Columbia University Libraries Digital Collections: The Real Estate Record

Real estate record and builders' guide: v. 43, no. 1098: March 30, 1889

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Maroh 80, 1889 Record and Guide. 495 The Manhattan Koad'a Plea. . TALKS WITH PROMINENT CITIZENS. ■ Mr. Jay Gould's letter to Mayor Grant, and the Mayor's interview with the officers and counsel of the Manhattan Road, have roused public interest to sucii a pitch that The Record and Guide felt it would be of interest to know what soine of oui' prominent citizens bad to say about the advisa¬ bility of granting the concessions requested by the President of the Man¬ hattan Road. In the interesting interview wbich tbe officers of that company had with Mayor Grant, the latter laid great stress upou tbe populai- feeling against a further encroachment upon any of the public parte by the elevated roads, aud particularly opposed th" Battery Pai-k " loop " asked for by tbe company to increase its facilities at cbe soiithei'u terminus of cbeir four linos. Some of the daily papei's bave represented tbat tbis loop was to completely encircle Battery Park, aud so ruin tbat breathing space. As uone of these papers have showu exactly what is asked for. The Record and Guide publishes, iu conjunction with this article, a diagram, sbowing the sbrip of land which tbe company needs so as to increase its terminal facilities, from which it appears that the park is encroached upon iu the southern corner ouly, and not around the entu-e distance. The " loop." begins at the thick line on our map.i It is 24 feet " Do you think an elevated road on Broadway should be permitted ?" asked the reporter. " On general principles—other elevated roads having, as a whole, bene¬ fited property—I think it would benefit rea! estate ou Broadway ; but Broadway property-owners are themselves tbe best judges of that. We were at flrst opposed to tbeir running past om- place of business ; but we soon became accustomed to tbem, and after tM'o years, when asked for an opiuion as to whether they bad been a benelit or a detriment to us, unhes¬ itatingly declared tbey had been a beneflt." " What would you tbink of a plan to skirt oui- river fronts with elevated railroads for freight and passenger traffic, the freight st^atious to be separate from the passenger stations, and the goods to be delivered to and from the stations by means of freight elevators S" asked tbe reportei-, " I have no doubt," said Mr. Thurher, " tbat enguieering talent, backed with sufficient capital, could devise a system of deUvering freight almost at our very doors, and this would be of great beneflt to New York ; but, judging by what would seem to be practicable now, and not looking too far iuto the future, I incline to the belief that we will have to depend for our rapid transit upon tbe present system of elevated roads, A plan for a viaduct, or to run through the blocks, would undoubtedly give faster service ; but whether it couid be made to pay, or whether we would not Proposed Loop fpR Manhattam R.R. EXIST1H5 LINE'S PROPOSCtJ UHt5. 5WLE FlVI H^NDREP rr.CT. i I I lisfli 1 J f----------------------] i lii 9 1 H wide, and encircles a space about 300 feet wide at its extreme width, con¬ verging to, and running parallel with, the preseut track for nhe remainder of the distance. The tall.-s with prominent men will be read with interest. Each had something different to say. Mr. P. B, Tburber approves, Sir. E. S, Jaffiay disapproves, while Mr. Johu Claflin gives a qualified approval, of tbe pro¬ posals made by Mr. Gould, Officers of bauks, presideuts of exchanges, and otber gentlemen prominent in the community were seen. A few people in less favored circumstances wore also interviewed, and theu- opinious, too, may be read witb interest, F, B. Ihurbersaid: " I don't thiuk that I have ever beeu accused of being a special frieud of Mr. Jay Gould. I bave been opposed to him in railroad matters as much as any one. But it seems to me that the privileges asked for by bim are reasonable ones, and likely to result in as much beneflt to the people as to Mr. Gould and bis associates. At thesame time all public franchises should be carefully guarded aud a reasonable return made to tbe people for granting them, and if there are provisions regarding improved service or otherwise tbat ought to be reserved to protect the public mterests, I would be in favor thereof. But to say that the elevated roads should not be perfected and extended simply because Mr, Gould is the chief owner to them is, it seems to me, unwise and looks something Uke ' biting off yom- nose to spite yom- face,'" " Do you regard tbe elevated road system as in any way permaneut?" asked the reporter. " Do you thiuk that New York requires a coniprehen- sive plan which shall solve the rapid transit problem for a genei-ation or two, and would the granting of fm-tber faeihties to tbe Mauhattau Road result in delaying this comprehensive and more lasting measure!" "Well, there is tbat side to it," said Mr. Thurber, "aud it ought, no doubt, to be considered. I have not given much thought to that view. I think that tbe elevated roads are performing a useful pui-pose and are efficient for om- present needs, and so far as tbe weight of evidence is concerued it seems to me to be in favor of allowing tbem to peifect their system, with such restrictions as a proper study of tbe subject would Buggesti" bave to wait too long before the property was acquired and the road built, ai-e pi-oblems which I prefer to leave to others to solve." E. A. Cruikshank, President of the Real Estate Exchange, said: " I do not favor tbe granting of the proposed loop in Battery Park to the Man¬ hattan Eoad, It would not, I think, give us increased faeihties. The trains now run so close'to each otber dui'ing tbe busy hours that I dou't see how they could be increased. Tbis cau be seen on standing for a little while on any of tbe Tbii-d or Sixth Avenue stations. To i-un them more closely would be unsafe. No temporary expedients, eveu if possible, sbould be considered. Any plau contemplated sbould grapple with a more per¬ manent solution of tbe i-apid transit problem." John Claflin, bead of the dry-goods fii-m of H, B. Claflin & Co., sa'd: "I ain inclined to give every plan for increasing rapid transt faciUties a fail- hearing, and I am iu favor of anything that wU^ impiove the accommodations ou the elevated roads. I do not see that Mr. Gould's propositions, if granted, would do any particular harm to the public. I presume tbat the privileges asked for by bim will increase bis facilities for accommodating the pubUc, but I also thiuk that Mr. Gould very much overstates the extent to whicb they will be increased by what he asks for. I am very much opposed to tbe encroachment by railroads upon any of our parks, and I would requli-e to make a pei'sonal inspection of tbe spot to be able to form an opinion. In view of tbe slightly incieased accommodation which tbe Manhattan Road would give us temporarily, would it be worth whUe to give up tho strip of laud asked for? I do uot think we will reaUy have a good and permanent system of rapid transit uutil we get an arcade road under Broadway. I greatly regi-et tbe recent decision of the Court of Appeals which killed the Ai-cade Railway plan. But as a great pubUc ineasure I tbink it shoidd still be built, and it could be under a commissiou sucb as is laid out in Mayor Grant's bill. 8ome more permanent solution of tbe rapid transit question is necessary, for we cannot look for more from tho elevated roads, which bave now almost reached their utmost capacity." The president of a prominent down-town bank, who declined to have his name used) said -. " Any temporary faciUties given to the Mauhattan Road