New-York tribune., 1896-11-20
BIG CHANGES COMING.
THE LONG ISLAND RAILROAD AND RAPID
TRANSIT QUESTIONS
PRESIDENT BALDWIN TALKS OF THE PLANS vi
THE ROAD IN CONNECTION WITH ELEC-
rp,crrv &C MOTIVE POWER.


THE ROAD IN CONNECTION WITH ELEc-
rRIcIrY AS MOTIVE POWER.
Electricity as a mode Of rapid transit Is al the
present time absorbing the attention Vi '"e vi"
cias Of the Long Island Railroad 80 iar aS can
be ascertained. nothing definite has peen ueciueu'
President Baldwin and his associates are making
q thorough study of the question in all It's depart
ments Recently at his home in reply to ques-
ton as TO whether the railroad had any immaculate
Intention OF adopting electricity. he had THIS TO
say:
81 am completely absorbed in the questlN' OF
rapid transit We are looking to a proper connec-
tion between the Long Island Railroad ana New
York City but the present stage In the STUDY OF
this question cannot suggest what the ilnai
outcome of our plans will he. and necessarily what
ever they may be. we cannot discuss them III uc'"''
In advance or before they are entirely matnred
'I can only add that these questions OF terminals
and the adop.ion OF electricity az motive power
on q part. least. of the Ines OF the Long isiahd
Railroad are having our constant and continuous
attention. In fact have been doing nothing else
1--WE are getting down 10 the subject or tying up
Long Island with New-York and BROOKLYN ana OF
solving what has always been n problem OF that
road and is going he solved In the near futnre
I'VE have made no definite plans as yet. nave
no doubt that a portion of the lines shouid oe
EQUIPPED with electricity but not the whole system
Of course ] OF the opinion that lines running
between
near future
Mr. Baldwin in referring 10 the nearby points.
spoke af.erward more particularly Of Manhattan
Beach, Far Rockaway. Jamaica. The cities on the
nearby nor-h shore. ard. as well. other points ho'
enumerated on the south shore within convenient
distance Of Brooklyn. As he ntimated. 1t would not
be feasible to adopt electricity for the entire system
for the reason that no electric mechanism mas yet
been devised which would make ons-distance travel
cheaper than steam power. partlcu'arN "heh 'he
cost OF changing the machinery Is brought in'o
consideration.
The p,ans OF the Long Island road now. as in the
past are of many ramfcatOns and far-reaching
Mr. Corbn. up TO the time of his deatn, was con-
.iderrg his well-known project OF direct con'huh'-
cation With Western railroad lines by tunnei nhder
Eas, River TO Jersey City in connection win MS
project of a seaport town on the eastern shore OF
The island For many years the Long Island road
has had in view terminal point in New orK 'i.y
by way Of a bridge over the river ana B'acKwens
Island and ending at Sixty-fourh-s'. Ihis' ID ~
turn would give connection with the New-iorK
ra,,r,, Railroad so that freight and passenger
,r,fHc might 20 direct TO Long Island without
change or transfer 49,
In possible fulflmert Of the bridge project 'he
Long Island Railroad has already completed three
piers opposite the island This PLAN ana also 'hc
tunnel scheme are as much alive to-day as IN M'.
Corh,r.s lifetime The Long Island road, while
oerhaps moving slowly in the matter. Is considering
every step with the utmost care. ana wheh II De-
gins It's radical Improvements VIII 90 'hetn tnoi-
oughly and rapidly Although Mr. BALDWIN oio no'
say so directly the impression is that the time is
not far distant when some sweeping changes VIII
occur In regard TO the electricity problem MI
Radwins remarks recalled TO the mind OF the
ur,,er a conversation had with a well-known cleo
trical EXPERT Of NewYork some weeks ago ms
expert said at the time that the Manhattan fhli-
road wealthy as the corporation is couid not no"
afford 10 adopt electricity. 1t can operate much
cheaper with steam power The reason given lot
this was that motors are neither as cneap IN coh-
struction for N extended system nor as econom-
teal in operatop AS they will he In the near future
Nicola Tesla the famous electrician has for months
been working upon motor embodying alterhaV,
currents and smplifcation OF the present mooe VI
construction. ,-X,.. ,,,dorstood
While Teslas idea - 80 thoroughly understoo11
nv the Law mind in ...a rough II Is that many OF
the expensive and easily weatc parts In the mo.Sr
of to-day will in the new machine oe ennua,ru nm r,s
SO that the motor Will contain put Is" pa
and those durable. more lasting ana oi era, "a
mower 1t Is for this reason that the onlceIs anu
managers of railroads contemplating the cnanfo
from steam electricity are holding on anu ~
fhis they have the experience OF the past 10 Justly
them In their course. Motors now aIt mn, uoa
cheaper than they few years ago. the prc,es ,s
in most instances being reduced more than nan
and the power greatly increased IN summary ~. sro
aged machines. There are many instances WIZ
roads adopting n certain make OF motor nave peer
compelled by motives of expedency ana ecohoiiis
20 throw ont entirely the old line and adopt new
machines Bearing in mind Mr. BALDWIN : re1naIks
concerning careful consideration on the part OF elie
Long Island Railroad officials IT is fair 10 suppose
that the Long Island people are simply awaitins
dnveIonments although Mr.. Baldwin did not give
any specific reason for delay on the part Vi HIS
associates.