New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-08-11
THE LATE UNDERSTANDINGS
MEANING THAT CAUSED BY THE CHANGES
JUST MADE ON THE BROOKLYN BRIDGE.

THINGS THAT OUGHT TO HAVE BEEN FoREsEEN
But WERE NOT-THE VALUE OF THE BRIDGE
DEMONSTRATED AS NEVER BEFoRE-oLD
TIMES vIvIDLY RECALLED TO
BROOKI.YNITEs-N MORE SHUT
TING DOWN OF THE
RAILROAD
The experiences OF the last week have demon
strated in the most convincing way the vital ne
COSTLY OF the Brooklyn Bridge. and have, perhaps,
more than anything else could have done, impressed
On the people OF that city the Importance or the
early completion Of other bridges across the East
River.
Now that the trouble at the New-fork terminus
Is ended It is plain to see that the work was not
handled as wisely with as much regard for the
nuhlic comfort as might easily have been the case
The old saying about hndsight being inferior to
foresight in forcbly right here IL the Bridge
authorities were going through this experience again.
II is safe say that they would marriage 1t better.
But then. with all the time for preparation which
they had It would certainly seem that they should
have foreseen some of the things that are now so
plain in retrospect
In the first place. there was no occasion TOT the
announcement that the running of the railroad
would be suspended last Sunday. There was no &C.
cason for suspending 1t. This found out by the
after they a shuttle train running on the north
track II ought TO have been known from the be-
ching that the operation OF this train was feasible
from the time the running of regular trains was
stopped Just before midnight on saturday All that
was necessary TO announce therefore, was that the
full service would not be supplied on Sunday, and
that a temporary terminus would be arranged on
the New-York approach pending the alterations
at the station. This would have saved good deal
Of annoyance and prevented goodly number OF
people from betaklng themselves to the ferryboats
Using THE NEW BROOKLYN STATION.
But that is not the only thing which might nave
been anticipated. 1t was found after number oil
hours' experience with the shuttle train that deal
~ Inconvenience could be obvated by the simple de-
vice of running the train on Its way from New
York into the new Brooklyn station and discharg-
ING m. Messengers there instead of forcing them of
the train on the platform in the old station to con-
front the crowds waiting there for chance to get
to the New-York side OF the river After tnis plan
was adopted 1t was found work admirably but
II was a merely accidental discovery; no one con-
nected with the transportation business or the
Bridge suspected In advance that 1t was feasible.
II is question. further whether the crowds Of
Bridge travellers might not have been accommodat-
ed still more by the operation OF another shuttle
train on the south track The only difficulty about
this would have been the discharge OF the passen-
gers at the New-York end, the south roadway be-
ing set apart for vehicles moving In both directions
1t would have been possible, at any rate, TO nave
let them out the promenade, and then allowed
them to descend into the north roadway by means
OF the extemporlzed gangplanks used in connection
with the shuttle trains operated on the north track
The trains on the tracks could have run alter
nately and with temporary bridges across the north
tracks the plan suggested could have been put into
operation and the number OF people carried on the
cars nearly doubled.
OF course the Bridge authorities were not respon-
no in wh fell in
afternoon and evening and added so largely to the
discomfort OF those crossing the Bridge by rail-.
After the perilOus descent OF the slippery gang
blanks leading the granite pavement on the north
roadway passengers found themselves during the
showers In n river OF water running down into PARK
Row. with no possibility OF escape from walking
through 1t. At times the current was literally ankle
deep and no one could stem or descend II drysnod
unless he rubber boots. The condition OF
women and children forced to make the journey
from the point where the trains stopped to the
Park Row sidewalk was indeed ptable
THE WRONG SUNDAY SELECTED.
No wonder Superintendent Martin remarked rue
fully In speaking OF the matter later:
II we had chosen the Sunday before we could
have had an ideal day for our work In fact. last
Sunday was | believe, the first Sunday 1t has
rained since June. But then" he added with
twinkle in his eye, you see. / was not fully In
formed in advance In regard to the weather. We
simply had TO take our chances and everybody
knows the result"
The bad weather interfered. too with the work
men engaged In making the changes at the New
York terminus and whereas 1t had been expected
TO complete the work Sunday night and get the
railroad in full working order again, II was not
until in the midst of the rush hours Monday
evening that the operation Of trains by cable was re-
sumed. And the trouble was not fully ended then,
seeing that the platforms in New-York are
hollxr in fha air nd hon
on Wednesday morning occurs passengers have no
alternative but to get of in the pouring rain
1t is impossible, to be sure, to do everything at
once but II certainly seems II some things In
connection with the recent Bridge work might have
been managed far better But the worst Is over,
and Bridge travellers can now form good idea
of the way in which trains will be operated under
the new system. which it has taken half dozen
years, less to bring to its present state of
imperfection When the end will be
Superintendent Martin will venture to predict
WHEN THE WORK IS COMPLETED.
The platforms now used at the New York station
are twenty feet wide, and trains only to and
from the inner side of them, just was done with
the old platforms below. Ultimately. however,
trains will operated the outside of these plat
forms as well, the two sides OF each being used
alternately, and exactly twice many trains will
be run across the Bridge as at present In the
busiest hours the Roadway is ninety seconds.
When the system is in full operation it will
be reduced to forty five seconds
IL goes without saying that the element OF danger
in the operation of Bridge trains will be increased
under the system every train entering each
station will have to be passed switches. 1t
was the danger inseparable from this plan which
caused the circulating system proposed by the late
A NJ Wellington to be regarded with high favor
by competent engineers who made a careful study
of the Bridge railroad problem
on the whole 1t cannot be doubted that those who
walked the Bridge during the late unpeasantness
or had resort the ferryboats were wise. The
trains were packed to their utmost limit with per-
spring and Tuning human beings and they ran at
provokingly long intervals. or course there are
now thousands OF people living in Brooklyn and
crossing the river daily who know little or nothing