New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-11-06
THE LATEST BRIDGE BLUNDER.

Tho now station at the Brooklyn end Of the
Bridge has already convinced everybody who
uses II that 1t embodes pretty nearly all the
faults of which such Il structure ought TO be en-
tirely free. A worse arrangement OF exits from
and approaches to a great thoroughfare couid
scarcely have been devised II the intention had
been TO Inconvenience, irritatc, confuse ana en-
danger the public 1t is not necessary to enumer-
ate the various defects which contribute 10
an unfortunate result. 1t Is enough TO say that
the plan Is such as to bring conflicting tides OF
travel together continually In narrow spaces, ana
that the conditions are apparently quite capaDle
of developing a catastrophe mt any moment. At
first il was said and perhaps hoped. that when
tlc people had become accustomed TO the new
arrangement they would find that 1t had great
norris The fact Is. on the contrary, that IA
mll!arity has bred Increased contempt, and pub
he disapprobaion is fairly reflected In the re-
cent presenment Of the Kings County Grand
Jury recommending that a board OF competent
engineers be invoked 10 consider the problem,
and II possible extrlcate the community from
serious dilemma.
To the ordinary citizen who has been brought
ND to respect the adage that 1t IS well to look
before you leap, It may seem strange that the
plan which has been so laboriously worked ont
was sure TO land them. But to account for their
latest failure it Is only necessary TO remember
that the business Of this great highway has al
ways been mismanaged. The Brooklyn Bridge
is monument Of engineering skill and admins
trative incapaclty The original feat OF spanning
the East River with beautiful and enduring
structure OF vast potential utility was admirably
Accomplished the continuing task OF making II
in the highest degree seryicenbe to The puphc
has not been discharged with corresponding
efficiency Sometimes the trouble has seemed
to proceed from incompetence and sometimes
from wllflllness. The maintenance Of miser-
able system Of lighting the Bridge trains at night.
for example. In the face Of continual protests.
could not have been due to ignorance Of the fact
that no difficulty had been experienced In brill
ianly Illuminating other public conveyanccs. On
the other hand the conversion of radically
defective station into one no better on the whole
and in some respects far worse must. we sup
pose be attributed to incapacity rather than to
design More fault has been justly found with
the BROOKLYN than with the New-York terminus
during all the years since the Bridge was opened
10 traffic. but at this end OF the thoroughfare
sufficiently impressive illustrations Of bad man.
agement have been continually In evidence. To
specify single shortcomlng, the opportunity OF
acquiring room for suitable approach at mod
crate expense at the NewYork terminus was
fooshly sacrificed, and the Inevitable demands
Of the future can hereafter be met only through
an enormous outlay.
Some mistakes have been made which
irrevocable. but there Is no rational excuse for
q continuance Of evils which can be cured. One
Of these is the new Brooklyn station or II the
conditions there cannot now be made Just what
they ought TO be, they certainly can be aevi-
ated. The Grand Jury's presentment wisely
refrans from prescribing remedy. There has
been too much reliance already on unframed In
telligence. The suggestion that the whole matter
be referred TO board Of engineers competent
to eradicate the defects which a child Is capable
Of approaching is safe and hopeful. y ought to
be adopted promptly.