New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-12-04
THE ABOLITION or RAWBRIDTES.
pr,soHe THAT HAVE LED GREAT ENGLISH RAIL
ROADS no sr'Bsrrrt rE HIGH BRIDGES
OR TUNNELS INSTEAD.
From Cassiers Magazine.

From Casters Magazine.
Recent examples o. draworiise Construction n
M, A,hoa Of s crossing isab- stream. Or nis;'
ar. Al present 0.Ing rta4Ze1 70 their fullest extent
.,yean ,ha yreat rai,way companies ot Great Brit
ain had the cnect. frs ot aboshng Gerry Inks , ~
trarbriixes OF all kinds 10 join tho lefunct ferries
The ra. ior ne Ensl'h .a"o q! tnnc sheye
hriIses were thrown across IN. Menai Straits. me
Fri;a o. Tay. the Fr.tn OF Forth. he Tyne AMI
Me-, sn .b severs we're oec with nnes
These vast and N n'si Ga'es appa aro,g5 abor-
20 gain a saving in minutes. coupled %.th mo-
.ts. sSin or os. in the nv- ho-r- ~, from Liver
soo to London .'e ms NM sms 4 leY ~e vas
400 ~ ~. lew ninltes DELAY ~ r~Irhing Lon
fon the sensitive 'hrough-plssenger tram prac-
tcally deserted one great ra..way system ana sLye
In hi, cornecton that English railways Always
ne-e. 70 chsrre the aame rates between competing
nsssenger points 40 that me railroad which ihors
ind-r AIRY natural disaiyan;as. mas to max up
Frequency o., it, trains and genei A. improving IT,
scrvl-e The ,unnclllns 81 the Mersey or N"
hr,,slns o, me FORTH. therefore Instead o. being
oIos,ioS or few passenger fares more or less. be-
comes a policy upon which the fitire prosperity %
IN. Investing railway may depend
m, fArri.s being inaimssh'e for The reasons a
really indicated, 70 may De asked why me rntllsn
mus, Sow DOWN approaching A drawbridge. that the
asvei ~ s opening a. the slowest freight trains.
anI-a matter which English railway companies a..
rays carefully constituency draworidge has IN
mo uossib.I,tles OF an accident. the DAMAGES OF
witch would pay the additional cost - perfectly
sa'o nigh level bridge or tunnel.
Anpv,ng these remarks 20 the recent con.ruct!on
and equiprnent Of draUbrilges N the United states
~ hni that all the English objections 20 their use
c,lsf with oven more force. Direct railway comuu-
nira ton bc-yeen the largest cities In the coun-
t-v-Naw-York ani ChcagO-and their fespecuNe
5nfielous territory Is dependent upon drawhridges
During the heavy morning evening SUBURBAN
fr,f'r 4 these cities the opening and closing OF a
dravbrldge no matter now quickly accomplished
means the sailing Of hac dozen rains. me Clad
1r,,e i.rallment plans with special signals ana sig
nal towers attached 10 all the railway drawDrdSes
I'M tho United States bear eloquent testimony 10 the
veil grounded fear th1t the best human agency
mus, sometimes fali in keeping the moving train out
o, me open draw =, 49,, r.,.o,
Moreover as all navigablo waters In the United
states are under Federal jursdct or whle ne land
on either side IS under the control 81 me respectlve
s,ate- the natural conflict Of Interests thus engen-
Tered mas resulted in making the FeieIa autnori-
ties keen omen 10 navigation every tDird-rale dUch
which has uninterrupted comm inicatlon with some
main svsten Of waterways. especially n II Dc IN the
nclghbOrhood ~ a large city. Thus the railways
not having Yet. except IN very rev instances. &C.
rfIcd thar ihey must either tunnel or make high
level bridges near large cities, II they would give
last and Uninterrupted passenger service are COM
neled 20 rely drawhridges