New-York tribune., 1901-11-22
rgpE4T OF VANDALISM.

,. . .oo,,- +o be believed that the pres
eut CITY administration contempiates loreihs
through at this late day the piah vi pi ius'
Commissioner Sheas special commission lol hn
| ox,ensiop of the Brooklyn Bridge approach III
- e,rn, of on elevated railroad down Park
Poo, and Nh Centre-st. If there is any truth III
tho renort that the scheme is nkeiy 10 oe IT,
vived the people of this city should AROUSE
themselves to prevent the waste OF money ana
tre injury TO the streets which would result
from such work.
when the commission first reported, the stoIlh
of adverse comment was SO great that the plan
went into what supposed TO De hhai Ie
tirement When the Brooklyn Bridge Is al
readv oyerloaded-not necessarily beyond the
limit of safety. but far beyond the capacity Tor
which IT WAS desfgned-and when more people
cross il daily than can be accommodated III
comfort. the idea of extending its approaches
IN fan new districts and draw TO the brldSe
more traffic is preposterous. 1t would Simply
mean new complications and worse Jams 1t Is
not desirable that the bridge should be aitereu
TO carry more people. If possible, Out that soLie
thing should be done so that 1t VIII De calleu
upon TO carry fewer. The new bfldge 10 VIII
iamsburg will somewhat relieve the congestion
of the present structure. few years ago esti
mates were made that 40 per cent Of the present
patronage would find the new bridge more COLI
vantant Than the old But population is grow
ing so RAPIDLY that there is danger that by the
time the new bridge is completed the demands
of traffic will be great that little reilel VIII
be felt and that only temporarily.
The remedy must be sought, not in makeshlft
additions 10 the approaches of an inadequate
bridge but in farsighted provision OF new ana
independent means OF transit. Much will be ac-
complished by the rapid transit tunnel TO Brook-
lyn. and as the Controller has pointed out
there is the greatest necessity for caution 10
save money for this enterprise or prime I'M
porfance and not waste the cftyS borrowing
canaci+v when ii is so near the debt limit, on
I'll considered schemes like this. Moreover, ii is
intolerable that City Hall Park. Broadway and
st, Paul's Chapel and churchyard should De
disfigured by an elevated railroad. Such van
dalism would be objectionable In this day ana
generation, when municipal art claims recogn-
ton in all civilized communities and engineer
iEs resources are adequate to traffic demands
without running the appearance of cities.
1t is hardly possible that plan so utterly
lacking in merit as this should be rushed
through the Board of Estimate and Apportion-
ment II could not be carried out by the pres
ent administration. but would only burden the
next one and we do not believe that this board
cares TO put itself before the public eye as doing
that Certainly Mayor Van Wyck since the
election has shown Mr.. Low every courtesy
and seemed disposed to help and not embar-
rass him This elevated road scheme might
conceivably be put through by certain Tam
many men in their last hours Of office. il there
was nobody in particular responsible. But In
this case five men have the power, and if they
use it to fasten this enterprise upon the city
they must do openly and accept the re-
sponsibiiity. The five are Mayor Van Wyck,
Controller Coler President Guggenheimer. Cor
poration Counsel Whalen and Tax Commits
sioner Feitner. Mr.. COler and Mr.. Guggen-
hemer. we believe. opposed to the plan.
The three other, even if they favor il. will. We
think. be slow to carry with them from office
the reproachPs OF their fellow citizens and end
their official careers with a last act of van
daliSm.