New-York tribune., 1896-10-26
THE RAPID TRANSIT PROBLEM.
MR. sTEINwAY THINKS MIR. ESSLERS PLAN
PRACTlCABLE-A POSSIBLE TRACK TO
TILE RATTERY.

Several observers Of the rapid transit problem OF
this city said yesterday that the project of Freq
erck r Essler OF Philadelphia. 10 bul'u '""'''
railroad between this city and Brooklyn coming 20
the surface here al Broadway and Anh-st.' a. 'o'n
exclusively in The Tribune yesterday. poss'ssed an
~. ,e,,en.s for real rapid transit through trains
.ro,r ono boundary OF the Greater New-iork 70 the
other. go ,
/, was learned yesterday that while we man man
downtown station OF The proposed Elm-st route VIII
he =. Chambers and the new Elm SITS. the roda VIII
ri, down 10 Broadway a: Ann-st This would orihs
the underground road Of the New-fork ana h'oo"-
lvn Railroad COMPANY which Mr. Ess'er Is push
ing into position a; Ann-s,. and Broad"dE' WIFI"
its New-York terminus will be. TO form )hhc'oh
with the Rapid Transit Commissions Toad ior
through trains from the City Han BrooKEh' 10 '"e
Grand Central Station
William stenway. when asked about this phase
Of the rapid ransi, question yesterday, said "Such
a combination is perfectly practicable Whii" i VIII
be necessary 20 90 down about l2O iec' uh''r '''
East River. the desccn; from Broadway az Ahh-s"
10 the river a distance of about iour-ni'hs "i n
mile giving a 3 per cent grade. can b. handled py
electricity since steam locomotives canno he eject
i've on a greater than 2 per cent grad" ON this
plan trains could be from the city Hal. Bro"K-
lyn 70 Broadway and AIMS. In hve minutes. anu
as the express time the Elm-st route from i"ih
Row TO the Grand Central Station Is 10 De seven
n,nu;es-here being only one stop. at Union Square
-
the Grand Central Station would be twelve minutes
Inasmlich as the charter of the New-> ork ana
Brooklyn Railroad Company permits that roau ~
emerge upon the surface so as 10 connect VII"
the Long Island Railroad system. trains OF cars
could be on the combined routes from Moh-
tauk Point TO Spuyten Duyvil
The propostion before the Rapid Transit com
mission Is TO extend the underground route In tine
down Broadway to the Battery on two-track
route instead Of the four tracks elsewhere.
"A complete revolution In long travel would re-
suit from the construction and conjunctVe opera
ton OF the Essler road with that OF the Kappa
Transit Commission" said student OF the qurs
tion Yesterday THE combination would take
away from the Broadway line OF ,he M,,rohc',nn n
Traction Company large amount or tanr n'-
tween Brooklyn and Wall-st., between Soulh f'tiE
and Wall-st and the lower business part or thc
CITY This being the Staten Island and South Brook
Iyn traffic II would tap the Broadway line al
the way from the Battery 10 Union Square. ana
from Forty second-st. 10 One -hundredand-te ten'h-s
The bulk of the Brooklyn through trafhc by way
OF the Bridge would be swallowed al one guip as
II were by the Esser road at one point and IN"
Rapid Transit road with It's big station at cham
bers-st.. reached by "A short underground passage
from the Bridge. or by means OF big elevators al
the Bridge going down underground. This com
bination would strike "A heavy blow at the Metro
low FOurteenth-st.
THE Manhattan Railway Company would be a
long ride travel from Wast. upon its South Ferry,
Third-ave and Sixth-ave. lines would be hurt bad
lv Punishment would indeed be meted out TO the
Manhattan Railway Company for It's niggardly
policy" . 49,
10 hear of any opposition from property y-Owners.
As soon as the route Is formally decided on. all We
need aside from the necessary consents Of prop
erty-owners, which ] see no reason to doubt will
be given. to enS,e us to go to work, Will he the
consent OF the local authorities"