The sun., 1903-11-26
OVERHEAD WESTST. TROLLEYS
METROPOLITAN SEEKS THE
CITY'S CONSENT.
City the Largest Owner OF Abutting Prop
erty as Well as Supervisor OF Electric
Wires-Ofnoials OF Road Say That
There Is No Other Practicable Plan.

pany proposes, II the city will consent,
to install In West street an overhead trolley
system, and has already taken steps toward
securing the necessary authority. The
physical conditions of lower West street,
the Metropolitan people say, are such that
an underground trolley system cannot be
operated. because at high tides the conduits
would be flooded
The consent OF more than two-thirds OF
the property owners along the street, be-
sides the permission of the Commissioner
of Highways and of the Commissioner Of
Water Supply. Gas and Electricity, wip
have to be obtained before overhead wires
can be put up. The city itself owns property
on the street-all, in fact west OF the present
car tracks-sufficient TO give it controlling
number Of votes on the question.
McDougall Hawkes., Commissioner OF
Docks, as the supervisor of matters con-
nected with the city's waterfront land,
has. it is said, power to represent the city
in this matter. The proposition has been
laid before him informally. and he has
called for a written statement OF the reasons
why an underground system cannot be
installed.
The Metropolitan company has sent out
to property owners along the street
circular appealing to them for their support
in the undertaking and declaring that the
overhead system alone is feasible. The
circular says:
For several years there has been an urgent
and constantly growing, demand lor oetuer
Sa ga cs bv bnrs on west The Me
politan Street Railway Company has ex-
pended a large amount of time and money
chanica or electrical traction which would
enable It TO meet this demand. II mas beei'
recognized from the outset that the he. under, der
ground electric system. which has Deeh
generally adopted for the Metropolitan lines
on Manhattan Island. cannot be used upon
the street is ' so low that the eonduits which
contain the underground electric conductors
would be so frequently flooded by high tides
Compressed air cars have both been tried
OF other e systems tens i have " been been eSamined The
for successful system. and although nu-
to this invitation. none proved successful
II has finally come TO he generally recog-
pulsion Of surface cars Which successfully
meet tho requirements Of the traffic on Man
haitian Island are the underground electric
reached that II the street cars upon ,, West s.,
horses. the overhead electric system must
be used. This system can be installed on
West street in such n manner as not TO OBJ
struct traffic, nr ,detract from the appearance
OF the street The same cars can be fitted
with both overhead and underground trolley.
50 sSe h%t ths %ef e %n
ated as part OF the general Metropolitan
system.
upon Manhattan Island are operated by cleo
trcity. the cooperation Of the owners and oc,,
cupants OF property on West street Is asked
stallation OF the only system OF electric pro-
pulson which is available under the con-
d!ions which exist on West street. Respect
MEIR9p9LIrAN STREET RAILWAY COMPANY.
BY interur6an Street Railway Co.. essee.
... ii. h. SHETLAND, President.
One of tho officials OF the road speaking
Of the proposed change last night said
There seems to be no good reason why
any serious OBJ lection should be made to
the stringing Of the trolley wires In West
street. The street is full of poles and
wires as it is. and it Is plenty wide enough
for a trolley line. We do not propose to
put the wires overhead all along the line
We could do that only along the section
in which the underground conductors
would be impracticable on account of the
water which would back up into them
from the sewers at high tide As we said
in our circulars we have expended thous-
ands Of dollars trying to find some other
means Of moving the cars along this street,
but we have been entirely unsuccessful.
The wires would probably be strung only
along that section from the Battery to
Fourt eenth street
A trolley system in West st rect would
he an inestimable benefit to the travelling
public. What We are trying to do Is to
find some means Of relieving the conges ion
Of north and south travel On the other
lines. That, we think, could be done to
considerable extent by a trolley system in
West street. We can't relieve the situation
with our horse cars. There are thousands
of people who come In every day on the
ferries. They would take the West street
line. and anybody can easily realize how
much of relief that would be to the other
north and south lines.
"As to the objection that the trolley
line would impede the heavy traffic in West
street, that Is not so. II anything, it would
make the conditions In this respect better
horse cars. The wires overhead could easily
be nut Mt such height as not to interfere
in the slightest with the big trucks
Commissioner Hawkes. said last night that
he would consult with both the Mayor and
President Cantor before taking any step
in the matter, 1t was a rather serious
thing to grant any company the right to
al ring live trolley wires in the streets of
this borough and he would not consider
the request until 1t was proven conclusively
in writing to him that no other method
could be used
Representatives OF the company called
on him Yesterday. Mr.. Hawkes. said, and
assured him that they could prove to the
satisfaction Of the department that an un-
derground system was impossible in West
street, unless the electrical conduits were
made watertight, and they didn't see how
that could be done. When the Metropoli-
tan company formally makes lis request
for the Dock Commissioner permission
and presents it's proofs Mr.. Hawkes. will
have a staff of engineers of his own go
over tho ground and report. The Fire
cit officials.
Fire Commissioner Sturgis said last night
that he would object IL the wires were to be
so placed as to interfere with the raising OF
ladders by firemen or otherwise to hinder