New-York tribune., 1904-10-28

N
quest OF the Mayor that there should be a gen
eral celebration in the city by the blowing OF
whistles and ringing OF bells did not meet with
so loud response as had been expected. Along
the river fronts and in Harlem the whistles of
many factories were blown at O'Clock but few
bells were heard anywhere.
AUGUST BELMONT SPEAKS.
After Mr.. Mcdonald closed his speech with
praise OF the dwellers in the city for their pa
thence shown in the building of the subway the
Mayor called on August Belmont, president of
the Interborough Rapid Transit Company who
had warm greeting. Mr.. Belmont said in part:
IL any esPt cis credit is due to my associates and
our i rsq the eRess of ePd S56 SG%mftsa M r to
@ sse not frequently demanded for investment It
Pee 1esn Wiling to assume the risk in order TO enjoy
dangers attendng The un6ertsSirs anu @ proIts I Inc
HnInistskable % nor was the outcome guaranteed by
5,,Yg II Tas essential before decision go forward
all apparent elements of probable failure 1'D''
IL is my judgment that the claim Is not ertrava-
have @ pam h eRmpe aha 8bcs ff s1sTST esS & OF this
as eS an = OBJECT lesson and standard for similar
A. 2, time when there are. so many iu-digested
for their object not only municipal ownership but
mnHeips oPeTS ton OF transportation lines the
of this problem-that municipal participation is
construction of such work but Should stop short
q the operation Of the property when constructed
and the burden. well as the profit. OF construct
not SenP Within the rse sGaq nneob. Sse Latter
Other legitimate province 9f munepaIity.,
subway or rather this splendid arcade. is for
has vet been carried upon its tracks being entirey
assured Of the success OF this enterprise. we have
ne saces so6 Of the sytem o eRsteG %
and subway lines now united
SUBWAY Is DECLARED OPEN.
Archbishop Farley by the Mayors request.
pronounced the benediction, and then the Mayor
said:
Now l. as Mayor in the name OF the people.
| declare the subway open"
There was applause. and Mr.. Belmont. carry
ing mahogany case, walked 70 the rostrum.
Presenting the case TO the Mayor he said:
"I hand you this controller Mr.. Mayor. with
the request that you put in operation this great
road. and start It its OF success. and,
hope OF safety"
The case contained a silver controller on
which were suitable inscriptions, and almost
as soon as the Mayor had accepted it. it was
taken to the first of the waiting train at
the City Hall station and set in place for use
There was a wait OF minute. while a photo
graph OF the scene taken. and then the
meeting was adjourned and everybody in the
chamber started for the train.
The police lines protected the procession head
ed by the Mayor. but the first train was so
crowded that one-fourth Of the people in 1t were
obliged 10 stand, and tire Mayor himself was
obliged to hang on TO a strap part Of the trip.
politely refusing to let some older men give up
their seats 20 him.
While General Manager Hedley. Of the Inter
borough Company, was instructing the Mayor
how to handle the controller in the motormans
box, the Mayor was asked II he really meant to
run the train. and he replied with apparent con-
hdence: "Oh. yes; know how to run motor
car
'VYen now, / hadn't thought Of that" he said.
with smile, but l hope shall not cause
strike
MAYOR STARTS THE FIRST TRAIN.
With Mr.. Hedley beside him. the Mayor start
ed the first train at 2:30 and it was followed by
q second train two and a half minutes later.
The Mayor ran the initial train slowly at first.
going around the loop 10 the Brooklyn Bridge
station where Il was the local track. After
the station was passed the signals ahead showed
that the train was to be switched 70 the express
track and as the train was gathering headWay
ranldlv Mr. Hedley asked the Mayor to slow
| m a little The Mayor moved the controller too
far hitting the emergency brake waive ana
brinoin9 the train to a sudden stop.
! There was a little laughter in the train and
some OF the distinguished "deadheads SAID
they thought the Mayor motOrman must have
| going on the express track and the Mayor re-
surned his hold the controller. Fourteenth
( ST was reached IN the slow time OF nine minutes
| from CITY Hall, but the Mayor gained con-
.hdence after getting beyond the curves at
! Union Square. he sent the train along at higher
! sDeed n, was going 80 fast as the train neared
/ the curve az FOrty-second-st. that MT Hedley
! xot nervous and said: "A little slower. please.
| Mr. Mayor" =,
| good form and when the train was IN Broadway
! he Increased the speed again so that Tor the
stretch between F1ftieth-st. and Ninety-siXth-st
| the train was going at the rate OF thirty miles
an hour. The run to Ninety-sl1Ih-st without
any stops at stations was Indoe Nn AOOuI seven
| teen minutes.
GREETING FOR MAYORS TRAIN.
When the train was crossing the viaduct over
Manhattanville cheers from people in the streets
/ and the footing Of whistles from several fac
| tories could be heard. and the whistle OF the
! train responded The running time OF the train
| 70 One-hundred- and -forty-ffth-st. was twenty
/ nve minutes The Mayor resigned the position
1 OF Tnotorman before the train reached One-hun-
| dred-and- forty -fifth-st.
| ON the return trip the train made several stops
! at stations The Mayor took hold Of a strap
/ and talked with other persons In the uFst car
/ 9e rode all the way back to the City Hall.
| THE trip and the whole enterprise nave been
! an absolute and a magnificent success. he said
! II enjoyed the experience Of running the train
! Immensely AS a sport IL compares faVoFaoly
! With running automobile You know I'm an
! eTpert at that The sensation in starting is al
sation OF leaving the light and running at full
! speed into the dark. The freedom from the re-
anonsIbity Of the steering wheel is a little EN-
/ barrassing When hit the FoFty-second-st.
curve at a high rate OF speed, felt myself al
/ most instinctiVely cropping for the steering
Il certainly beeD q glorious day.