Year: 1870

The Oue.Leg Railway In Greenwich


We have watched the progress Of this


singular and costly experiment in railway


locomotion from its incipient stages to the


present time with no little degree of interest,


since every effort to secure rapid transit


through the city is deeply interesting to every


one. But we have been particularly desirous


Of learning how far credulity would go in fos-


tering scheme so full of crudities and un-


tried conceits.- It is no new thing for people


to attempt to defy the laws Of gravity. although


the result is always the same. Yet it is re-


markable that men can be found willing to


expend q million dollars in project the very


elements Of which are violation Of the great
law Of nature. The most casual observer
must see that the slightest deviation from Q
perpendicular Of any Of the posts upon which
this aerial structure is erected must be fatal to
its stability, and that heavy weight balanced
on pole must inevitably cause vertical de-
Election is known to every child Therefore
we are not surprised to find in our reporters
account of the accident that "the dwellers In
the neighborhood say that every time the train
passes the pillars shake, showing unmistak


able signs Of O heavy strain. 1t was stated
that the column on the south side was in an
unsafe condition, and had to be taken down
two or three times" The immediate cause,
however, of the accident which occurred on
Monday was the breaking of girder about
oicvh ku a. s,,1 10Th ok khn oe


ton street, while car loaded with ten tons Of
pig iron was passing over 1t, and this weight,
it is said, was intended as test of the strength
Of the road. Here is the point at which we
enter our protest. The originators Of this
scheme or its promoters have . right to waste
their money If they choose, even to the extent
of million dollars but they have no right to
experiment upon the strength Of materials in
public highway, over the heads Of people who
are passing along unconscious of danger. The
merest tyro in engineering knows that materials
should be tested before being used in construc-
ton, especially in one 80 extraordinary as
this; and therefore it cannot be possible that
this concern was under the supervision Of o
competent engineer; and in the name of that
profession, to which we owe so much, which
has done so much in the development of this
country and is to do so much more, we
protest against every such chimerical
scheme as this, which can only tend
to destroy confidence in the stability of
engineering constructions. 1t is stated that
the directors intend to continue their novel
mode of ascertaining the weak points of this
gimcrack until all are found. We call upon
the proper authorities to prevent this. Let the
be removed to proper place and
tested in the proper manner, and thus avoid any
more exposure of human life. We hope, how
ever, that the simultaneous failure of this road
and of the Arcade scheme will cause imme-
diate steps to be taken towards perfecting the
plan of substantial, well-built and commo-
dious elevated railway, such as the one pro-
posed along the bulkhead line, or some other
equally comprehensive and practicable.