New-York tribune., 1896-12-02
"UEiU U4N'S CIRl f."

The dangerous cable railway curves III mon
SQUARE are again brought 10 public notice by
the officials of the Metropolitan Traction 'oii-
pany though for jusI what purpose IL Is us
vet impossible to say. From time to time there
has been manifested Il public demand ior me
abolition of what has come To he known rs
Dead Mans Curve" On such occasions the
traction company always processes great Will
jngnpss 10 institute reforms and proposes al
tentative schemes of reconstruction. one oi
which is sure To encounter popular opposition
or cannot he carried on without legislation
and against the other the public is warned by
the company on the ground that II woud !"
safe. but would rob the road OF large proper
ton of its transit facilities. Accordingly when
a subway under Union Square is again pro
posed sceptcal examination OF the possipiii'y
of any immediate accomplishment in that direc-
ton is naturally prompted.
However sincere the company may he In de
string Il tunnel. it Is certainly true the legal
obstacles are so great rs to put any Immediate
reform out of the question. Probably lcsiS-
lative action would be required for the con
struction and meanwhile the cars are menace
10 life and limb. The assertion that the sub
way is the only feasible method Of solving the
problem is by no means proved to ou'Sld" OBJ
servers. in spite of the testimony Of the OH
cials While the company is experimenting
with electricity and compressed mir and plan
ming 10 introduce a substitute FOX the cable. 1t
is asking n good deal thar the city should pop
nit two inclined planes IN n busy street AM
two tunnel entrances in one of its parks. JUST
to avoid troubles incident 10 Il power that Is
likely 10 be abolished. Doubtless il would he
convenient for the traction company I" haN'
the underground line from Fourteenth to SeV-
cnternthst.. whatever the power used. bhf II
Is no more necessary than Il tunnel from The
battery to Harlem with any power except
the Bile. and il is much To bc doubted II II Is
necessary with the cable. In considering any
such proposition the construction OF future
rapid transit system slloud not he lost siglit
Of Most plans for an underground road con
template extensive occupation of the Spic"
under Union Square. No concession I" III"
needs real or fancied. of the cable road SHOULD
bc permitted to interfere with thc perfection
Of n new system
The company says that n slow moving cabl"
is impractlcabe. but there are sill sc'piicS.
President Vrecand has said that the present
cable would be- all right and that lis speed
would not cause danger were ii not for the
larger number Of cars than originally calcu-
lated upon causing n lateral strain on the
curves which draws the cable from the grips
if a stop is made. Yet instead of proposing for
the curves a short cable OF the same speed
which would hang loose enough with the lew
ears ever on II at one time 10 permit reguli'
ton Of speed as nj other places without los
ing the grip he says that he must put In
slow cable which would seriously delay traffic
over the whole line Yet the traffic goes on
with the delays which occur elsewhere. The
cables are changed at IIOustOn-st. and again at
Fiftethst The company does not hesitate 10
turn passengers into the street N the latter
point and make them wait In following cars
while those ahead are switched into the barns.
At Twenty-third-st. there il always switch
ing which frequently causes delay To line
OF cars The rate Of traffic is conditioned by
that Of the sowcst point. and any delays caused
by Il slow cable M Union Square would only
keep ears from accumulating so rapidly at
points Of sioppage abov" and below. Union
square i a comparatively clear place. and ears
would 20 III The full rate of II slow cable with
ont interruption. while elsewhere the crowded
streets often impede progress far beyond any
delay which could come from n slow cable. and
those impcdimcnis set the pace for the whole
line. BIT according 10 President Nreelands
own showing u slow cable is not necessary. All
that is required is a short cable Of the present
speed without the strain Of n hundred ears 10
draw il too taut to permit the same manipuli-
ton of the cars nj the curves as elsewhere
If Mr.. Nrceland would show more clearly why
such n cable Is not feasible his scheme to ap-
propriate Union Square might he considered
more patiently.