New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-11-24
LEARNING kY DEGREES

gratifying stage in the revolution now tax
ing place in local transportation was reached
yesterday, when the Lenox-ave. extension of
the subway was opened to service. Still an
other welcome advance will be witnessed on
Saturday, when the Bronx Park section will be
temporarily connected with the SecOnd-ave ee-
waited road, thus furnishing a through express
route to the Battery, over which one may travel
twelve miles for five cents. AS might have
been fOreseen, the traffic on the Lenox-ave. line
yesterday extraordinarily large, but by
putting six and eight ears into the trains, in
stead of only five, the PETERBOROUGH company
was able to handle it with pleasing facility.
The delay until this week in opening two ad-
ditional sections Of the subway was due pri-
marily. of course to the fact that they We're
not ready for use, but the decision to initiate
service on the instaIment plan was wise as we'll
as necessary. To have put the whole system
into operation at one time would have been
formidable undertaking. Moreover farsighted
the projectors of the enterprise have been,
there were many things to be learned only by
practical experience. \ gradual development
was, therefore, exceedingly desirable.
In the ali important matter of famlliarzing
the mOtOrmcn with new signals and certain nov
elites in train equipment, for instance the best
results were to be expected from beginning on
a modest scale. There were manifest advan-
few breakdowns and the consequent cOnges-
ton at the busiest hours before increasing the
number of expresses and shortening the time
interval between them. Again. since there Wa
a prospect of a fight over the introduction of
advertising signs In the stations, 1t was we'll to
have the issue raised before these objectona-
bic features had appeared all parts of the
line which will be open within the next six
months.
0r,n 80 sv,-I;o
sderation is the eXpedency of modifying the
design of the cars so as to facilitate entrance
and exit 1t probably as much a surprise
to the InterbOrOugh company as it was to the
public to find that the sliding doors do not
admit passengers as freely as the gates on the
elevated trains. Another matter requiring care
ful attention is the agreeable, not to say
unwhoesome, atmosphere in the stations and
cars This is not so noticeable now as it was
at first, but the Improvement may be only tenn
porary. The change may be due to the adj
vent Of winter temperatures and the natural
tendency Of cold air to seek the lowest level
If so, an automatic though imperfect puriica-
ton may be anticipated at this season every
year, but the conditions will be reversed in
summer
Not the least significant annoyance experI
enced by patrons Of the subway is the diff
Guilty they have III identifying stations by sight.
Inc car curtains art usually Kept at such n
level in front of the windows as to conceal
the inscriptions. 1t has seldom been nossible
to observe anything more than the row of ad.
vertising signs standing on the station floors
and resting against the walls The trainmen
in the subway make their announcements no
more distinctly than those on the elevated
roads. Persons who travel frequently on the
latter, however, often recognize buildings which
tell them where they are at a glance Such
aid is not available underground. For the al
most uniform practice OF keeping the curtains
down in the subway there is doubtless an ex
cuse. Perhaps 1t has been adopted In order 70
minimize the disconcerting influence of observ
ing the rapid succession Of white pillars be-
side the trains. If So different remedy for the
evil should be found. Painting the pillars a
dull brown or gray might serve the purpose
equally we'll Should that expedient prove un-
satisfactory. better one could probably be