters. Under the Ring
administration II commonly taken for granted
that the people had no rights which corporations
were bound TO respect. But that is what the
people looked for when they elected Mayor Schlcren
n year ago. What does Alfred T. White. Commits
sioncr of city Works. mean TO do about 1t?