Year: 1875




Mr. Wendt further states in his communication to the
Commissioners that should they agree upon his plan
the necessary capital will be at once forthcoming He
proposes TO place the fare at five cents.


COMPREHENSIVE SCHEME.


Mr. Henry ]. Ferguson also sent in a lengthy
muncaton in which, after exhaustive review Of the
rapid transit problem, he recommends the Third and
Eighth avenues He advocates the placing of
double elevated way directly and respective to
each line of road, using the elevated ways for rapid
transit and the under ground ways for ordinary
transit and in like manner used, except
that the horse would be entirely replaced by the
suggested motor The elevated ways he would
place upon three ranges Of light tubular wrought
iron pillars, the second, middle range, being
placed between the two ground tracks, and tho first and
third outer ranges being placed just far TO the
outside Of the outer rails of the two tracks that each ee
waited way line of track shall rest just midway respec
tive TO the three ranges Of pillars; the two
elevated ways and the three ranges of pill
lars would be mutually related by suitable beams, the
entire fabric superstructure resting upon retcuated
metallic base, common with both tracks, and having
considerable web and 'bottom fange," as to anord
avoidance of subsidence detection either to a
single several pillars Much of the superstructure
may be made principally Of light tubular wrought iron.
The pillars should be rather closely placed arch and
web braced, in relation with therails and tie beams





for the purposes of elasticity and aiding in deadenng
the rolling sound The wheels should be double
aanged and of concave tread, that the would
not have the least possible chance to get off the track
Mr. Ferguson concludes his communication to the Com
missioners as follows-"Your minds will observe that,
in my judgment IL is desirable to avoid much
possible all that will have tendency to obrusiveness,
both in fact and to the eyes, that in succeeding the
property holders Endorsements will be more easily re-
ceved, the business will be easily satisfied
and the citizen will have juser pride in the work"
THIRD AVENUE ADVOCATED AS ROUTE


following ted
to the Commissioners by the East Side Association


Resolved That in the opinion of this association the
centre Of the east side Of this city, Is the most praccaSe
the U5
second street in order to utilize the rapid transit route now
Harlem River on Fourth north Of street.
Of sH thy ns
this city the selection and establishment of that route in
east side of this city.


A CONTINUOUS RUN WITHOUT sToPPAGEs.


Mr. Ebenezer Hawkins of Islip l. l., argues in favor
OF peculiar plan before the Commission for taking and
leaving passengers without stopping the train AS
stated by the gentleman this principle contemplates
two main tracks-one up and one down. side by side,
in different Streets or it may encirce the whole city.
Adjoining the main track and parallel thereto the
side nearest the sidewalk is track, with cars
about half the width of the main He orig-
mates the idea of small train with locomotive
attached standing at every station or at every other
station and also trains the main track at uniform
distances say one mile apart Then let all the
| the main track be started at the same moment. As
|
| the train standing there starts little in advance
! of the main one, that IL may acquire nearly
turned and the trains are coupled Passengers wishing
to go beyond the next station step into the main
train also those in the main train wishing to stop at
the next station step into the transfer car the ratchet
is turned back, the trains uncouped and the small
stops at the next station for the purpose Of landing
and receiving passengers This remains at the sta
tion two minutes and then with the main
before described and this is done at the mo-
ment by all the other trains Besides the time saved
/ a
roadway consequent upon stopping heavy trains is
abolished, as the strain of the light trains would be
trifng


Mr. Hawkins in furtherance of these ideas proposes
to have elevated enclosed road running up and down
Third avenue from Harlem to the Bowery, and down
the Bo~ery to Chatham square; thence down New
Bowery TO James street All this is q double track
running up and the other down. with narrow track on
each side toward the sidewalk adjoining and parallel
thereto the whole requiring thirty feet width. Now
this is continuous railroad it is necessary to have
curve, single side track goes down James street and
up Roosevelt street, making the at the foot of
those Streets thence up New Bowery to James street.
from whence the single track started thence back again
to Harlem, where there is another curve and the fuel
and water &c. to be had at this point So that there
will be no stopping Of the main train in
about two miuutes) at Harlem, and then
for passengers at Chatham square. Then
it is proposed to run single track from Chatham
square to the Park, with motor at each end of the
train, so that passengers can take cars at Harlem and
reach Chatham square in twenty minutes, and one
minute running time, from there to the park, and
turn to Harlem in the same length of time The road
is TO stand three Of iron columns and the road
bed as well as the enclosure to be built of wood This
will span the whole width OF the four tracks and be
close enough to make half space and half wood, the
trestling TO be built OF columns Provision
will be made to guard against accidents by deramen
by an arrangement to be hereafter submitted Horses
could be driven on the track below
town under it without fright It will
require four tracks. This road will carry
passengers at the rate of mile and one-haf
minutes with half mile stations. Mr.. Hawkins
cludes his statement Of plan by remarkng that the es
mates thus far presented for two track roads have
ranged from 5000 900 to 81, 200 900 per mile four
track road built upon the plan above described he says
would cost from $500 900 to $4O0 900 per mile Sup
posing that $50 900 persons carried in day at
average Of seven cents fare, the daily receipts would
be about $40 000 The estimated daily expense is So 000
leaving margin of 81 000 The estimated cost of the
whole road including rolling stock is $4 000 which
at fifteen per cent will amount to 81 900 per day. leaving
a surplus of S., 900 daily, which would make fund