New-York tribune., 1902-04-11

| .t,o ,orp will be without express trains
| Furthermore the subway in Lenox-aVe'
| is ono block west of Fifth-ave.. ana aooo'
| two blocks west of the centre of populatioh' 80
| that it may be regarded as prachcaHy
| Side route Consequently the great puih Vi 'i'.
! population which is situated 10 'iie -
Fifth-ave is especially desrous thac
aotiop no taken by the Rapid Transit CoHfhS
| sion as has been urged by The Irlouhe' loi ''e
| nurnosa oc preparing plans and oo'aIn'e
| ,.o,+ of nronerty owners for an East Slde
| subway in Lexington-ave, or soile p' -
| tborouebfare to the east of Fifth-aVe- me
feeling has become so strong that IL was Iea I,e
| .o.a1, that some of the representative bodleS
80 Harlem NAV petition the Rapid Transit Coiii-
| r,tssio, n take immediate action preliminary u
| .be construction of such a subway 10 tue ''7'
| of Central Park. c,.
Charles BIandy. formerly Assistant corpora
+ion Counsel and counsel of the Harlem po'iu
| of Commerce said yesterday:
| FAST SIDF, SUBWAY A NECESSITY.
.,rha rocAssItv Of the construction OF an East
| Side subway cannot be contradicted by any oi''
| who has studied the conditions now eKis'ih6 i"
Harlem BY that term l mean lhe great -"
+or,. included between One-hundren- -'eil'i
st and the East. Harlem and North flNeis
| There is no reason why the Rapid transit 'oil'-
mission could not at the present ''''' ~
on, any, delay authorize its engineers to prepare
nlans for an East Side route. and 10 go dhedu
and overcome all the preliminary oostacies
,,ob tho accomplishment OF such an under
taking "a hound to meet Even though the city
q, not able at the present time to issue bohds
and bepip the work nevertheless preparations
might be made which will leave the way ciedI
when the time comes to begin the actual CON
struction of the road.
..The rapid transit system, as II is now oelne
constructed will only relieve Harlem 10 Il lii'i'
cd extent Only the western part VIII pe peie
etad and even this section Of the city. because
of the construction Of only two tracks III i-enoA-
ave will not enjoy an express service
.,p,t tho nresent system north of One-hun-
dred md -tenth-st In the part OF the city known
as Harlem is really a West Side system ana
the bulk Of the population, which lies TO the east
of Madison-ave., has no rapid transit ana VIII
NOT have such facilities until a branch Is buiit
IN lexington ave. or some parallel street
at one time 1 thought that subway In
First-ave would be most practicable Tor the
reason that this street is a wide one and at
present is only occupied by horsecar line
For that reason this part of the city has no
rapld transit facilities whatsoever. BY the con-
struction of an underground railroad In First
ave this East Side branch would form sort
Of heIt line with the main line in Broadway.
which is no nearer the Hudson River than
would such n road in FirSt-ave. be to the East
River. Such line would also strike the dense
" populated part of The Bronx at the very
heart and could be made to connect with the
proposed Port Chester Railroad and the other
branch of the rapid transit route. which has its
terminal at One hundred nd-seventy seventh
st and Willis-ave.
WOULD NOT STAND IN THE WAY.
Nevertheless I would not stand in the way
of any route which would relieve the present
needs of the great East Side. The Lexington
ave line such as is recommended by John e.
Mcdonald chief contractor of the subway, has
many advantages, and could be made TO con-
meet with the present line and with the Port
Chester Railroad. as has been shown in The
Tribune"
Charles W. Dayton, ex-postmaster of this
city who has been especially active in the de-
velopment of Harlem, being resident of that
part of the city. with home at No. 13 Mount
Morris Park West. said yesterday to a Tribune
| reporter
Il believe that when the people of Harlem
really understand such a proposition has
been made by The Tribune for East Side sub
way every citizen living in this part of
the city will sign petition to the Rapid Transit
Commission for action favorng such a branch
of the present system. Such an agitation ought
to have been made several years ago The pres
ent route is all right. but it is only good so far
as it goes. | understand that the complete sys-
TEN which New York demands cannot be built
all at once because of the city's debt limit
Nevertheless with the East Side crying for
rapid transit think that il is no more than
right to begin and clear away the pre-
iiminary obstacles / think that the city will be
able TO build such branch TO the east of Cen
trail Park connecting with the main line at
| Forty -second-st. Fourteenth st. within
year Now, the preliminary work will take
about the same length OF time it ought to begin
at once, that the actual construction of this
subway can be completed without any delay"
Ashbel 2. Fitch, president of the Trust Com
pany of America, who as Controller of the old
city of New-York. was member of the Board
ent route was adopted, said yesterday that delay
in the construction of an East Side subway,
which would be caused by poStponing action on
the preparation of plans until the city could issue
bonds for such an Improvement, would result
in checking the growth and development of THAI
part of the city for many years to come.
II am in favor of an East Side tunnel said
Mr. Fitch, and for that reason l voted agains,
the adoption of the present route when l was
member of the Rapid Transit Commission.
held at that time, as I do now, that the East
Side should not be left without such an i'm
provement. for 1t is the East Side which
tains the bulk Of the people. north of Forty
second-st.. which pays the bulk of the taxes
but which. according to the plans now being
carried out. will be left without any rapid tran
sit facilities except those now furnished by the
i overcrowded elevated and surface cars
| BOUND TO BE AN EAST SIDE SUBWAY
"Fourth-ave. is the centre of population be-