New-York tribune., 1896-05-05

We rejoice 10 see that the Bridge trustees are
awake and alive TO the spirit OF improvement.
There have been times when they did not ap-
pear 10 have a comprehensive grasp OF the prob
lens with which they had 10 deal. rs when they
built at great expense a new station 10 Increase
their facilities with staircascs 80 narrow that
people can be landed on the platform faster
than they can escape. and so turned and in
yolyel that passage down them Is secured only
after facc-to-face encounter with other pas
scngers moving in m opposite direction, not
wihstandng that their destination Is the same.
Their entire devotion 10 public interests may
have been doubted by some who saw them pur-
chase from street railroad land for IN open
square and then turn around and bestow II upon
the railroad for q terminal station. But all such
doubts and questions dissolve into thin air In
the face of the exhibition ~ enterprise just given.
Petty. indeed. were II 10 remember inadequate
and panic-Inviiing stairways when the trustees
| have prepared the way for the disuse Of stair
ways entirely and for the automatic handling
of their human cargoes.
The action Of the trustees last week was
statcsmankc In the extreme. II was marked
at once by Il progressive spirit and By extreme
| caution. Ordinary men might have seen the
advantages OF the inclined hoist for picking up
passengers at the street and singing them down
at the ear doors ready to be ptchforkcd by the
| guards into the trains. Almost any kind OF men
could be relied upon TO see that an elevator
a steam shovel or a frequent discharge or blast
| ing powder was necessary to supplement the
labyrinthne passages which give entrance to
Mr. Howclls's restoration Of Rosamond's bower
| But 1t was genius alone which led the trustees
TO she'd responsibility for their machine-handlcd
passengers The owners Of the mechanical
step lively" have permission to put 1t In opera
| ton and To practise the art OF man-hrowing
but they have 10 assume all responsibility for
damages in case they happen to throw some
body too hard. or the machine fails to sort out
for each person his right members after having
disjointed them for transportation. This Is q
distinct gain for the Bridge management. The
present method OF having the guards load trains
by hand leaves the trustees responsible for the
surcness Of their servants throw and catch, and
| puts them much IN the plight OF the Japanese
ford coolIe whose head Is staked as well on
his charges behavior rs pack as on his own
surcfootcdncss- The reversed trcadmlll with It's
handrope by which the passenger steadIes him
| self as the floor beneath him travels along will
likewise be more efficient than the present meth
od OF Fastening the progress OF a crowd. There
will he no chance for blocks Mt the front Of the
procession when a steam chain pump is lifting
people and deposlting them on the platform.
Men may come and mon must go. for the ma
chine goes on forever regardless Of jams ahead.
| If the jams do not move something Will have
10 give way, and SO much the worse for the
jams.
1t Is all brilliant scheme, but 1t does not go
quite far enough. Why stop with pumping peo-
pie upstairs? Why not pump them all the way
across! Pneumatic tubes grain elevators, coal
chutcs all furnish models. There Is no Use
wasting space and money in trying to provide
seats or standngroom for people and to carry
them about IL they were glass figures, Ia
beed Handle with care" instead OF mere
atoms in that conglOmerate mass known as the
public. The attempt Is not successful. With
all the pretence of giving each petty personal
sphere its due place transportation here results
in human mash, which afterward breaks up,
4 solely owing to a lack Of cohesion among the
atoms which dcfics any pressure. Then let the
condition be boldly faced Instead OF pumping
the mash a few feet and then spreading II out
thin on boards to be carried across the river
just force the mass through tubes and dump 1t
on the ground to sort itself out at leisure The
capacity Of the Bridge would thus be much aug
mented great deal Of space Is now wasted
In attempts to pander to feelings Of aristocratlc
J | excluslveness among patrons Of the Bridge II