New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-05-10
RAPID TRANSIT IN BERLIN.
PRESENT SYSTEMS AND PLANS FOR
THEIR IMPROVEMENT.


BERLIN's FIRST TRoILEY-ExcELLENr CAB
AND srREErcAR REGULATIoNs-A
NEW ELEVATED ROAD.
Berlin, April q.
Rapid transit Is the question OF the Gay IN inc
German capital. The Industrial Exposition IS
soon TO be opened on the outskirts OF the city, ana
as the etreetcars and buses are already
crowded, every one Is asking what VIII De cone
when the thousands Of strangers pour In 70 see
the fair Until within the last few years the
populati has been concentrated In large
apartment houses In the town proper that the
present means Of conveyance has surhced' OUT
suburbs have since sprung up so rapidly that the
time has come when Berlin must thoroughly pre-
pare for its metropolitan conditions In lo'o
there were not quite 100000 inhabitants; to-day
there are nearly 100000. The City Fathers are
well aware OF the need of Improvements and are
considering various suggestions and plans
whereby an adequate system Of rapid transit
may be established.
At present Berlin has only one elevated road II
belongs to and is run by the State. and has been
In use since 1882. 1t Is called the Stadt-Bahn,
and starts from Charottenburg in the western
part of the city and ends at the Sllesian Railway
station in the east. making eight stops on the
enormous brick arches. The cars are the
same as those on the regular railroads and are
divided into second and third class. Smoking is
allowed In the third. The cost Of a ride Is regu-
lated by the distance, but for five stations, which
Is the average journey, - and 10 pfennings are
paid respectively Tickets for the third class are
sold by slot machines. and one simply drops MS
10 pfennings In the receptacle. pulls a lever and
out comes the billet.
The interesting thing about the Stadt-Bahn is
that It does not disfgure the town in the leaet.
II was built through what were once open fields.
and houses have since sprung up about It in such
way as to hide 1t in all places where 1t might
have become aesthetically Objectionable IL Ia
also remarkable for the fact that from several OF
its stations one can take a train for ST. Peters
burg and Paris we'll as for all suburban points
The regular railroads connect with 1t on all sides
and the traveller to Berlin Is landed In the very
heart Of the city. The local trains every five
minutes. and. like those of the long distance SER
vice. have double tracks The danger OF collisions
IS consequently reduced to a minimum.
The Ring Balm, which connects with the Stadt-
Balm at both terrnn. is a surface road also run
by steam and corresponds in a way to 1.-The outer
circle" Of the Underground In London. Berlin Is
not, like New-York. a long. narrow city, but
spreads out In every direction, and the Ring
Balm ls necessary to provide transit for the out
skirts Thanks TO this line. one can go around the
entire city by rail- and 1t gives easy access to all
the suburbs. The cost of ride In the third class
for the entire route is less than eight cents For
workingmen reduced rates given. but they
must have finished their Journey In the morning
by 8 O'Clock and cannot begin 1t again before 4 in
the afternoon. Monthly tickets also sold at a
reduction and schools and clubs of thirty men,
bers receive 30 per cent discount.
Cabs arc the next quickest means Of convey
ancc in Berlin at present-that Is to say hrst
class cabs Those OF the second class anti
uuated and dreadfully slow. The Berners have
a joke about them in the form of conundrum:
What Is quicker" they ask, than thought"
The reply is "A second class droschky horse;
because when you think it is going to fall. It IS
already down" Mark Twain also made an apt
remark concerning these numbering stage
coaches During his residence In the city few
years ago a little girl run over and killed by
q second class cab. On hearing OF the accident
he exclaimed! such lingering death!' .
In late years the barometer" cab has become
popular, and 1t deserves importation into Ameri-
can cities. There is clock attached to the driv-
er's seat, which tells just how many metres have
been travelled, how much time has been spent In
stops, and how much the journey and stops have
cost 1t Is an extremely ingenious arrangement
and shuts out all possibility of extortlon besides
being somewhat chen per than the cab paid for by
the trip. The clock Is regulated by rod run
ming from the drivers seat to one OF the back
wheels
Counting the first and second class cabs as
we'll as the "Taxometers there ar, about 5000
In the city. and they are much used by all who
can afford them. They stand at specified places.
Ioito apd not oil
without a fare, to prowl about the streets OBJ
structing traffic, is often the case In London.
The MISREPRESENTATION comes next. 1t is
surface road by steam, and connects the
western parts OF the city with the charming lit
tie suburb called Ortnewald The traffic In the
streets It travels through is so light that 1t
make good time, and it Is particularly popular
on Sundays, when the Berliners go out to the
beer gardens In the woods The cars are much
like the American cable-cars in size.
ELECTRIC LINES.
Berlin's first electric line was opened three
days ago and this Is on a par with the steam
tramway. 1t Is built Professionally after the troll
ley system. but this is only until after the fair
is over The line runs from the Geological Gar
dens In the west TO Treptow. where the fair is
to be held. on the southeastern outskirts An
In the centre OF the town. and this will resent
BILE the Lenox- line In New-York. except
that the viaducts to be laid under the trav
eng rail. The Germans prefer this system.
The great majority of the Beriners travel in
horsecars and buses OF the 25O.OOO.OOO
people who made use last year Of all the differ
ent public cOnveyances. nearly two-thirds were
carried in this way; the elevated road and the
Ring Balm were patronzed by less than IO,OOO,-
600. The horsecars are In the hands OF private
companies. but they pay the city handsomely
for right OF way In the streets. and are well
looked after by the police. The cars stop only at
specified places, and are not allowed to carry
more passengers than can be conveniently seat
ed When a Is full the conductor must cry
out "Besetzlv' to all who want to get In. The
lines are arranged In such way as to make
almost every part Of the city accessible, and,
has been said. until Berlin began TO spread out