New-York tribune., 1895-12-16
AFFAIRS IN BROOKLYN.
ROSSITER on BRIDGE PLAZA.
rur PRESIDENT OF THE BROOKLYN
HEIGHTS COMPANY STATES HIS CASE

CIsrD-wHAT THE ROAD WANTS IN TIE
WAY OF TERMINAL FACILITIES
president Rossiter, OF the Brooklyn Heights
P,ilraad Company was asked by a reporter yes
,erday 1, he had anything to say in reply to the
,ecently published interviews with the Mayor and
others on the subject Of the attitude OF the Brook
lvn Heights company on the matter Of the Bridge
plaza.
Mr. Rossiter replied that he did not cage 70 be
involved in a newspaper controversy inasmuch
as the application Of the Heights company to the
Bridge trustees was h matter OF record; that the
committee had spent six months in considering
the matter during which time it had given several
public hearings. and that by this time the public
was familiar with the actual facts about the mat
ter.
However" said Mr. Rossier. 81 wish to empha-
size one phase Of the matter very plainly. At
one of the hearings before the Bridge trustees
made this statement: That this company II good
faith some years ago purchased a strip OF land
seventy-one feet in width. fronting on Sands-st.
and running through T. Highest. for the purpose
Of establishing stand for the cars OF the
COMPANY and to meet the requirements OF the
nublic This land was taken by the trustees OF
the Bridge and now forms part Of the plaza. and
am told that assurances were given at that time
that the railroad company would be permitted 70
have terminal facilities at the new entrance OF
the Bridge when completed. This statement was
Immediately Challenged bv Mr.. Henriques who
insisted it be struck from the records Of the
meeting. The matter was also referred 20 before
tho legislative committee the other day and in
stead % inviting me before the committee to give
the proof of my assertion the committee. strange
20 say. only brought out testimony on one side OF
the plaza question and after allowing bassed wit
resses t. cast aspersions upon certain Of the
Bridge trustees and the Brooklyn Heights man
agement. discontinued the investigation.
NOW I was not a resident Of Brooklyn a. the
time the understanding Of which speak was
made. but as said before the Bridge trustees. I
have been informed that the understanding ex-
s,ed and the proof OF the existence Of such an
understanding is not matter Of anybody's recol-
lection bu; matter OF actual record As stated.
the Brooklyn City company owned part Of what
is now known the Plaza. in order to obtain pos
session Of which the Bridge trustees We're obliged
p get special legislation at Albany. At the time
they first made application for legislative authof-
itv The mater remained undetermined. ana az the
suggestion Of the Legislative committee experts
were appointed TO look into the matter OF new
terminals and 70 make recommendation. ms
suggestion was favorably acted upon ny the
Rrldge trustees and n committee Of experts was
appointed in 1890 by the Mayor Of New oik ana
tho MavOr Of Brooklyn. who. after advertising 10y
rians and investigating the same. on January 10.
1891 made certain recommendations. one OF ~nch
was as follows:
the Bridge for all classes Of its traffic the entire
block bounded BY High Sands and Fulton SITS TO
the Bridge station should be acquired and opened
as a plaza The plaza would afford ample ingress
and egress for the roadways and suitable trmi-
nails for the Fulton-st surface railways
Il particularly call attention 10 this section OF
the committees report for IL was upon that re-
u1rt that the Legislature gave the necessary au-
thor.tv for the condemnation Of the land owned pY
the Brooklyn City Railroad Company. and 1t was
un0n the assurance Of the recommendations con-
tained in that report that the Brooklyn city com
pany made no effort to prevent the passage OF ne
special legislation. or 10 resist the cohuTIiha
proceedings authorized by that legislation. Ihat
j. the assurance which ! referred 10 IN the near
ing before the Bridge trustees and leave II 10
any tair-minded man to saE whether the company
was not justified. in view Of these facts IN expect
ing that terminal facilities would be afforded II
Us patrons al the Bridge entrance. II Is strange
that Mr. Schieren, who voted as member OF the
bridge trustees 10 permit the elevated railroads
- erect their structure over the plaza should now
be SO violently opposed 10 allowing iew leel OF
the plaza 10 be occupied by the surface rail-
roads ,,-. {. ..,o~o,,
Now. as 70 one other matter. Mayor Scheren
4xDresses great surprise that | should have told
him that our company could get all the material
and debris cleared from the plaza in three or four
DAYS and adds that this statement OF nlne was
another proof of a great mysterious lnnuehcr
somewhere do not wish 10 charge the Mayor
with pervertng the truth, bat the fact is that
al that time the Mayor sad TO me that II the
Heights company would withdraw their plan uhlli
the plaza was cleared of material ne the Mayor
world At once bring the matter up at a meeting
of the Bridge trustees and vote TO make uecl-
sion After this statement was made twice
told the Mayor that IL that was all that delayed
the action Of the trustees. the brooklyn helghts
company would undertake u permitted, 70 put on
2 force of men and work night and day 70 remove
all Of the iron and material that oDstructed ,he
rlaza and store il on their terminal on the
north side Of Sands-st. This was simple ana
b-sinesslilxe proposition which probably every
IA fa
could be cleared away. but II j. iihcult 10 say
wherein the offer could he m.sconstrued.
Il have only 10 add that in this matter TO Sc
cure terminal facilities on the plaza the action
and attitude Of the Brooklyn Heights company
from the start has been STRAIGHTFORWARD, man "
and businesslike. II has attempted 70 get the de-
-d Sacflitiae for the convenience Of its patrons:
4, has sought in every proper and legitimate way
10 pers1ade the Bridge trustees that the best IN
terests of the public demanded that the surface
railroads be granted equal facilities al the brldgs
terminal with those already granted 10 the cle-
waited railroads. We have no DOUBT that thiS
would be the opinion % every unbiased cltlZ-h
Who would 20 10 the plaza and look the present
situation in that locality. We nave no douDt az
TO the eventual result OF our apphcatlon. Nestner
.ba Navor's prejudice nor the antag gonism or the
elevated railroads viii be sufficient 10 witnhold
what eventually the demands Of the people OF
Brooklyn who use the surface railroads VIII coil- OIL
nj We are willing 70 leave the matter IN the
ha,;ds of our patrons They are the ones most
Interested and they are the ones VINO aiter
winters inconvenience in crossing anu IrcIos, Is,
ING the nlaza in order 10 get 20 me surface ran
ass .,,s trarks will make their opinions felt"
DEsPITT USED HIS KNIFE IN THE FIGHT
Nicholas w Woods. nineteen years old. OF NO
ss7 Sixteenth-st.. was riding on Fh,n-"Ne. eie
,,a ,rosr with several friends. when he got into
o,,orrol with five or six Italians. The conductor
succeeded in stopping the disturbance but when
woods and his companions left the train at Ninth
8, N. Italians followed them and the quarrel was
roreuyed When about one hundred feet above
a
,,,.t aro,, . knife and stabbed Woods in the
chest .,..,a.oo c,.rooo, cood-
" OD- 1 .o,o],.ed 10 the Sencv Hospital where II
yae found that he not seriously nun" DcHP'''
and three other Italians were arTes'eu'