New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-03-26
ZEAL Rapid TRANSIT.

The recent statement OF President Orr. OF the
Rapid Transit Commission. in connection with
the amendments 10 the law OF 1881 which the
Commission has proposed. Is deserving OF the
thoughtful attention Of all who are Interested
in the problem which this publicspirted body
has been endcnvoring TO solve and toward the
solution Of which IL has made excellent prog
r,ss in spite Of all sorts Of Obstacles and oppos-
ton Especially should it be carefully peruscd
bv those who doubt whether n system Of I'M
dcrsround rapid transit will succeed in New
York II Is well 10 recall from time 10 time
inst what the Commission is trying TO accom-
psh and what ii will presumably succeed In
accomplishing II the plans which it has labori-
orsly worked ont are put into execution.
The popular idea Of sub,erranean transit Is
derived from the underground roads in Lon
don, which are universally conceded 10 be dis
agreeable and unsatisfactory in the extreme.
Even the new method of underground travel
shown In the tunnels built under the Thames
on the Grpathcad system does not furnish an
ADEQUATE parallel for what we are to have in
this city, since those tunnels sixty or seventy
feet below the surface. and elevators must be
used in going up and down This system. how
ever operated as II IL by electricity, Is an i'm
measurable Improvement on the old underground
roads In London, but no express trains are
operated there In this city, according to Mr..
Orr The station platforms to be no more
than thirteen feet below the sidewalk the
average: which Is certainly much less than the
average height OF the station platforms on the
elevated roads. That no combustion Is to be
allowed in the tunnels has long been known.
and It is also known that the use Of electricity
has reached Il point where any desired rate Of
speed can be- obtained There will be no tro,i-
bic about lighting the cars sufficiently, and the
problem Of ventilation will be solved without
serious difficulty.
As to the question Of speed what Mr.. Orr
says will, we think be revelation to many
II those who suppose they are fairly familiar
with the work Of the Commissions: The esti
mated running time for express trains from
1.-THE City Hall to One-hundred- q nd twenty fifth
st. Is fifteen minutes. and from the City Hall
ito the Grand Central Station Is six minutes"
And to this he well adds: what this means
10 the people Of NewYork cannot be COM
"puted in figures nor expressed In dollars. In
personal comfort, In the saving Of time and
"ln Increase Of values the benefit Of II would be
"incalcrllable" With such facilities rapid tran
SIT will no longer be name only In this city
There has been no end Of talk about it for the
last twenty years or more, but Of the thing Itself
we have had barely more than glimpse Com
pared with the swiftness Of movement prom
scd by Mr.. Orr, even the express trains of the
elevated road are rs the 0ldtime horsecas COM
pared with the ordinary trains run by the Man
haitian Company. That any one should oppose
rapid transit OF this kind Is almost lnc0nceIv-
able. 1t will be, boon the benefits OF which
cannot be measured. And such rapid transit
is only possible by an underground system or
on solid vaduct running through the middle
Of blocks and, OF course, forming serious OBJ
stacle at every street crossed by 1t.
The people Of NewYork have no cause for
regret Mt the approval which they have given
to the plans Of the Rapid Transit Commission
And we are sure that they will willingly con-
sent to such minor notifications of the law a