Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1906-06-06
WONDERS OF NEW YORK CITY.
ITS TEEMlNG MILLIONS AS THEY MOVE
TO AND FR0 70 % BUSINESS.

TO AND FR0 70 % BUSINESS.
AS ! write (on oars) / have just
left Brooklyn Bridge, where there
was detention of nine minutes.
seems long here; as / stood on the
platform in the busy whirl I watched
the vast throng pushing and pressing
its way to the various trains leaving
every minute-each of the thousands
of passengers eager for the first de-
parting train-as if delay of one
minute until the next meant destruc-
tion to them. As many people cross
Brooklyn Bridge in one day as some
railroads haul in a year; the total
fares collected exceed the population
of the United States. The bridge is
one and one-fourth miles, the inner
three-fourths of mile being suspen.
sion, supported by two enormous
peers, one on each side of the East
River. Visitors invariably go to
Brooklyn Bridge and GROSS it other
wise they would miss one of the
grandest sights of the city, one some
times termed the eighth wonder of
the world. One other similar bridge
the Williamsburg-orosses the river
about 1900 yards above the old one !;
third is being built between these
two, and dozen or more planned.
Bridge building continues notwith-
standing the tunnelling, for it is
safely reckoned that all these-the
tunnels and many more bridges, to
say nothing of the ferries-will all
be required as fast as they can be pro-
vided to accommodate the travel be-
tween Manhattan Island (New York
proper) and Long Island (Brooklyn).
The population of New York is near
100000. 1t is estimated it will be
30,O0O,O00 in thirty years if the in
crease, far greater now than ever,
continues.
The boats are all required by law
to have two pilots, to insure safety in
the event, which sometimes happens,
of one becoming suddenly incapaci-
tated. With 500 to 5000 lives at
stake, this is wise precaution. The
public, realizing that the same dan
ger existed on the elevated electric
trains, actively agitated the requiring
of double mortomen. The brain of
the wide-eyed Yankee began to work
at once-result, only one motorman
yet, but if he drops dead or even
less-hundreds of lives are not
dashed to death; the inventive ge-
MUS supplied a device-motor han
desc that the train will only run
when the hand holds it, and the mo-
ment released the train comes to a
standstill. These are in general use
now. The Subway has improved
even on this. In addition they have
in use device that prevents rear
end collisions-thess are the only
possible ones, as double tracks are
used, and only trains going one way
run on track. Should an accident
happen, or sudden, unexpected stop
be made, the track device will bring
automatically to stop any train ap-
preaching within $50 feet. No two
trains can therefore stand on the
same $50 feet of track. This device
is in use on the two express tracks,
and this was the ground of the great
strike-operatives demanded its use
on the two local tracks. (There are
four tracks in the Subway The
company claimed the right to install
at their pleasure, and by bringing
"R!ct Breakers" forces won. And
to-day while express trains thunder
ing along on double tracks, under a
three-minute headway, are safe from
collisions-locals are not protected
in the same nor any other absolutely
safe way.
New York has l,01S miles of sur
face, elevated and subway railroads,
yet it is difficult to get seat, al
though trains are run almost as solid
as the links in chain. On the main