New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-08-20
SERVICE THAT SEEMS WANTONLY b.

SERVICE THAT SEEMS WANTONLY BAD
We have said that 1t is doubtful whether the
elevated railroad which now occupies and ron.
trolls the Bridge is doing It's best for passenger
transportation between Manhattan and Brook
lyn. The remark was conceived and uttered
under the influence Of that extreme charitable
ness which makes New Workers not only the
longest suffering but probably the most i'm
posed upon people on ihe face Of tho globe
What we might have said with unmpeachnbl
Justice and admirable moderation is that that
railroad is undoubtedly not doing It's beat n
anything like Its best. 1t is doing so badly
thar only the extreme charity before mentioned
prevents the conviction that the badness Of It's
service IL the result Of deliberate purpose exc
cuted with the skill acquired through patient
study and long experience Perhaps such n
conviction would be unwnrranted II so. II the
tyle Of that roads service comes by chance or
comes natural to It." we can only iii wonder
and amazement, adapt TO II the comment made
upon n certain writer once well known so
young and yet 30 ignorant.
For the whole scheme Of service OF that rond
Is radically wrong. and contrary to what the
public expected had a right TO expect and was
led to expect by the managers OF the road. The
expectation and the promise was that there
would be n general service OF through trains
from Park Row to all parts Of Brooklyn reached
by the elevated roads. That more than any
thing md all things else, was what reconced
LeOplc, far as they were reconcilcd TO tho
handing over Of the Bridge to n private corpo.
ration for its Use md profit. People wanted TO
get rid OF The nuisanccs " having 10 change
cars al the Brooklyn end OF the Bridge. Of hav-
Ing 10 climb another long flight OF stairs, Of
having to wait IN indefinite time for another
train and Of having to fight their way through
mob for seat Such through trains could. OF
course. be provided That Is indmbitable But
they are not, save to a limited extent. which
only adds insult to injury For few hours n
day a few such trains are run M infreqncnt and
irregular intervals over one branch Of the road
and perhaps on one dny n week few nre run
over another branch. That Is all Most Of the
time for the vast majority OF passengers the
old system Of changing cars prevails. only II is
made worse than before by reducing by one
half the number Of shuttle trains on the Bridge
What sort Of service Is given by the few
through trains that are run may he understood
from the experience Of a passenger an aver
age. typical experience Of thousands. He went
up TO the platform from which through trains
start. and found It already overcrowded with
waiting passengers and no train in sight. In
few minutes train came IN. There was
fcr0cious mOb.rush for Il through windows as
we'll rs doors: 1t was quickly crowded to suffO-
cation and presently moved OF. leaving the plat
form still packed with waiting passengers And
all the way 20 Reid-ave.. In Brooklyn miles
away many passengers were still standing In
the cars. unable to get seats. That Is the way
II Is every day. To say no better service can
he given. is simply to insult common sense.
Every one knows that more trains could be run
across the Bridge: probably, without the slight
eat difficulty. twice as many MS Mt present.
These could be supplemented with trains from
the loop a; Sands-st., which would take the
passengers from that station and from the City
Hall and Bridse-st. stations. who arc now
TANNED into the already overcrowded trains
from Park Row.
II would be possible and easy to give every
passenger on the rond seat There is no