New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-07-12
RAPID TRANSIT LESSON.

x,t In all things do we beat all creation In
some important matters other countries now
and then surpass us. Our boosted enterprise
lays behind. Our fertile and daring Invention
becomes n scrvllc copyist. To our new form Oh
ballots for example, we give the name OF Aus
tralian in recognition Of cur having borrowed
4, though Australia itself had II ut second manu-
ve are inst learning what European cities long
have known and practised. that the way To Keep
s,rects clean g TO prevent their becoming dirty
Good roads a new thing here. are old IN other
lands The present week has seen the first triai
horo of a strcetcar system with underground
electric wires instead Of overhead, and engineers
ore watching the operation Of u with Keen III
forest But In at least one great European cap
i,,l such n system has been In successful work
inc FOR wears and is rs familiar and well estao-
Iished MS are the trolley lines In Brooklyn
Another even more striking example IL AFFORD
al hv the new underground railroad III LONDON
Here we have been for years discussihs 'ne
,e,sIbili,y Of such thing suffering untold
mlserics for want Of 1t or some adequate transit
system. yet doing practically nothing 'owaru It's
re,,,zation. How many objections have been
urged against IT. II costly: IL wou"
meyer nav: and capitalists would never Invest IN
he.
T., ,,dng it. IL would he dark. damp. SUMO
catl.s. so thar few people would ride on IT, ANU
:, an Such has been the tone OF us go-aheau
Yankees But what conservative 'o"
going John Bull j. meanwhile dong
The new London road Is now fuiiy piahh'"'
copItallsts are freely subscribing to It's shares.
Work will presently be begun. ana IL Is ih'ehu'
ed that the completed road shall be opened ior
uuhlc traffic by the end Of lS's. IL Is 10 Dc SiA
and a half miles long. running from Sheph'ra
Rnsh 10 I.yrrpool-st through or uh"'i NV
very heart Of London. The contractors ''r
hound 10 build II for Sl6,220,oV0, lhcinui"S '''
nurchase of all necessary land. ~ VIII cost
s7,u O.u a year 10 work II. with ~ minute h'au-
way train service. Al pence GEMS l''''
and 100000 passengers year on rae" n''''
the profits will pay per cent on dcpch'"re STUN
anil , ucr cent on share capital. with margin
~ | per cent over or course that isn't Ike !" OF
: ar 10 per cen, on enormously watered stock.
I'm, British capitalists regard 1t as quite sats'
factory.
<ov os 10 the other objections offered IN New
y,rk The streets Of London are not To De torn
mn in the least degree. That would not DE en-
durcd on such thoroughfares ~ oxforu-S'' anu
uoborn along or under which the road Is 10
RIM Not In one place will the surface De broken
The company will buy private property, houses
and lois AT intervals Of 4 quarter To half mile
along the route; buy them and pay Tor mem
Think Of that. On those lots SHAFTS VIII pe
sunk. and from them the tunnel VIII be- con-
s,r,c,od Later those lots will he utilized as
,ho s,,.s Of stations SO that not an inch ~ pub
n. nroncrty above ground will be- occupied
That is enough to make street and park grab
bling Ncw.York railroad mans hair stand on end,
Isn't 1t:
There will be two tunnels, each consisting of
an iron tube ~ feet In diameter. The roadDw
will be solid as bedrock. and the rails VIII be-
unusually heavy, weighing 100 pounds To the
yard. These conditions Will permit the running
OF heavy trains NJ high speed with little noise
or vibration. Trains Of seven cars. carrying 'S'b
passcngcrs- n seat for cach-will be run on
ois minutes Roadway. making the whole trip IN
% minutes, "A speed Of about l5la miles an hour
including stops. The motive power will bc cleo
tricity. freeing the road from smoke. gag, elm
dcrs etc. and the cars. stations and entire tun-
ncls will be brilliantly lighted by the same agent
OuIck running elevators will he used Ut all sta
tions 10 convey passengers down and up.
Such Is the London scheme. Every important
affection offered Ia such one In this city Is
fully answered and both capitalists and cngi-
nccrs are proceeding with fullest confidence In
the practicabllity and success Of It There Is no
doubt that 1t will succeed There Is no doubt
that such road would succeed In this city. The
question IL, How much shall New-York lag be-
hind London? Shall we wait until that road Is
finished and In full operation before we SO much
as begin ours