New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-08-15
A CHANGE NEEDED.
THICK SKINNED BRIDGE TRUSTEES WHO
WILL NOT HEED COMPLAINTS

THINGS RUN ALONG WITHOUT COM
MON SENSE AS a GufDE-lN-
CONVENIENCE GROWING.
If the Bridge trustees were forced 10 hs'ei ~
the daily complaints and comments upon '"o
thoroughly inadequate facilities which they nave
provided in the new terminals after ten years
struggle with the problem, the blush Of shame LOT
the incompetency displayed might be brought
to the cheeks OF some Of them.
But would there be any concern shown toward
the dwarfing OF one Of he greatest pieces ol
engineering in the country?
Would Messrs Howell and Keeney who are
mainly responsible for the acknowledgement OF
Bridge affairs care for complaints?
It is not at all likely. The complaints or the
general public which reach them only through
the newspapers are whipped aside like leaves IN
windstorm OF the criticism which has peeh
from time to time hurled against the trustees
Howell and Keeney the two men VINO nave
paid the least attention to just complaints
brought to their notice. 1t has come from goou
authority that several OF the trustees who pos
sessad the foresight to see that the plans for the
new Bridge terminals would impose inconven-
iencas and hardships on the public when finished
and leave the Bridge facilities even worse OH
than before had the temerity to oppose the III
tie cliaue illuminated by President Howell, nut
were quickly made to understand that ther
words of protest would avail nothing These
are the men to whom the present terminals are
an eyesorc and who feel keeny their connection
with such a piece Of mismanagement
A well-known engineer. who has watched the
unspeakably slow progress OF the bridge I'M
provements" said yesterday that 1t was the
stupidest piece of folly in bridge engineering ne
had ever SEEN considering the problems with
which the trustees had been confronted.
81 am not speaking about the slowness OF the
work particularly" said he, because Ano"
that politics has had more or less 10 90 WIFI
that part taken in connection with the genera
Indifference of the trustees to how soon the
entire work was completed Without going INTO
technical details. will only say that can point
out many instances of shortslghtedness with
which. Of course by this time the people who
use the Bridge are familiar
1T may be all very well for the engineers TO
saw that the grade had to be raised ten feet at
the New-York side, but | MAINTAIN that even
with the distance in which the trains have TO
work before reaching the highest part OF the
Bridge. the old grade could have been retained
by the use Of stronger machinery in propelhng
the cars Then again, while the first cost would
be much more expensive it would seem to me
that elevators could have been put in TO dis
pose of a large portion Of the crowds who use
the Bridge in coming home at night Further
more | think that movable stairways could be
used to great advantage and would save a great
deal of inconvenience to which the people are
subjected. l have seen the movable stairways
in operation in other cities, and they work well.
1t is terrible nuisance, especially during these
hot days, for people TO climb TO such nelght
in the air in order to get train VIII say
nothing about the narrow stalrways, because
that has been pretty we'll ventilated heretofore
The Whcle business has been policy OF re-
tardation and acknowledgement For instance, II
only minor Inconvenience. but II showed
forth clearly during the hot days YOU no
doubt. have noticed terrible heat on the BrldSe
platforms 1t was simply due TO lack OF roof
and wall ventilation which the bright Bridge
engineers forgot when designing the stations.
It only needed the practical experience on the
part Of the passengers and the employees 10
show where ventilation was needed, and It was
provided right speedily by opening places in the
walls
''The worst part OF this whole miserable bust
is that the terminals are completed, ana
must stand for q generation more without any
hope OF Improvement on the contrary, the
situation will grow worse as the population or
Brooklyn increases Bridge reports have shown
yearly an increase of traffic. and now that con-
solidation has came about there is every rea-
son TO believe that the outlying wards OF BROOK
lyn will be more rapidly built UP. 1t Will be at
least five years before the East River Bridge
is completed. and even IL an all-railroad bridge
should be built near the present structure, that
will take at least ten years TO complete, con-
sidering the time spent in projecting the I'M
provement Now, all this time, the population
Of Brooklyn is going to increase and how the
Bridge can be expected to carry the traffic with
out accident and with proper regard for the
convenience of the people is problem which
the trustees will have to face in a short time
ms potr policy to lock the door after the horse
IS stolen BY that | mean that the present
Bridge management, that is. the principal Of
tenders. should have been removed long ago.
The Bridge has proved too hard nut for them
TO crack successfully and a change IS needed