New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-02-18

Chicago shows II is possible for almost every
steam road entering the city to send it's supuE p
trains in over the Union Loop. For instance, tnJ
st. Paul road and the Northwestern Elev ,
road are to use common station at Wllsuu i
ave, the northern terminus of the latter I ms
portion of the st. Paul road is simply tn ,s
Evanston branch suburban line purely, put II
carries a heavy traffic and IL is probable that IN
the near future this business will be brought
into the centre of the business district over the
Northwestern Elevated and Union Loop Even
If that is not done at that point there Will be
junction there with a suburban electric rOau
anyway, and To allow these cars to run up on inc
structure incline has been built that VIII
permit trains to run up and down to the elevated
structure at Will
The Lake Street Elevated runs almost parallel
to the Northwestern steam road as far as Aus
tin. where also the Lake Street has an incline
that permits its trains to come down to the sur
face will permit of the Northwestern steam
road running its suburban trains up on the
structure at that point and bringing them into
the heart OF the city. Another branch or the
Northwestern steam road could get aboard the
elevated structure OF the Metropolitan company
out In the northwestern section OF the city.
while the St. Paul Railroad Company could do
the same thing somewhere In the same neigh
borhood.
The one plan of this nature that has actually
been preached number of times is the talk or
the Burlington road bringing its suburban ser
vice In over the main line of the Metropolitan
system. the terminus of the elevated being near
the line of the Burlington, and the two running
parallel into the city. There are several other
lines that could use the Metropolitan in the same
manner The Rock Island Railroad is elevating
it's tracks so that the trains will arrive at their
station, which is the only one on the Union Loop
on the same level as the elevated tracks. IL
would not take a great stretch Of the magma
ton to figure that the Rock Island trains, and, in
fact the suburban services OF all other lines
using the same station would run out on ana
around the Union Loop. leaving and picking up
traffic they went. The South Side Elevated
is in position TO pick up the suburban service
of the Illinois Central, the Michigan Central the
Wisconsin Central and the other companies us
ing the big Twelfth-st station.
RESTRICTED TO LESSEEs
While there Is a clause In the Union Loop
leases at the present time to the effect that only
trains belonging to lessees can run over the
structure still the influences of the combined
interests named would be sufficient TO change
all that If the people interested thought IT worth
while. 1t Is not believed the city would oHer
objection to such matter and by many 7" II II
considered within the bounds of possibility. IL
would relieve the already overcroWded stations
of the various companies of the enormous Jam
created by a suburban traffic, and simplify mat
ters for both the companies and the public 10
considerable extent.
To make a New-York understand what such a
prospect means it is only necessary to state that
all trains arrive here across the river, just as
they do in New-York. with the exception OF the
NeW-York Central. There no ferries on the
Chicago River, but there are bridges. and every
body walks. To carry out the smile. it would
be like having all the suburban trains that ar
rive on the Jersey side in the morning and leave
there in the evening go over the river and run
around an elevated structure in the heart of the
business district OF NeW-1OTk anu lileil uepdll
again across the river for their destination.
Every passenger could catch his train on any
road as the plan is projected for Chicago, at any
OF the Union Loop stations, and arrive at a
point that would be much nearer his place or
business than the present station arrangements
permit that there would be absolutely no COM
parison.
While these plans are far removed for Chi
cago the base for carrying them out is already
in operation, and 1t is believed by many TO be
only question of time before the scheme IS put
into operation. Some believe the Union Loop
could not carry additional traffic to that OF the
elevated roads but there is the opportunity, In
the opinion of the New-York expert, for an up
per deck TO be put on the structure. but many
believe this will not be necessary even to carry
out a complete scheme Of suburban railroad
traffic in over the Loop.