New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-05-05
command OF the marine barracks at the Porfsmou
Navy Yard.
POOR TROLLEY SERVICE.
HOW THE NEW REGULATIONS WORK IN
BROOKLYN.
..,,o, -, ,.oon TIME AS WAS MADE WITH HORSE
CARS STOPPING AT TIE NEAR choSs'N" -"
.,r,sr,,roRY- HOW TO INSURE SAFETY

| c,ps sTopPINd At TIE NEAR CROSSING 'N-
s,r,sr,cronY How TO INSURE SAFETY
II any citizen Of Brooklyn IL entirely S"'S"'"
| v,it, me new method OF running the Ho'o' 49, -
| ,ha, CIV he has thus far concealed MS 'u'n."y'
| r ~ banda there ar. complaints. some OF ,hei'
| -, ana c,uuhntlc that the city nuihoil'"' h"N'
bnnried badly IN attempting to res"'"'' '''o" ""'
| other matters. The figures fr''n'N kN'" ' ~
tho rr.sldcni Of the liroOhlyn lieiEh'H WY wv
,,,,lI ,vatcm show that considerably ho"'' "'"' !"
,,,Ac now than IN the old times when morse" "'o".
,,,i,,t IA native power This n absurd N''"'nH VI
| n t,,d ,yn. I'm the minds Of the people whch uo
| change from horses 20 electric tfac'o" ""H ','','
| They expected not only that the f'''''N "'"''
kent cleaner by keeping the hoiH'H VA W "
also that passengers would he ho'o 10 "'',' "'''
| oxnolitiousv in their journeys ABOUT INC Guy
| =, ,,,s ,alse, for GRANTED that the community
| oe a vhoIe woull require some time TO get "''uS-
| TONED TO the new system, and hence 'here wac ~
great surprise that number Oh "co'u''''' .sn
| Then for a considerable period the casuaiIUe' WIZ
f.,v and far between and It seemed as II the 'uu-
catlye process had gone on long enough 10 p'ou"'.
| tho exnec,od effect and that people gong apfo"u
had learned TO look out for themselves ProDaDy an
wou,d have gone well but Tor the sumo "
caused such a vast amount or trouble Hs tue i''
of that companies employed a large huloe' VI nv
! who were not well fitted for their woiK' imhe"''''
" the list of fatal accidents began TO grow. ana 'e
| Ma,or and Aldermen We're forced by public seh"-
ment or thought they were, 10 take some ao'o' 'o'
| the protection OF the people
| 4, u,as nerhaps TO be expected, they went 100 iar
| rhsra 10 a suspicion abroad that some OF those III
| a,r,or,v were fired with ambition 10 punish the
companies for the treatment or their ola e'hpo'''
during and after the strike IL that Is so, there WAS
an element Of gross injustice in tie ac'ioi, s"0e
two of the companies were not emuarIasSeu ~
strike while the new regulations apply 10 All aim
Not only did the Aldermen undertake TO regulate 'he
| dawn other rules which have been the cause OF
much annoyance TO travellers
Tho ordinance now in operation restricts the speed
| of cars TO six miles an hour within small ''u
OF the Bridge and the broadway ierties' 10 e's'
| miles an hour throughout the greater part OF 're
| ,,,. lint nermits a speed OF ten miles in the new
| wards where the territory Is not closely Duit up
No stopping In the middle OF blocks IL ailo"cu' saw
that in long blocks one stop Is permt'eu d. Po''
designated as u trolley station Another 'ihio''""
change is the requirement that all cars sha' s'o'
at the near crossing" OF streets when If d'rec'S
| contrary TO the rule that has prevailed from time
| immemoral. ~ =.
| No fault Is TO be found with the prohibition OF
| stops except at street corners ana IN 'he huu'e va
lon, blocks for with fewer stops it is easy to make
| het,er time and. moreover. passengers are not De
ing constantly subject to the annoyance OF s'opp'"h
| and starting The sign trolley station mas no"
become frequent one in all parts OF the cny "he'e
| the cars traverse long blocks. The most common
method OF designating 1t IL by painting par u
trolley posts white ana inscribng the words on both
OF them I'm black letters. Elsewhere small signs with
the legend trolley station" are attached 10 ,"e
osts at the point where stop to take on ana let
off passengers ~
The stopping at near crossings only mas Obvious
disadvantages. ON the lines Of the brooklyn '"y
Company the effect has been ~ cause passengers 10
make large use Of the front platform and front door
for iugress and egress When the car Is halted the
front platform IS or should be on line with 'he
crosswalk. and when the system Is Thoroughly I'M
derstood people travelling by the street cars wiz
suffer no great Inconvenience But on some VI inc
other Ines 1t is different Here the rule IL mat the
front platform shall be kept inc,osei ON each Side.
and Of can enter or depart al th"t emu
Of tho car In fact cars IN use tn brooklyn nave
been built with the dashboard running clear aiou"'
10 the body OF the car on the night hand sde and
reconstruction Of that part OF the vehicle VIII W
necessary II passengers ara 10 use the 'front.' noof
| In consequence OF the new rule, the rear platform
is left ten or nfteen feet away from the cross"hk
and the Iuc kess passengers have 10 trudse thf""k
| mud IA wet weather and dust In airy. III ofd"r I"
| reach IT, willis IN stepping OF II car on dark hgh'
| the chances more than even that an uhp"ah"''
descent into pool Of water may follow ~ INA
rule Ii maintained. how VIII u woih curing the
winter when there happens To DO ~ SNOWFALL ana 'he
fnow II hoapod alongside tho tracks IA tho usual
manner? Even IA good weather there IN he"d "'
apccial walks 20 enable passengers 10 mako th'
|
tho Aldermen 10 order tho required nngston'' "nd
have them laid at nm early day.
ia connection with tho new rules ono remains II
DO mentioned. THIS iorbds any person TO fdc "'
the front plntfofm Ia consequence smoker" arr
ro.gntcd 10 the rear PLATFORM from which. IA the
door IN frequently opened. the smoke from pipes
cigars and cigarettes circuln's freely through th'
car, TO the annoyance OF those who object to the
smell OF burning tobacco and paper. and where th'
front door ~ Theoretically sealed all passengers Ell
terlng or leaving have 10 run the gauntlet OF snok
ers The only remedy for this would appear TO be
y the running Of special smoking cara or the attach
= ment to some OF the regular cars OF small carr
specially designed for smokers
: To come now to the question Of speed. There arr
those who contond that tho companies are more
y than obcying the new ordinance: that they are run
ming the cars slower than Is necessary In order 4
o | make the ordinance unpopular and lead TO its re
peal or amendment Whether that Is 10 or not. II Il
certain that the public IL complaining bitterly hbou
the loss OF time occasioned by the present method
operating the cars The effect is plainly seen In th
number OF passengers carried by the elevated road
at all hours the day. When the trolleys were frs
put operation the elevated roads suffered grea
. loss OF passengers During and since the strike the
| have been making up for those losses TO some eN
~ tent. No one will now take a trolley-car, unless h
% has all the time there is. II an elevated train Is Il
q reach. The trolley service has become wholly un
a satisfactory. Said weknown clergyman day o
y two ago:
" Last night had occasion TO go by car to a Ger
g tain part OF the city which / have often visited
20 In the old days when we had horsecars 1t neve
d / have often gone in twenty-five. But under III
present rules 1t took fully thirty-five. and mar
e, rowly escaped being late. 1t Is absurd to suppos
a that Brooklyn will submit TO such restrictions lone
:, When got the trolley we supposed we wer
"a going 10 be able to travel with some reason
J. able degree OF speed. AS II Is we only cree
along have heard the same complain
J. from a good many other people; Then agar
/ must say that l don't like the ne'
E method OF going fast between streets and the
IF holding up sharply at the CROSSINGS II almost mad
me seasck last evening. This whole matter show
go | one thing plainly enough. There are people VIII
III think we will reach the end OF our difficulties
r. some directions II we can only have municipal Owl
no crship Of street railroads Well this shows what
~ might expect II that should ever come about. Sc
what a botch the City Fathers have made In simpl