The sun., 1896-02-25
BROOKLYN BRIDGE IDIOCY.
Ay INCURABJE xISD SEEMS TO
AEFIICT the TRUSTEES.
A Rcmark able, Week In Which no New De-
vice TOR rorturing Bridge Travellers Hus
uecn Expioitrd-Au tho Ola Schr mes.
However, working Night nud Day.

A Remarkable, Week In which no New De
vice TOR Torturing Bridge Travellers Hos
n~en Expio,trd-Au tho Ola Schrmcs
However, Working Night nnd Day.
What would people say Of n man who built
. great building which was to be visited daily
BIZ several hundred thousand persons, all OF
whom had business on the upper floors, who
started his elevators from n point midway
between the thlrl AMI fourth stories and In
eistcd that every ono of tho several hundred
thousand persons should climb up that high
before he could ride? suppose then, he ran
his elevators up only three four stories.
and made people get out and walk the rest CT
tho distance to tho top. where their business
called them. That man would undoubtedly be
put down as crazy. In all probability his friends
would take steps to have him put In an asylum.
Suppose the architect who planned the new
Criminal Court building. the last public build
ing erected in the city, had started his elevat-
ors In that building from the third floor. lIe
mover would have got the work Of building the
Court House. But suppose he had got the work.
and the building had been put up and operated
On his plans. then the city officials who adopted
tho plans would be fired out Of their Offices
Quick that their heads would whirl
There are million or so people in New York
and Brooklyn who are personally victims OF
Just that sort of idiocy. This million or more
wish with all their hearts that the same rule
that would be applied In the case OF city off,
cials idiotic enough to start elevators in II new
building at the third floor might be applied to
the trustees OF the Br ooklyn Bridge. The trus-
tees have been guilty Of exactly this thing.
Anybody who will take the trouble to walk to
William street any night will see the shadows
Of the thousands who the bridge
fectei in the bridge windows They will see
that these thousands are walking on platform
which Is midway between the windows Of the
third and fourth floors Of the buildings in the
street. almost on level with the fourth floor
windows. Allowing for the difference in the
level of William street and the level of Park
row. where the bridge entrance brings the
platform so much nearer the street. 1t would
be Just above the level Of the third floor. and
every person who reaches that platform has to
The buildings in William street beside the
bridge were built fifteen or twenty wears ago.
They are equipped with elevators. The bridge
raj rallrSad may may be compared with the elevators va % IN
sands who travel daily. thousands and thou
sands travel on the elevated roads when they
have To climb two or three stories more. The
Mayors of New York city and Rrooklvn are re-
hce Tho trustees are appointed, by these
Mayors. Tho trustees are responsible for {. G.
is running the bridge and is responsible for the
villainous accommodation accorded the public.
that IT as ruSs Ssv T s1 Hs Sssf
whole week to pass without the introduction
of a single new torture TO plague and make
ellers. This is said to be the first week In more
than th.ee years that has not seen a, least one
men. women. and children weep at their mis-
fortune in being alive.
Persons who don't travel on the bridge and
are not intimately acquainted with the trustees
might see in this desire to reform rather than
though there ere has been nothing ing new. Hli the old old
tortures are there. revamped und In better
Working order than they have ever been b"f ore
whatever they Call 1t; was worked to pcrfec-
tion several times during the rush hours The
,rounI zero; and the platform on this side was
Chipping the grip necessita,es the running OF an
engine out after the train. pulling it back into
takes anywhere from tive to ten m!nItes, and
In that timc enough people are janmed on the
platform % to M another train and nall in spite
dinkey affairs. OF course the .pcopie cart.
Ts Thfy s are WpS pacsed ke in s9n
When the trick was worked tn" collcsi day
last week the wind was blowing at u twenty nile
gait and the station was great funnel. sort
swept It was zero wind 1t % carried with y i
up before it reached the cave. and these it
hurled into TIE faces OF the people: - -,
single blast was sufficient to chill from head 70
root. anu Il second one guaranteed = half hour
trustees did not venture out to see the fun.
and the only officials who enjoyed the general
misery were the minor, officials. train men.
station men, and the like. These officials
when they finished work that day were seen
going into the building where the trustees have
their offices. Whether they went in to tell
but in all probability that's what they went
for. the bridge victims: say.
There WAS no day s, sss week when it
sources of disc omfort were absent; The roof
could not lcak. That is. It could not leak
water The trustees & Of course provided @ SUP
and filth. What little protection there had
been over the path from the stairway down
walk to the street was removed. This cover;
have been accomplished safely and without
diseomforlinE anybedy BY p suspending Ca csny'.s n,
ting up light board roof. To have erected
such protection would have Indicated intel
iigence e on % the part Of somebody connected
OF course that would never do and the work
men were sent up with crowbars and hammers
to work while the people were passing under
came O shower OF mortar on whoever happened
to be underneath. 1t was lucky that it didn't
killed. As L was it dropped on hats and clothes.
iniurng them only by making them dirty.
Occasionally bits would drop between the col:
reach for 1t and struggle for an instant Then
an expression OF misery would come. and the
, passer by would back against n post and rub:
then get on the roof over the stairway and let
his feet hang over the edge. knocking off the
hats OF the people coming down the stairs or
kicking them in the eye. as the case might be.
1t was fun for the men.
PiRSON IN WALL STREET.