New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-01-02
two Tammany majors now in charge of the bat
talon. zone OF whom is ofiiceholder." would be
retired to private life GUARDSMAN.
New-York. Jan. J, 1895.
OBJECTIONS TO UNDERGROUND ROADS.
A CALL FOR RAPID TRANSIT BY MEANS OF AN
ELEVATED SYSTEM.

OBJECTIONS TO UNDERGROUND ROADS.
A CALL FOR RAPID TRANSIT BY MEANS OF AN
ELEVATED SYSTEM
To the Editor OF The Tribune.
Sir: The following objections occur to me, on
reading the engineers report to the Rapid Transit
Commissioners, in reference to a system OF roads
for this city:
!. The adoption OF the old cumbersome under
ground scheme" Will kill the movement. II per-
sisted in
3 The powers given to the Commissioners arc
far too great and would keep capitalists from en-
tering upon its construction under their dictation
with all the risks attached.
g. II constructed at the cost estimated 1t could
not pay interest upon the bonds. to say nothing
of the / per cent sinking fund, at scent fares,
which It would be Obliged to adopt. in competition
with other systems
T. II could not accommodate more than -oooO
of the 100000 people should have when it was
completed provided they make Fifteen minutes
time to Harlem" Il could not make
many way stops" AMI would be run main
" for the benefit OF the people above
One hundred-andtw twenty hfth-st., where a sparse
population exists. And. further, | assume that
they can never build four tracks underground up
Broadway successfully.
,. The proposed road runs underneath. or con-
tlguous to. three elevated roads, as well as the
electric surface roads, horse-car lines and the
steam roads, all Of which would be competitors
G. We could never have general system or
underground roads sufficient to accommodate the
people of New-York. both north and south east
and west, without expenditure OF S2NOpwo at
least.
Z An electric elevated road is just being COM
peted in Chicago today which has bought its
way through blocks. the cost of which structure
will not exceed $4,000 per mile Of two tracks, IN
stead OF s2500CO0 for thing that Is liable TO
damage the property all along the line by sap
ping the foundations OF buildings, interfering with
sewers. gasppes. steampipes, electric wires. ETC.,
underground
g. The system would greatly incommode all our
population. who would be obliged. frequently to
change from underground to surface and elevated
lines to complete their journey home, paying TWO
fares instead OF one. besides the discomfort ana
delay OF changing while complete elevated sys-
tenn would keep them all on one level and cost
one fare
Q From what | have observed. this has been
a scheme from the beginning for eXpendihg large
amounts Of money. without regard to its ever pay
ing the city back one cent. and not giving us a
general system OF transit. even then. that Wouid
accommodate all our inhabitants Let US stop ,his
t. If the old commission had laid out sys;;
tenn of elevated roads along the water fronts ana
across the city from ferry 20 ferry, entirely inde,
pendent OF the Manhattan system, cdpltal slooI
ready 10 build the road. ut cost Of not exceed,
INK SsocOCo per mile fully equpped and this would
have given us sixty miles Of YOad instead OF n
teen. and In one-fourth OF the!time IT would take
Ia construct even the fifteen miles OF underground
road now proposed: and 1t would nave been now
running -, IT.. -,
10 ali these objections must be added those OF
the nroperty- holders on the line of Broadway
and elsewhere whose foundations would be dread
fully Affected as well az the business on the sur
face during It's construction. upsettng the cry
ira fic for an Indefinite period. In word' the
whole thing Is thoroughly impracttcabe, rs mas
been proven by expert testimony before tne former
commissicrs and now by the report OF me com
r,issionprs engineers. Let us have rapid transit
in this century. and not wait until the next; ana
have A system that will accommodate the whole
ue,ule and not few of them only, -,,r,.,
WILLIAM II. MORRElL.
Now York. Dec q. 1894.