New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-04-04
WHY ARECEIVER WAS ASKED
THE BROOKLYN UNION ELEVATED
NEEDED MONEY TO MAKE CHANGES.
ELECTRICITY TO BE SUBSTITUTED FOR STEAM.
AND ARRANGEMENTS COMPLETED For
CROSSING THE BRIDGE.

ELECTRICITY TO BE SUBSTITUTED foh oi|A"'
AND ARRANGEMENTS COMPLETED For
CROSSING THE BRIDGE
The placing OF the Brooklyn Union Elevated
Railway Company In the hands OF a receiver had
more motive than at first appeared. 1t mas been
learned from a trustworthy source that tho prin-
cipal purposes OF the reorganization or tho COM
pany were the raising OF money to cover the cost
OF connecting the tracks of the company with the
Bridge and making the necessary changes In cars
for the purpose of running across the Bridge. and
at the same time the changing Of the motive power
Of the road from steam to electricity.
The Indebtedness of the Brooklyn Union System
was SO enormous and It's earnings so moderate In
comparison that 1t hopeless to think OF bor-
rowing A certain number of capitalists were
gotten together who underworld s3,OoO,OW as con-
dition of some sort of reorganization which was
satisfactory to them, and Frederick Uhlmann,
president Of the company. was made a friendly re-
ceiver. 1t is believed that new bonds will he Is
sued over and above the amounts necessary TO
cover the old stock and bonds. and that these VIII
be offered to the general public The men back of
the reorganization Will that s3OoooOo is realized
from them, even II they have to buy them them
selves.
OF the &,00O,000 raised, about N,00000Q will be
used In equippng the road for the purpose Of put
ting through trains across the Bridge. Tho
naming $2,oooooo is to be used in changing the mo
tive power throughout the system to electricity.
Both tho Kings County and Brooklyn Elevated
systems have long been considering tho subsitu-
ton Of electricity for steam but neither has thus
far made SO businessllke a move toward making
the change accomplished fact While II will re-
qulre six months for the trolley roeds to make
preparations to cross the Bridge It Is thought that
the elevated roads do II In a much shorter
time. that the probabilities arc that within q
few months there will be u sweeping change In ele-
waited railroading in Brooklyn. Whether or not any
OF adopted
by tho reorganizers could not be learned The third
rail system is considered O. good one. except for
the element of danger attached to It. AS used on
the Bridge the rail is painted red and the public
Is carefully kept away from 1t and all the en-
pTySs sbssa to aySd Of ii. Bridge trustees
pointed to SSnd d he % tito Fl % boa
Its final meeting on Wednesday next in the Mayors
Office and adopt report, which is now in prepara.
between the railroad companies and the cities have
been determined. but they are carefully guarded
least until the adoption OF the report on Wednes-
day. President UhImann said yesterday that the
able terms that the Bridge officials may impose:
AS for the trolley companies there is marked
the surface roads criticised severely the proposition
Of letting any Of the roads cross the Bridge At
that time they uncertain whether 1t was feasi-
BILE TO run troley-cars through the roadways to
the Bridge and they were determired that II they
the privilege, Now that they have learned that 1t
roadways, they are enthusiastic This may be said
especially of the Brooklyn Heights Company. This
company, soon as the CONTRACTS are entered into,
will have 100 additional built, which Will prob
ably be used exclusively in making the through
trip to NewYork 1t is not the intention to run all
the trolley-carS that have their terminal at the
Bridge entrance the structure. Possibly
about one-third Of them Will be through cars, and
they will be properly designated.
The trolley companies intend to build d power
house near the Bridge to be used solely In supply
ing electricity to the Bridge wires, that the
Bridge traffic may be independent Of street traffic.
Speaking Of the feasibility of running troey-cars
Bridge IL
roadways eighteen feet nine inches wide, or
within five feet and three inches as wide as Liv-
ingston-st. While Lvingston-st. is narrow, no one
would question that 1t is wide enough TO accommo-
date one track and heavy trucking side by side.
The two roadways Of the Bridge aggregate In width
thirty feet and six inches, which Is the width
Of good-szed street.