New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-04-27

property owners for obvious and just reasons.
Wide Thrd-ave. Secord-ave. and even First
ave. should be considered and II is In that
part Of the city where the crowds live. Lex
ington-ave. is chiefly residential. and too mar
row for safe engineering"
John J. Murphy, the paper dealer OF No A
John-st, who a signer Of The TTibune's
petition. said that he favored First-ave.. and
in giving his reasons he said;
1T is a great mistake TO the subway
through the middle Of the city. Where such an
extended avenue Of communication is to lie
should be determined in island long and
narrow as this by the best possible service OF
the population, Your proposal is for a subway
on the Ees, Side: that suggests the p!th OF the
matter. The city being divided into two distinct
districts. IL becomes necessary to afford both
efficient rapid transit Now, taking each side
OF the city separately. the subway should In
each case be placed near as possible to the
most densey populated part. should say the
place for the subway the river fronts
or very near them. How many people live near
the park compared to the number who live be-
tween Second-ave and the East River and
Tenth-eve. Eleyenth-ave. and the North
River? The contrast Is obvious. In the rich
residential districts the houses may be large.
but they comparatively unoccupied They
are placed with some elbow room between them
often and do not pile many stories one over
the other. The very opposite is. OF course. true
further over Apartment houses of five stories are
common, each story divided into a goodly num-
Der OF small flats, and every fat, rule, filled
to overlooking. There are more people in Madi-
son-ave than IN Fifth-ave.; when you get to
Park and Lexington ayes the numbers are
doubled: at Third-ave- they Quadrupled, and
at Second-ave. and beyond II is ten times and
over. l venture to say that there are more peo-
pie between Thrd-aVe- and SeCOnd-aVe than be-
tween Third-ave and the park. Now, this SUBJ
way is TO be built 10 move the people Of this
MID x- rapiO and a
morning and evening. The place for 1t Is evil
IDENTIFY where the greatest part of this popula-
ton is on hand. II you carry man who lives
on First-ave. say. uptown, and set him off on
Lexngton-ave. he is d long way from home
The man who lives near the park is not usually
so pressed for time that he has to count the
minutes for getting TO his office. He does not
desire rapid transit from his doorstep TO his
desk, at the expense of an inroad OF a large part
OF the city upon the region OF his home twice a
day. What he wants is direct. quick clean.
comfortable transportation when he takes his
car He would be willing 10 take few minutes
additional at the start TO reach such a subway.
Why. many people on the East Side walk. ride.
drive or take the to the Sixth-aye. elevated
station at ty-eighth-st.
NO, I think 1t would be d great mistake to
choose Of the westerly East Side avenues
for this subway. I think it belongs over some
where IN the Ffrst-ave. region The point Is to
place this subway. which is certainly a public
necessity, where it is most Indispensable, and
understand that il would be a far greater ex-
pense IN such an avenue as Lexington in the
matter Of construction II there is choice be-
tween going through rock and going through
sand or loose material. and there over
weighing advantages in the rock route, II Is
best to avoid it.
Mr. Murphy lives at No. 81 Park-ave.
PLEADS FOR LEXINGToN-AvE
The Tribune has performed a distinct service
for the Borough OF The Bronx IN contributing
largely to the action taken by the Rapid
Transit Commission on Friday. L be OF still
further service in aiding secure the adoption
Of a straightforward sensible route. The most
logical. direct extension to The Bronx would be
from Forty-second- up Lexington-ave., cross
ing the Harlem River just west OF the Third
ave. bridge, and continuing UP Third-ave. to the
line under construction at One-hundred-
and-forty-nnth-st.. with stations at One-hun-
dred-and -thirty-third. One hundred and thirty
eighth and One-hundred- and forty-third SITS, in
The Bronx. This follows closely the natural
and established line Of travel since Colonial
times. Third-ave being the Old Boston Post
Road.
At One-hundred- and thirty third-st. connec-
ton could be made with the New-York and
POrtchester and the New-Haven roads: at One
hundred-an NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. with the New
York Central. New-York and Harlem elevated
Madison-ave and all Union Railway lines for
which this is the main transfer point; and at
One-hundred- and-forty- third-st. with the ele-
waited road and the theatre and shopping district
of this section of The Bronx.
Another suggestion that has been made is
extension up First-ave. across the Harlem and
up Wis-ave. But this seems hardly likely to
meet with favor, from the fact that First-ave.
is not the centre of population. being too near
the East River TO afford a paying traffic. The
people of this borough sincerely appreciate the
ready response of Mayor Low and the gentlemen
of the Rapid Transit Commission to the needs
Of this section recently made manifest, and
hope that provision will also be made for a line
I'D Jerorne-ave. TO accommodate the western
section Of the Borough of The Bronx