The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-02-12
NEWY0RK ToAFoREIGNER
Views or, nv BgGLIsH EYGLvEER. MR..
GEORGE LIVINGSTONE, ON TINS CITY.

Wv
He Doesn't Think Much OF Our MunIcips
administration or Elevated Roads. bi
Approves Our Trolleys, Our Lighting
some OF Our Pavements, and Our Water
Mr.. George Livingstone. an English civi
engineer. read before the Association OF Mu
nlcipal and County Engineers at London. oil
tho 10Th OF last; month. n very interesting
paper giving some Impressions Of municipa
work and administration" received 10y hin
during u visit TO this country last year. Mr.
Livingstone ia surveyor 10 the vestry OF st
George, London. and his visit was for the pur.
pose Of making COMPARISONS ani obtaininp
suggestions which might be profitable rs ok.
amples or warnings for English cities. We
extract from his paper his observations with
reference to New York more especially under
the headings rs he gives tnem. and they will
be found both interesting and significant.
NUN IcInAA ADMINISTRATION.
An official. no matter how admirable he may
have been in the discharge OF his duties, how
much initiative he may have shown. or how
great tho public improvements he may have
effected during his tenure OF oflce. may ulti-
mately be rewarded. only BY opprobrum and
abuse .lf5he should happen to be associated
with the unpopular political party. one Of the
most remarkable examples of this reRrettable
iohbuIc II AilltElCHil DuuIit illb was IUo ITchL-
mont accorded to Gen. c. II. II. Coils. the we'll
known COMMISSIONS Of Public Works in New
York city under the late admirable adminis-
tration Of Mayor Strong. To Gen. Coils be-
longs the chief credit OF the great improve
ments effected in the FmpiTe City during the
last five years. his greatest and most memora-
BILE achieve ment being the transformation OF
Fifth avenue from n noisy. ill-lit and ill-laid
granite thoroughfare into u smooth and noise
less boulevard. as we'll lighted as any in the
world. the Joy and pride Of the New Workers..
Nevertheless. during the entire period when
hisimprovements,were in progress he was the
object OF continual abuse and ~invective ON ac-
count OF his political opinions.
STREET TRANSPORTATION
In New York the system OF elevated rail-
roads. which carry cars drawn by steam loco
motives. now consists Of four main doublc-
track lines and a few short branches. all con-
verGlng together at the southern extremity of
the island in a terminal station. Neither
on these lines nor on any other in Amer
ica, with the exception of long distance trains
on the main lines. are there any class distinc-
tions In connection with the carriages. nor Is
there. as with us. any limit to the number of
passengers carried. During the busy hours
people crowd into the cars and hang on by the
leather straps overhead until the cars are filed
to suffocation. and an early morning train is a
somewhat painful illustration OF the equality
OF the sexes and OF the principle OF every man
for himself and the devil take the hindmost."
Seated men aud swaying women are rather the
rule than the exception.
The tramways. or street cars" as they are
called In America. seem to do as large n bust
ness as the elevated cars. AS they run through
nearly every street and avenue. the city has al
most hepn pOnNprte1 into n pafNuprk NJ linao
The system of interchange tickets enables pas
senRers. at n great saving'of time and money.
to go the whole length of the city. from north
70 south or from east to west. as the case may
be. on one ticket and for one fare. 1t is
will become contagious. and that our great
cities will rise to the occasion and emulate the
across the water. In England. as
every one knows. we are very much behind, |
though this state Of affairs was no doubt very
LARGELY dye to the Losomoti1es act, There is
tage the extension Of electric tramways would
be in England
small part in New York city, There is little
reason: however. for using cabs. es specially as
there is an admirable system Of baggage de-
livery. whlch enables a new arrival to despatch |
his baggage. directly to his destination and fol-
low i by rail or street car at a small cost.
the immediate future. the time will no doubt
come when we shall be able to travel about. II
nron ~ trans In st q, all e eyeR 1tfo, in mo o,ro buses
Of mechanical traction. In America they do
not seem to have made very much Roadway in
haps due to the fact that there is not the same
for them as there would be IL they
cars. The author only saw. and that in New
YORK. one or two motor cars. They were Of
, h most pnsiRhtly pattern. and reminded
lollers without fun9els. He has, however.
had the pleasure IN New England of riding In
4 motor car. which was an ordinary American
huggy driven by steam. This car had trav-
elled a good many, thousand miles and WINS
when 1t Is perfected. as the author understands
fs, about to be. will only perform half as
much as the inventor claims. for It. there
should be a great future for 1t in this and
other countries.
j, Leaving motor cars for tho present out OF
reps In. developing what over there would be
Vailed street transp3rtation This pre.emi-
temperament of the American. This peculiar
Iempern ment. rs compared with that Of other
natlonalltles. was well illustrated by Gen. Col
with municipal n%roblemsl. speaking of for
that sometimes necessitate a wait Of
he said. To ths Frenchman this is not a serl.
ous matter. whereas an American would chafe
be mentioned that the Article referred 10 was
Sontrl hnted by Gen, Coll : to THE NEW YORK
SUI Of Dec; 80, ls8l, and was the outcome Of
purpose OF, studying. municipal matters. on
hls return he gave mis- fellow countrymen the
'S'ShN VI 40 nv ellilN INV ll'lulTl,S, anu
Any one acquainted with municipal affairs on
his side OF the Atlantic could not fail TO be
struck not only by the surprising amount Of
accurate, and interesting information en-
bodied, but also by the acute comments and
which were forthcoming when
PAVING.
In 1904 New York had the unenviable repu
alton OF being the worst paved city in the
world: AS has been already indicated, the
rnnsformation effected is due to the foresight
md energy Of Gen. Coils. who expended five
nd a half millions of dollars In asphalt paving
nd brought abouta marvellous imDrpyement
a com naratiyeIly small cost. BY means OF as
malt, Fifth avenue has been transformed into n
smooth and noiseless thorough
are. and Park ayenue-useless for a quarter OF
century as a means of vehicular traflc-has
'een converted into n useful and pleasant
galway. Wherever the new pavements were
aid they arc undoubtedly.eXoellent; hut many
u tlhe, busy thoroughfares are in n shocking
The author yet ventures to aues-
ion II there Is in any city or town Of any rank
n Europe u thoroughfare of the size and inn
,%ortance OF Broadway in SO deplorahlv defec-
I've a condition, The condition Of the road
Vay and Of this and adjoining streets
5 a danger To man and beast.
LIGHTING.
In another respect also, besides that
! locomotion, American cities have a dis
met advantage over our own. Generally
thew are better lightpd-Of course