New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-05-12
The News of BROOKLYN

elevated companies and every ninety seconds by the
Der of trains is operated on a headway of ninety
seconds. giving capacity of 200OO an hour. From
Bridge railroad will be 10000 an hour. and the ele-
waited trains will also offer an additional 10000 an
hour capacity
Aside from the question Of fare, as that, will be
regulated both as regards the toll to be paid by the
charged by elevated companies in addition to the
toll for operating expense the saving 10 the trav
or engineering questions involved The law OF 1875.
Chapter 300. which has never been modified nor
abridged. vests in the trustees the power to enter
into agreement suggested in the application OF
the elevated companies. It is almost certain that the
Legislature in framing this act contemplated direct
communication between the two cities.
TRUSTEES WILL OPERATE THEIR OWN
TRAINS ALSO.
Until little over year ago there were engineering
difficulties. That that the locomotives OF the
elevated roads were too light 10 overcome the 372
per cent grade of the Bridge and the Bridge was too
weak TO bear an additional supersiructurc with
proper gradients over which the elevated locomotives
could be operated But since then cable grips have
been perfected which permit of the transformation
in an instant Therefore when the elevated trains
will be the Bridge and while crossing it, they Will
by the bridge Trustees The application differs from
the plan intended by ne Page-Audett hi In this re-
spect particularly; that the Trustees Will continue 70
operate many trains as they now operate over the
Bridge retaining the same working force IN al the
departments and collecting their revenues as herei0
fore Under the Page bill III" lessee companies would
operated the local trains wei the
trains. and would have paid the cities a Jump sum
as revenue The cities have II In their power TO
or rental the trustees viii exact The Elevated com
panies will be willing TO operate through trans WIN
cities an amount covering the additional operating
expenses
THINKS THE PLAN WILL SUCCEED
Edward Lauterbach. of New-York counsel for
the elevated companies. believes that the latest
scheme will be successful He said
Il am of the opinion that the trustees have the
power to settle the question Of leasing the Bridge
10 the companies. This would come under the
law of 1915 creating The Board. which states that
they have the right to operate or cause 10 be OPP
GRATED, The latter clause covers our proposition,
and l am confident that the trustees have the
power to make an arrangement on the lines pro-
posed by US. We asking them to allow the
elevated trains to run across the Bridge. and the
passengers so carried will be charged an add
tional fare the amount to be fixed by them and
added to our fare. If the arrangement Is erected
the additional fare will probably be one cent one
Of the features wherein our proposition differs
from the Page bill is that the lease to be created
is a short one u run from ten TO twenty-five
years and that may be terminated at Will by the
trustees at the end Of one year. so that II, In the
experimental term. the arrangement proves TO
be unsatisfactory and not beneficial to both
cities. it can be broken"
Mr.. Lauterbach added that there will be no oc
casion FOR any extension on the New-York side
There would be, he said. slight cost at this end
of the Bridge the outlay for which would be
merely nominal and that elevated companies
would either bear or pay interest on the outlay.
He did not think there could be any objection
whatever. He said further
Moreover, this plan has not the breadth nor
scope of the proposition submitted to the Legs
lature but so far as the interests or the people
are concerned 1t is Of almost equal advantage.
While il takes away from the project as original
" proposed what appeared to be the vexed ques-
lions of rentals, extensions duration of lease ana
other subjects. Perhaps the most serious objec-
ton to the original plan was the operation by
some corporation other than the Bridge Itself OF
the existing local cable railroad. Our offer Is In
no respect calculated to interfere with the con-
troll mana cement or operation Of the railroad as
now operated The project now only contem-
plates adding to this service complete through
railroad service from the New-York terminal OF
the Bridge along all the elevated lines OF BROOK
Ign. There will OF course, be nothing TO prevent
a similar arrangement being made to enable the
New-York elevated trains crossing over 10 Brook
lvn and in that case by arrangement between
the New-York and Brooklyn elevated systems,
the same end can be accomplished by aH0iohs
through transit substantially from any part OF
one city to any part Of the other without chahge
OF cars. and at no higher rate OF fare than now
exists. except such toll as the Bridge trustees
may see fit 10 impose"
BRIDGE PEOPLE HAVE LITTLE TO SAY.
None of the Bridge people would discuss the
proposition yesterday in a way which would IN
dictate their actual ideas on the subject Chlet
Engineer Martin and Mr.. Henriques however
pointed out objections to the scheme. while Presi-
dent Howell was even more conservative. except
tbat ho In IA
OF allowing both the surface and elevated roads
to land their passengers in New-York without
change. and that IL only one system could cross
IT should be the one that could offer the greatest
accommodation TO the public. In general he
thought the question was to be settled by the
engineers. He declined to give any expression
Of opinion as to whether or not he would favor
the proposals. even should the Bridge eng ineers
declare the Bridge strong enough 10 pear the az
ditional traffic.
MARTIN on POSSIBLE DELAYS.
Chief Engineer Martin pointed out what seemed
to him 10 be one serious feature Of the scheme.
He said:
This application Of the elevated companies VIII
come before me officially, and as l am the servant
Of the Board Of Trustees l do not think 1t would
be proper for me TO discuss 1t at this time. VIII
say however, that one serious objection 10 TINS
system Is the difficulty OF having trains coming
10 the Bridge from the elevated roads with such
regularity that they would be sandwiched In pc
tween what would be called the local Bridge
trains This is a difficulty which naturally pre-
sents itself first The running OF the Bridge
trains through our storage yard and into the
station is a matter Of detail. which will have to
be studied out carefully: In fact. the whoie prop
lem offers questions which require careful con-
sideration If for any reason an elevated train
is delayed and should not reach the Bridge termi-
nal In time to take its place, II woud nave 20 De
held back until the next regular interval, and the
entire system would be upset. l do not care 10
saw ANYTHING more at this time
President Rossiter OF the BROOKLYN Helents
Railroad said that the proposition made by the
elevated companies seemed to him TO be iair
one provided the last paragraph was taken
literally. The Bridge trustees, ne saio' wouIu
IL aa..L - hnl