New-York tribune., 1911-01-01

F old Peter Mnuit, who purchased
Manhattan Island from the Indians
- for few beads and other baubles and
some gallons of booze" all of an esti-
mated value Of $2i, were able to come BACK
at this day and take little sightseeing trip
around the land that was once in his pos
session. he would be confronted with engi-
neering works that would startle him.
At the time when Peter arrived the wa
ters around Manhattan were studded with
few small sailing vessels and Indian
canoes. plying lazily between the wooded
banks Of the two rivers. If he should now
take a trip I'D the East River he would be
sailing under the spans of mighty bridges
reckoned among the wonders of the world
over which thousands Of persons constantly
travel every day. And under the murky
waters spanned by these mammoth bridges
he would find other routes of travel-tubes
through which there is an incessant mass
Of human beings continually pouring The
first Governor Of New York would also find
at the present day the Harlem River
arched over by network Of bridges, by
which other hosts of many thousands daily
come and go, and If he should investigate
the Hudson River he would learn that un-
der its gently flowing waters there are also
tunnels that convey daily vast army Of
busy Manhattan toilers TO their rural homes
in the Garden State, and that plans were
on foot TO span even that mighty stream
with bridge, either at 59th, 10th or l79th
street
There we have in a nutshell tho mar
vellous progress of Manhattan's traffic con-
nections that has taken place during a
period Of about three hundred years, and
much greater things are yet TO come, ac-
eording 10 the statements of authorities on
our passenger transportation system. There
IS an astonishing increase of passengers
carried in and out Of Manhattan every
year. and the present transportation facili-
ties. according TO these experts, II the rate
OF Increase is maintained, will be far from
adequate to cope with the situation
decade or so hence.
The passenger transportation system with
in the limits Of New York City comprises
nearly two thousand miles of track, over
which twelve thousand passenger cars are
operated carrying 1,5OOoO0,00O passengers,
every year. The average annual increase
Tor the last ten years was about 6s,W1OoO
passengers For the year ended June 30,
1910, the number of fare paying passengers
had increased 13O.sSO756 over the number
Tor the year ended June 30, 1909. and this
Increase was double the average increase
Tor the decade This is equivalent to an
average increase for each day Of 1909 10
over each day Of ISOS-09 OF 35S5T7, which, 1t
must be admitted. was an unusually large
Increase.
Taking these figures as a basis, It has
been calculated that ten years from now
the total increase of passenger travel for
mat period will be almost double that Of
the annual traffic of to-day, or, in figures,
u VIII be close TO three billion passengers.
competent authorities on New Yorks
transportation facilities have figured IL out
mat In order to handle the immense num-
Oer OF passengers annually by that time we
WIZ lave to double In number the present
pihses, subways and tunnels that connect
manhattan with adjoining territory.
IN the way Of further illustration TO show
aoW our passenger traffic increases, 1t may
Oe SAID that the existing subway. which
vas expected TO carry 10000 passengers
Seny' is now carrying nearly 10000 every
ey" The elevated roads operated by the
1n'efnofough Rapid Transit Company car
Ies IN excess OF 10000 passengers a day.
f'@uns total Of about 100000 passengers