The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1904-10-27
RAPID TRANSIT BEGINS TO-DAY
SUBWAY OPEN TO GUESTS AT !"
TO EVERYBODY AT I =. W.
Thousands WA swarm TO Test Ne" Works.
First Underground Railroad - Pro-
Eramme OF The Opening Ceremony
Schedule for the First Weeks Trains.

preliminary TO the opening ol 'he "est
sd. branch OF the road to-day, were made
Yesterday by the officials of the INTERIOR
oupb company and by Chief Engineer Par
sons and Assistant Engineer Rice of the
Rapid Transit Commission Everything
vas found 10 be working in a most salts
factory manner. After the inspection
General Manager Hedley Of the INTERIOR
ough said
@The public must not Judge the Rapid
Transit system by the operation of the
first few days. Never before has one COM
.plee section of a railroad system been
opened on the tick OF the clock. and there
are likely to be some slight delays.
THE system. however. will be improved
IN the matter of operation from day to
dsy until it is brought as nearly to perfec-
ton as possible All we ask is that the
pIblic suspend its judgment for short
time"
Theceremonies in the Aldernlens' chamber
or the City Hall to-day will begin promptly
at O'Clock This is the programme;
President Fornes will call the gathering
10 order and introduce the Mayor as chair
man
Prayer by Bishop Greer
short speech by Mayor Mcclellan.
Address by William Barclay Parsons. chief
engineer OF the Rapid Transit Commission.
Address by Alexander f.. Orr, president OF
the Rapid Transit Commission.
Address by John II. Starin. vIce-president
Of the Rapid Transit Commission.
Address by John b. Mcdonald, contractor
who built the subway.
Address by August Belmont. president OF
the marlborough Rapid Transit Company
and the Subway Construction Company.
Benedction by Archbishop Farley.
Formal turning over Of the subway by
the Mayor to the operating company
1t is expected that about $50 guests OF
the Rapid Transit Commission will attend
the celebration. The programme at the
City Hall will be got through with in about
an hour. All the speeches will be brief.
From the Aldermens chamber the oom-
mission and its guests will proceed to the
tity Hall station of the subway. where
they will board an inspection train, which
will convey them to l45th street and Eroad-
wav. The Mayor will start this train With
a silver controller bar, which, will after
ward be presented to him by the Inter
borough Company as a souvenir. When
the train starts, factory and steamboat
Whistles will be blown and church bells
will be r,ing all over the city.
As soon as the first train gets sufficient
headwav the signal will be given to start
the other trains, on which guests OF the
marlborough company Will be permitted
TO ride for after O'Clock no more OF these
invitations will be accepted as passes for
admttanoe. A final inspection of the
road will be made by the Interborough
officials while the crowd in the trains thins
out. " ~
At 10 clock the general public will be adj
mitted to the stations and the sale OF tickets
viii begin. The local and express trains will
be running on their regular schedule
Express trains will consist of eight cars
each.an will make the trip from the City
Hall TO l45th street in 24la minutes. The
time between express trains will be:
+ f to $40: 80 4. NJ. four minutes $50 4, NJ
10 $50 4, NJ. five minutes; $50 A. 81 to 1880
l.. n. six minutes 1890 4; ~ !.o to II A. NJ;
" "n"te a'P n to $50 P H. eight minutes;
= 50 P. ". to i:ao P. NJ. six minutes: 80 n.
10 tor n i M ve so s II to P NJ, i've min
ties ties Up. ~ 10 $40 P. NJ, 81, minutes; $50
P. NJ 70 40 p. NJ. eight minutes.
No express trains are to be nun at present
between II 80 P. NJ. and the following morn
ing at $50.
The schedule as arranged calls for local
trains every three minutes from A. M.
until midnight, and every six minutes from
midnight to A. M. General Manager
would disregard the schedule IL it was
necessary to put on more trains to accom-
modate the crowd. The main thing the
marlborough company had in mind, he
-aid, was to carry all the people who wish
TO ride. .
The festivities to-day will wind up with
a dinner to be given to August belmont
in the evening at Sherrys by the directors
Of the marlborough company. The spread
will be most elaborate. Sixty guests will
w. tll la1ln II
the Rapid Transit Commissi oners John
b. Mcdonald, IL was said yesterday, has
also been invited. Speeches will be made
in which the entire history Of the subway
project from it's inception will be told.
increased Yesterday. The demand upon
the marlborough officials was tremendous.
lhe pass seekers bombarded the Offices
of General Manager Hedley. Vice Presi-
dent Bryan, President Belmont. John b.
Mcdonald and the Rapid Transit, Com
mission. Even the Mayors office did not
e,c4pe, although there were no passes
be given out there All the same politicians
and officeholders Of every degree were
importuned to use their influence to get
the much sought for invitations.
The smallness OF the Aldermen s chamber
made it necessary for the Rapid Transit
Commission to limit the number of their
invitations to the opening cerem ony to
t5l. No provision whatever was made
iOF the representatives. Oh UlOSt on Tile lOTly
or more daily newspapers in Greater New
York, until the Mayor took a hand in the
game. Reporters who applied for tickets
were told that all the invitations had been
sent ont and that police passes, such As
are used to pass fire lines, would not he
honored. They We're also informed that
there would be policemen at the door to
enforce the order.
When the matter was reported to the
Mayor he sent for President Orr. who
happened TO he in the City hall. MIR. Orr
explained that tickets had been sent to
tveVe ncv spapers.
But there are nearly four times as many
dslas as that in the whole city said the
Naycr
You surprise me. said Mr.. Orr.
Nevertheless IL is true replied the
,Maror. and provision should he made for
'he!r representatives
That would he impossible; there is not
rom for them. Mr.. Orr declared.
feel confident that they will get in"
ssi7 the Mayor You must not forget
that ! am chief ~ police II would 60
hari With an officer who disobevea my
order
=, II was announce soor afteraarti at the
hanii Transit Commissions Office that
theTe would be tioknts for all the news
PAPERS
Among these invite. r. the ceieDrat,n
who haya I