New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-12-27
THEIR ROAD OR NONE.
ARRANGEMENT OF BRIDGE TRUSTEES BY
MAYOR sCHrEREN.
A CASE OF RULE OR RUIN IN MANAGEMENT
ARGUMENTS OF RAILROAD PEOPLE FOR AND
AGAINST A TROILEY-THE. FLYNN
sYNDIcAfE's PLAN BITTERLY
OPPOSED BY THE BROOKLYN
HEIGHTS COMPANY.

opposed to the running Of trolley-cars over the
Bridge as the plan get forth In the PROPOSE
ton of the Nassau Electric Railroad Company
which wants to lay tracks on the Bridge road
way and offers to transport passengers Tor
rotbine and file a bond of $3.50, 900 for the per-
formance of a contract. Naturally. the Brooklyn
Heights Company is bitterly opposed to the
granting Of monopoly to Its great rival, MI
FIvnn's corporation. and, Mr.. Howell and Mr.
Keenev are stockholders in the Brooklyn Heights
Company the two facts may be joined signih-
cantly. In this connection some things Mayor
Schieren said Yesterday are interesting
He said the proposed plan was feasible, and the
one thing that would properly accommodate the
Bridge passengers: that II would do away with
the expense and annoyance of the present sys-
tenn. He said there ia plenty OF room at the New
York end for the necessary loop. ana that man
who was among those considered in selecting an
engineer Of the Eastern District Bridge mad told
him that there would be no difficulty In run
ming trollev-cars over the Bridge with a loop at
the New-York end, and that the acquisition Of
more land in New-York City would not be nee
essary.
THE plan is entirely feasible. said Mayor
Schieren, but it will never be adopted by the
present Bridge regime. No plan will that is not
in the interest of certain roads. l don't want to
Keeney. but the truth is the truth. and it is the
truth that any proposition that doesn't emanate
from either Of these two gentlemen never receives
proper consideration by them. The question of a
trolley system on the Bridge was before the
trustees on one occasion. but 1t was in executive
session | wish It had been In open session.
There Is a popular demand for something of the
kind. and the plan would be a great saving for
the city
President Clinton L. Roasiter OF the Brooklyn
Heights Railroad Company says his company
several months ago formulated a plan for run
ming trolley cars across the Bridge. and Its
officers had had informal conferences with
the Bridge Trustees before the Nassau Elec-
trio Railroad Company made its proposition
on Tuesday He said he didn't think that
his company would submit its proposition
now that an offer has been made by another
company. His company's plan. he said, differed
somewhat from the one already submitted IL
didn't provide for extra tracks by the side OF the
present tracks. but over the roadways on an eie-
waited structure. so that the weight Wouiu DC oh
the outer cables. 1900
our plan" says Mr.. Rossiter, did not contem-
plate shutting out all the other roacs from com,
petition nor do believe that the trustees would
allow one company to have the exclusive right 10
run across the Bridge
Mr. Rossiter said that single track over each
roadway would be sufficient and would double the
capacity of the structure, that the Brooklyn
Heights Company ready to extend us INES
wherever there demand. and was Wiling 10
go as far as any other company in paying for
privileges The roadways over which Mr.. Ross-
ter proposes to construct elevated rOaus ior sur
face cars are IS feet and inches wide
II is said that the iron supports on either size OF
the roadway not strong enough to pear tne
strain II they used as elevated railroad Pill
lars and if additional supports were put IN or the
present supports were strengthened the proplem
would be complicated . ..,
President Howell says that recons.ructl1n
would be dangerous: trait the Bridge as IL STANDS
will bear six times It's weight and reserve Oh
one-sixth is necessary for safety.
President Howell believes with superintendent
Martin that trOey-cars can never cross the
Bridge He thinks the cities should build another
bridge for railroads alone ,.,,
Mr.. Rossiter says that If the trustees intimaied
that they intended to open the Bridge to trolley
lines his company would submit proposition at
twenty-fou hours notice. without such an lhti-
ma ton the proposition VIII not be made
THE NASSAU COMPANY'S PLAN.
Albert /. Johnson the constructor Of the Mas
sau Railroad says the company proposes to lay
only one track each roadway, so as to put
in a three-g roved rail with an opening only
three-fourths Of an inch wide for the wheel
hanges so that the wheel tires Of carriages ana
wagons would not slip into them. 1t would
be an easy matter he says, TO put wire net |
ting under the present tracks. so that there
would be no danger Of passenger falng |
each car would be managed by two men, and |
thert would be three ways by which these men |
could stop the car, and even II car got be |
yond control ii would not be more than 100
feet from another car, which would stop the |
runaway without serious shock
In speaking of the question Of interfering with !
the truck and carriage tranc on the roadway, !
Mr.. Johnson says
THE revenue to the Bridge from that source |
Is less than one-twentieth OF that from the |
other sources, or as cents to 81. The number |
Of md
increases to 1000 day. | have had the trucks |
and wagons counted on Broadway Fulton-st.
and the Bridge the busiest points for an en- |
tire day. On the Bridge there were 1,50O from |
New-York to Brooklyn. 1900 from Brooklyn to |
New-York. At Broadway and Ccrtlandt-st.
there 32A0 up and $3.50 down on Fulton |
St and Myrtle-ave. 1,2l7 one way and l55 the
other, which goes to show that the trucks !
would be better off on the Bridge than they are
on either Of these other two great thorough /
res. because less ,nconvenienced by going in
the same direction with cars and not subject /
to the cross-street dangers on the other two /
thoroughfares just mentioned. IT does not |
seem to that the convenience of several /
hundred thousand people should be permitted |
to suffer by so few a number Of trucks"
INCOME WOULD BE INCREASED
Mr. johnson says that it would not be proper !
for any other company to operate its cars on the !
Bridge if the Nassau Company gets privileges
there. The loading and The unloading of the
cars at the terminal he thinks. would not be
difficult problem Mr.. Johnson AYERS that the |
Bridge trustees could. II they desire TO.
tinue the present rate of fare and thinks that !
the Bridge management would have 81 100000
as net income at the end OF the year. in
stead of a paltry 900 100000. at
present" A fare of a penny, he thinks. would
be a good thing with free transportation in
the near future. The increase of value Of real
estate, he says, would increase the city's tax
revenue. He says that under the company's
plan SO. 900 people an hour could have seat room
on the cars going from New-York City and an
equal number the cars leaving Brooklyn
ALLOWING the people to stand" Mr.. Johnson
says twice that number could be carried"
General Jourdan. the president of the Kings
County Elevated Railroad. says a person should
be able to get into the In East New
York and ride to Harlem without change. but
he says 1t will be impossible to operate the
Bridge on the present tracks by the troll
ley system. because II cannot be depended upon.