The New York Rapid-transit Subway

Proceedings.] DISCUSSION ON NEW YORK SUBWAY. 63 was not always possible to do that, as, owing to the difficulties on the Col. Yorke, surface in connection with sites and the width of streets, it was not possible in all cases so to arrange the street-approaches to the stations and to construct the lift-shafts and stairways in the necessary positions. In those cases the exit had to be placed at the end of the platform, which undoubtedly was not a desirable arrangement. Sir William White had drawn attention to the fact that columns were placed along tlie edges of the platforms, and he gathered tliat Sir William thought that the arrangement of those columns was a point that would probably appeal to him. Of course, in England the regulation was that columns or works of any description should not be nearer to the edges of platforms than 6 feet. The reasons for that rule were fairly obvious: steam- trains with side doors opening outwards, accumulations of lug- gage on platforms, and the wheeling of large barrows of luggage along them, and the well-known fact that passengers would put their heads out of the windows to say good-bye to their friends, were some of them. Such conditions did not exist in America, nor did they exist on tube railways or underground railways where the rolling stock was of the type in use at the present time, with sliding doors and witli windows which could not be opened for people to put their heads out. The luggage question did not arise on tubes and underground railways, and therefore from that point of view the placing of columns as little as 15 inches from the edge of the platform would not be objectionable. But there was one reason why columns should be kept back from the edges of platforms even on tube railways, and that was in the interests of the train-men. The motor-man had to put his head out of the window to receive from the guard the signal to start the train. Ilie gate-men and conductors in charge of the various cars had to be on the platform until the train had commenced to move, and then they had to do their best to get into the various cars ; and if they had to run along tlie platform at all the presence of columns alongside the train would he highly dangerous to them. Therefore he was glad to see that, on the tubes and underground railways in England columns had not been placed near the edges. He ventured to think tliat the placing of these columns so close to the edge of the platform was a defect in the otherwise excellent arrangement of the stations of tlie New York subway. With regard to the permanent way, he noticed that the sleepers were much lighter in section than was common in England, and he concluded that they were placed closer together than they were here, which was the usual American practice ; in that event the section was probably amply sufficient. The Author said nothing