The New York Herald Newspaper, September 24, 1875, Page 5

THE FIRE LADDER DISASTER. Official Report of the Cause of the Accident. The Wood Weakened by Rung Holes, Knots and Overtesting. THE CORONER'S INQUEST. ‘The official report of Chief of Battalion John W. Miller to the Fire Commissioners on the subject of the aerial ladder disaster reveals the deeply criminal job- bery and recklessness of life attaching to the machine, Chief Miller gives a graphic picture of the terrible affair as well, He says:— “In accordance with orders received from your office in relation to the sad accident which occurred on the morning of the 14th inst, at the junction of East Broad- way and Canal street I would respectfully state that I have made a careful and thorough investigation of the same, and herein transmit a report showing the num- ber of men and the position of each on the ladder at tho time of the accident, and also my opinion as to the same, “After the truck bearing the ladder had been placed in the position required Chief Nash gaye orders for the sections to be taken off and joined together, which being done the ladder was raised to an angle of some sixty- five degrees, Chief Nash then, followed by Fireman Maus, of Hook and Ladder Company No. 6; Fireman Hughes, of Engine Company No. 9; Assistant Foreman Cusick and Fireman Beebe, of Chemical Engine No. 6; Gould, of Engine No. 15; Kingsley, of Engine No. 11; Lee, of Hook and Ladder Company No. 9, and Bowers, of Engine Company No, 17, mounted the truck and commenced to ascend the ladder. Chief Nash, after arriving ata height of some sixty fect, stopped, and gave orders for the men below to back down and hoist the ladder still higher, All the men, with the exception of Maus and Hughes, obeyed the order. These men, with Chief Nash, remained on the ladder while it was being raiged to an angle of seventy-five degrees, This being accomplished, Chief Nash, closely followed by Maus and Hughes, again started for the top; while the men who had gone down again started to ascend the ladder in the following order;—Beebe, Cusick, Gould, Kingsley, Leo and Bowers, It isas well to state here that ona previous trial on that morning the men had been each assigned to a certain section, and were to place themselves in a similar position on the ladder. Chief Nash,quickly reached the top of section 7, extending his body on the ladder, arms outstretched over his head, with hands grasping the top rung of the section, Fireman Maug was below him, on section 6, in a similar position, and Hughes the same, on section 5. The men sent below to hoist the ladder had not as yet arrived at the posi- tions assigned them when the accident occurred, Beebe had been assigned to section 4, and claims to have reached section 3, going up when the ladder broke, ‘This would have brought him one section above the broken one; but as he cannot account for himself in any way, and could not tell how ho landed on the ground, Iam of the opinion he was not there, but, as | Assistant Foreman Cusick says he was, we will let it go. Cusick, who was assigned to section 3, had just reached No. 2, with Gould and Kingsley’ on No, 1, and Lee and Bowers on tho lower, ‘or, as_we term it, the “bed” section. This would give a totul of nine men on the ladder, and counting Beebe, four men were above the break: As the men had just reached the position here described, my informant states that the off side of section 2 was seen to bulge outward, and at the same time the top of the ladder Was seen to drop downward, when some one Yn the street shouted for the men to come down, It ap- pears that all the men on the ladder, with the excep. tion of Chief Nash, heard the cry, as they made a movement as if to’ comply, but the warning came too late. The men above on ihe ladder had not time to Move a foot before section 2 snapped off some five or six feet above the hub, or where is joined to sec- tion 1, and the ladder ‘twisting as it broke threw the three men who were above clear from it, and in their fal! they struck the ground with such violence that | they were almost instantly killed, The men on the | lower part of the ladder escaped by jumping down, some of them receiving a few scratches. The upper part of the ladder, after breaking, doubled like a hinge, the upper section striking the ground first, and then spread out, and the section where it had broke first re- mained suspended in the air to that purt standing on the truck, held there by the iron connecting rods, “In my opinion the accident was partly due to the | severe test to which the ladder was subjected early on that saine morning, it being raised to its full height, A guy rope was made fast to the top rung of the upper section, the rope being on one side (not in the centre) ‘and leading straight up and down with some nine men on it, pary of them hanging with their whole weight, while’ the remainder were pulling | and surging down with all their strength. This, on a | ‘ladder standing in the gir with no other support than | the truck or carriage on which it stands, is too severe a test, and, in my judgment, weakened’ the ladder so that when it was brought out the second time, with the | three men (Chief Nash and Firemen Maus and Hughes) | on the extreme top, a weight of from 450 to 460 pounds, | and the men below ascending in a hurried manner, to. | gether with the fact that large knots were found on the Bide pieces and the rung holes bored through each knot | Just where the section broke off, I have no doubt caused ¢ the accident whereby the department has to mourn the loss of three brave men,”? ane CONCLUSION OF THE CORONER'S INVESTIGATION— FURTHER USE OF THE LADDER CONDEMNED— MISERABLE QUALITY OF THE WOOD USED, At last the inquest into the cause of the death of fhree brave firemen by the breaking of the aerial ladder has | been concluded. Promptly at ten o’clock yesterday | Coroner Croker opened the case for the fourth time and | during the day examined two or three witnesses who shed more light upon the real cause of the disaster than ull the others have done, These gentlemen are experts in the matter of ladders and their construction, and they say unhesitatingly that the wood used in making these | ‘adders is wholly unfit for the purpose, being pid and lacking that degree of toughness and elasticity Wt should possess. It seems the specifications far- | aished by the Fire Commissioners to the builders sim- | ply called for sprace wood, but did not say what kind | ] of spruce, Accordingly, Messrs, Abbott, Downing & Co. built the ladders of the poorest kind of oll spruce, fand the public knows only too well what the result has been. Then, too, the manner of putting the ladders together is radically wrong and called forth a severe censure from the jury. Add to this the neglect on the part of the Commissioners to have the strength of the apparatus tested, and we have about as piece of negligence and culpablenese as was over known. Commissioner Hatch was called as the frst witness yesterday, but his evidence was of little importance At the conclusion of his examination Deputy Coroner Dr. McWhinnie read the following section of the char- ver of 1870:-— No member of the Common Council, hea thereof or clerk ther HI be, ll ‘or busin department, iy is paid arter of still further pro- the expense,'pt fromethe city treasury; and section 1 1870, ana section 05 of the charter of 187: vide that, Any officer of the cicy government, or other per- | ton employed in its service, who shall wilfully violate or | the provisions of this act, or commit any fraud upon the city, or convert uny of the ‘operty to his own use * * * shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, id, in addition to the penalties imposed by law, shall for: twit his office. evade any NEW YORK HERALD, FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 1875—TRIPLE SHEKT. BIGHTEEN veans oF rRAvER. |THE BOARD OF ALDERMEN, bind a Jadder in this way. The broken piece—a diagram of which was published in the HeraLp last Tuesday— was shown to Mr, Swett, and he severely condemned the boring through the sides for the purpose of insert- inga pin, The witness always fastened his rungs with wedges and glue, Charles E. Hartshorne, a fire apparatus builder, was also examined—I have seen the aerial ladder in uso— that is I have seen experiments with it; [ have never examined its construction minutely, although I am familiar with tt from having examined plans and dia- grams; I estimated for the building of the ladders now in use; my estimate was about $3,000 for each; I have examined the pieces now here, and I think they are spruce; some of it is quite inferior, evidently having been sawed from old trees; I always use young spruce, as itis uch tougher and better; none of these pieces I consider first class specimens of spruce; I never saw a ladder in which cross or binding pins were used; Doring for these pins weakens the stick very ma- terially; I always use glue and wedges; this hdder I think too light and improperly made, and I do not think any ladder of this kind safe above sixty feet; I think the cause of the breaking of this ladder may be found in the fact that it was over- loaded—there were too many men on it—and, further, that it wus made of inferior material and too light; L don’t think these ladders can be made of the proper material at $1,500 each; material for ladders should never be taken from sawed wood, but always from spars; the factof much of this wood having a very short fibre leads me to the belief that it was taken from old or sawed timber; one of the very worst things I see about this ladder is the boring for cross pins, as shown in the HERALD some days ago, Audrew Risler, a ladder builder, doing business at No. 509 Broome street, said the wood of which the broken ladder was made was the poorest in the mar- ket, having been taken from very old timber; some of the wood was evidently dead two or three years before it was sawed, In charging the jury Coroner Croker said:— This sad. calamity, which occurred on the 14th day cf September, while experimenting or testing an apparatus known’ as Mrs, Udu’s patemt aerial jad- der, followed by the los# of three men, is one of those events which timely eaution might have prevented, Constructed as this patent ladder was, and the material of Which it was built, it has proved to be both dangerous and unsafe, instead of being @ life-saving ladder, and therefore could not be nor was it entitled to public confidence. It seems that it should have been the first duty of the Fire Commissioners, with the aid of acknowledged experts, to have it put to ry possible test, beyond what would have bech applied to it in actual service before they should have approved of it, Indeed, these tosts of its fitness ought under no circumstances to have been ap- plied at a bodily risk, which resulted in the loss of life that can never be repaired. Hoping that your good Judzment will enable you to agree and also to frame a verdict frot the evidence which 18 laid before you that will do justice to those who have perished, and also to those Who are risking their lives day by day in the same capacity, gentlemen of the jury, Iwill now let this ease rest In your hands, believing that you have suilicient evidence to enable you to find a verdict, The jury were out only about thirty minutes, and then returned with the following verdic We, the jury, fiud that the deceased men, W. H. Nash and others, catne to their death by the breaking of the aerial ladder while experimenting or -practising with it at Rutgers square on the morning of the 14th inst, and that the cause of the break was in consequence of the ladder being made of inlerior wood and its con- struction faulty; and we emphatically censure the Board of Fire Commissioners for not ‘submitting the Jadders to both @ scientifle and practical test before allowing them to be used by the Fire Department; and we unhesitatingly condemn the further use of those aerial ladders now owned by the city by our Fire De- partment, NEW YORK. Cry, An association has been formed by members of the New York Caledonian Club to have a series of handicap games in November. The following officers have been elected, :—President, C. G. Nicholson; Vice President, Joun Tasker; Treasurer, D, B, Fleming; Secretary, F. Dykes, Jr. Denuis Connors, sixty years of age, residing at No. 94 Baxter street, while at work yesterday morning on the new building, No, 48 Vestry street, accidentally fell from the sixth story to the ground and received a fracture of the skull, He was taken to the Chambers Street Hospital by the policeof the Fifth precinct, BROOKLYN. Prohibition Leagues are organizing throughout the wards and county towns of Brooklyn, A new Baptist church is about to be erected on Adel- phi street, near Myrtle avenue, at a cost of $60,000. Rey. George F. Pentecost, of Boston, has been called to the pastorate of the church, Thomas Crysler, a colored policy player, was arrested yesterday by order of Justice Riely for contempt of Court in having failed to appear for examination when so ordered on charge of playing policy. Otto Gautner, a German butcher, was committéd to Jail by Justice Eames yesterday for assaulting August Fiscuss, a workman, with a carving knife: and cutting him severely about the head and face with it, The case of Harriet B. Provost ct al, against John C, and Peter C. Provost, heirs at law of David Provost, of Hompstead, was set down for trial in the Supreme Court on October 20, The property in dispute is valued at $300, 000. ‘A warrant was issued by Justice Walsh yesterday for the arrest of Colonel W. L, Eliswork, on complamt of Alexander B, Samuels, who alleges that the accused fraudulently ebtaned from him $110, Detective Van Wagner is looking after the accused. The charges of neglect of duty preferred by Sergeant Mocks against Cyptain 0. B. Leech, of the Twelfth precinet, will be examined before the Board of Commis- sioners on Wednesday next, It is said that Captain McConnell will succeed Captain Leech, Ata meeting of the members of the Bar of Kings county, held in the City Court yesterday, resolutions of respect to the memory of the late counsellor, James L. Campbell, were adopted, and it was resolved to attend the funeral ina body. The funeral will take place this ‘afternoon, from St. Peter's church, State street, Yesterday the Grand Jury of the Court of Sessions, Kings county, came into court and stated to Judge | Moore that they, too, intended to visit the Raymond | Street Jail and make a thorough investigation of the building in regard to its ventilation, condition of health and fitness for the uses of the county, The Judge re- quested that they should first act upon the large num- ber of cases now awaiting their consideration and then inspect that prison, Dut unsafe, It is almost without ventilation, is damp, nauseous and unwholesome, Yesterday Michael Dwyer, who is accused of the murder of John Carlin, who was stabbed on the night | of June 29 and died a few days after, was indicted by the Grand Jury of Kings county, Tho knife was used during a drunken fracas in front of the liquor store of M. McGoldrick, Flushing avenue, The weapon was sub- sequently found in a lot where it had been thrown by wy atthe time, Judge Moore ordered the transfer of the case for trial to the Courtof Oyer and Terminer, ‘The prisoner is twenty-five years of age, of low stature and light complexion. LONG ISLAND. The Presbytery of Long Island will meet at South- ampton on Tuestlay next, at two o’clock P, M., and con- tinue in session on Wednesday, The Rev. John V. Griswold, of Port Jefferson, is the Moderator, ‘The foundations for five new brick dwelling houses have been commenced at A. 'f. Stewart's Garden City, and the buildings will be rapidly pushed to completion. They are to be 35 by 40 feet, three stories high, includ- ing Mansard, and Will bé hext in size to the largest dwellings already erected there. A village election fs to be held in Flushing on the 6th of October to determine the question of making an ap propriation of $60,000 additional for the public intro- | duction of water, with the provision that. no portion of the appropriation shall be expended unless the water de available by such ¢ J the interest on the amount so expended. Poter Costa, colored, formerty of Hempstead, but now of Williamsburg, a boss whitewasher and local Commissioner King was next callod as a witness and deposed as follows:—The aerial ladder was not in use when I became a member of the Board of Fire Com- missioners, although it had becn adopted and a con- tract for the construction of four of them had been en- tered into with Abbott, Downing & Co., of Concord, N. H.; I know nothing of the accident that occu the 14th inst, ; T never saw but one experiment with or trial of the ladder; the trial 1 saw was the first made | after the reception of the ladders—after their reception from the builder; I first heard that Mr, White was the owner of the paten} for the ladder just previous to my coming into the Bourd; 1 do not know whether there was any one interested with Mr, ‘White in the ownership of the patents 6¥ fit; 1 offered resolution discharging Mr, White from the depart. ment, og did not think he should hold the office he | did after he had become owner of the patent for a la der that was being used by the city; 1 considered that there was a suspicion hanging over Mr. White at the time I offered the resolution; I disapproved of the ladder after Leame in the department; | do not con- sider the ladder safo; Loffered a resolution since the late accident to have tho use of it discontinued; the resolution was laid over; from what I have seen of the ludder I would never take the responsibility of ordering a man to go higher than sixty or seventy feet on it; if but only sixty feet high I think they 1 be safe, Moses Swett, a ladder builder, at No. 245 Kast Thir- ty-first street, was called as an ‘expert:—I have made | ladders for the Fire Departinent for a number of years; ladders are usually built of spruce and oak and are rarely over forty five feet long, most of them being bag feet; I never built a section ladder, ere the broken pieces of the ladder that went to pieces on the 14th were shown to Mr, Swett, and his opinion asked of: the wood and the manner of the ladder’s con- Btruction, Much of the wood Mr. Swott #aid was quite defective, one of the posts or sides of the seventh sec- tion being cross grained instead of straight, as was also ® coupling pin and a rung in the second section, Each of these pieces was broken, The witness also said the boring for the binding pins in each section shonid never have been done, aud no good ladder builder would evar preacher, some days ago went to Rockaway Beach and made arrangements for the engagement of Elderb’s Grove, ostensibly for the purposé of holding a camp mooting thero. Ho then proceeded to dispose of privl- leges for keeping restaurant stands, &ec., on the grounds, | P a a and collected the money on them.’ As ‘he has failed to open the camp meeting the people who gave him the money are looking for it, but apparently with little hope of its recovery. One of them has made a complaint against him before Justice Bennett, of Jamaica, for ob- taining money under false pretences, and a warrant hag ‘been issued for his arrest. STAGNATION IN TEA, THE SCHUYLER & SON'S FAILURE™THE COUNTRY GIVING UP TBA DRINKING, The ten trade 18 i so stayhant a state that it is feared some heavy failures will occur, as the business season is almost over, and up to the present the decline in the bulk of trade from that of last year is very serious. An uncasy fecling is prevalent, and very few of the brokers entertain cheerful prospects. The sluggishness of the market has been caused by the general retrenchment in the agricultural districts, as tho ‘farming community seem to have dispensed with tea, and the present gon- eration of bucolic youths is being brought up on butter: milk. A broker informed a representative of the Hrr- ALD that the country dealers are not ordering half the amount they used to do in former years, and of this diminished quantity oy. package oF so is bought at the time, On W: ty the old house of Messrs, Schuyler, Son & Co., made an assignment, and the pros- pects are that several warchouses will go under, Some think that business may revive in the next few weeks, but those who have watched the signs of the times say that the season’s trade is over, and those shaky firms which still linger on are only procrastinating the iney- stable, The jail is not only insuilicient, | penditure shall be equal | ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION OF THE FULTON STREET DAILY PRAYER MEETING, The eighteenth anniversary of the Fulton street daily loon prayer meeting was observed yesterday in the Middle Dutch church, in Lafayette place and Fourth street, whose pulpit and altar table and sur- roundings were very tastefully adorned with flowers and sprigs of green. The front seats of the church were reserved for clergymen of the diferent denominations. A male quartet occupied a prominent posiion within the altar rails, and sung or led the singing of half a dozen original hymns, written for this occasion, They started badly, singing their first hymn to an old and familiar tune—‘Duke Street’’—both out of time and tune, not only with the congregation, but with them- selves, The burden of the hymns was the occasion and the object of the gathering together. For eighteen years this daily prayer meeting has been maintained with varied and varying success, It was the pioneer of similar meetings which have since been established and held in all the great cities of this land and in many cities of the world beside, Ithas given rise toa literature of prayer, which has been published in seventeen volumes and in steel engravings of “The First Half Hour” of the meeting, Its influence has gone round the earth, and yesterday, while the Rey, Dr. Chambers, who presided, was speaking, he paused wo take from a pile of requests for prayer one written in Chinese by a native of Can- ton, China, in which the writer asks the prayers of the meeting for his mother, who is sick and aged and un- saved. This was tho only request read or named. After reading the fifth chapter of James Dr. Cham- bers remarked that this was the eighteenth anniver- sary of the Fulton street prayer meeting; that that place was a memorial of what God was pleased to do for us in this country during the great revival of 1857 and the following years, The mecting, he thought, was remarkable for the fidelity with which it has ad- hered to its original purpose, Efforts have been made to divert that meeting to other purposes, good in them- selves, but not what the meeting was established fdr, It is aremarkable thing, too, that ‘THE LAST MEETING IN PULTON STREET should be a duplicate of the first. Many can look back to this meeting as the agency, m the hands of the Spirit, in bringing them to Christ, This is an occasion when we not only look backward but forward also, We ex- pect a baptism of the Holy Spirit in this land, but if that expectation is dependent upon any man it will fail and come to naught, Prayer was thon offered by the Doctor, and subsequently by Dr. Clarkson and by Dr. Morley, of Toronto, Bishop Cummins, of the Reformed Episcopal Chureh, who followed Dr, Chambers, remarked that if Paul were to land in thiscity to-day he had no doubt that this meeting would be the first place he would seek, For when he landed in Europe for the first time, in the city of Philippi, he sought out a prayer meeting 1m- mediately, But’ the Bishop went further, and de- clared that if Jesus Christ should appear in bodily form on the earth He would visit the Fulton street meeting first. The conversion of the world, the Bishop re- marked, has been made dependant upon the prayers of Gods pei Referring to the greater works than Christ’s that His disciples should perform after His ascension, the Bishop said these works were not to be miracles but the conversion of human souls, And Peter, after he had received the Holy Ghost on the day of Pentecost, was the means of converting more than all that the Master’s mimstry had converted. He would not depreciate the Gospel, but without prayer it is powerless to save the world, And is it nota fact that all the great men of God have been men of prayer? it not so with Paul, with Luther and pmpeers, with Latimerand with Knox? is to be converted to Christ it is to be of His people. We are looking fora dw York, Let us not trust in men, tor we shall be disappointed, but pray for the bapusm of the Holy Ghost. If the Church of Christ is ever to be united it must be by prayer, With what feelings of sor- row I heard that THE BONN CONFERENCE : opened and continued its sessions without one word ot prayer one invocation to the Father in heaven, What kind of unity are we to expect from such a conference? Mr. Charles Eurie, a layman, gave some interesung reminiscences of his experic: and Observations inthe Fulton street prayer inectings, after which Dr. Hastings asked, Where are We in the history of the Church of Jesus Christ? What are the type-marks of Christianity to-day We have been studying the lite of Jesus Christ, the son of God and the son Of alary, and we compre: hend something of the power and ‘mission and work, and the need of a baptism of the Holy Ghost 0, for a revival of pure religion here! There is a wonderful amount of force in’ this® meet. ing to-vday. It 1s @ memorial meeting, ‘The Lord’s Supper is a monument, and what bronze or marble can surpass it? ‘This mecting 18 a monument of the revival of 1507, Dr, Hastings then ered out against the sellisli of men who pray only jor them- seives, while souls ure perishing around thei, and said that nothing would throw a coldness over # minister as | readily as that, ‘The Lord turned Job’s captivity when he prayed for his friends, and the Lord will not turn ours uitil we pray for others. Rey, Williain Livyd remarked that this was the eigh- teenth anniversary of his conversion, aud tbat he was one of the remote eifects of the Fulton street prayer meetings. This mecting is a living monument to the f prayer, It is the glory of our faith that it can the realm of the demonstrable and rest gle’s wings never fly, Tue great want of the mass of hearers in our churches to-day is a state of mental receptivity tor the word preached, and in answer | vo prayer God can turn the hearts of men, so that they shail receive the truth, One eflect of standing up in prayer meeting to ask for prayer is that the person is aware that some one is praymg for them. As we cry out, “Oh, arm of the Lord, awake,” the Lord cries back to us, “Put on thy strength, Oh’Zion; put on thy | beautiful garments, Oh Jerusalem!" Before we can have a revival in the Church we must have a sanctified minis- try, aud there rises upon our cars to-day THE COMMAND OF GOD:— “Ye that bring glad tidings got you up to the high mountain.’? If you would have an elevated munisiry ou must live clevated lives. Ail around us are God*s igh mountains of prayer, of prophecy, of purpose, of promise, where we can live in the blesseduess of its | fold; and there, too, is the mount of power, A tele- | gram from George’ H. Stuart, of Phtladelphia, read at this point, annousced the death of Rev. Dr. John Cham- bers, of that city, and sent congratulations to the meet- | ing.’ Mr. Henry King, a layman, who, six and a half years ago, was, according to his own statement, a | broken down sinner, when the Lord led him into the | Fulton street prayer meeting and he was saved, and the desire for the intoxicating cup, Which was his besetting sit, was completely taken away trom him. Rey. R. 8. McArthur (Baptist) and Dr. William M. Taylor, of the Broadwa; cle, brought up the rear of the meet- ing in gal e former encouraging to activity in the Chureb of Christ, advising against scientific and philosophic preaching ‘and maintaii way to preach error down is to preach truth up, latter insisied on the baptism of the Holy Ghost to pre- pare men for this activity, And to show our love to | God we should go to Hin agam and again in prayer; we should live holy lives and constantly labor to promote His cause and kingdom. The benediction was pro- nounced by Dr. Ormiston, A praise meeting was held in the church in the evening and thus the eighteenth anniversary of the F sirect prayer mecting closed. where tue Ite ART AN Dd RELIGION, Mr, McDonald, of Townsend avenue, Clifton, agent of the Anchor Steamship line, has at his residence a miscellaneous collection of articles of art (rom foreign countries, purchased by his agent abroad to the amount of nearly $10,000. The collection ineludes bronzes from Naples, marble statuary from Rome, paintings from Florence, curiosities from Pompeii and Herculaneum, mosaics, jewelry, Egyptian arabesque work, ancient of the Presbyterian church at ‘Stapleton on the 18th ot | next month, the purpose being to rebuild the Sunday | schoo! chapel, on Broad street, which was recently de stroyed by an incendiary fire. A8 soon as the sary money can be thus ‘obtained the construc the building will be commenced, the materials being al- | ready upon the ground. The structure will be of brick, and will be built for cash, as the Rev, Dr, Rockwell, pastor of the church, says his pian is to get all the money necessary before a blow is struck, his aim being to keep the church free from debt, It isnot yet do. cidgd whether the structure will be built upon the old ite eg pearer the church, It 1s expected to cost about 6, 000, hee RE “ MOODY AND SANK To te Eprror or THe Heraup:— Will you kindly correct the impressson given in your notice of the “Service of Song’’ held in St. Luke’s ‘SS WORK. that I was immediatety associatedtwith Messrs, Mood, and Sankey in their great revival work in England? My labors there the past four years were in connection with the Sunday schools, but during the past five months I was engaged in evangelistic services, where Moody and Sankey had been—in Manchester, Glasgow, Carlisle, Burnley, &c., but not in connection with thetn, though in heartfelt sympathy, as I shall be when they com- mence their labors here, beta Sincerely, EORGE 38, WEEKS, New Yonrr, Sept. 23, 1975. THE BURNS MONUMENT. the arrangements for tho erection of the Burns monu- ment in Central Park met at the office of Walter Wat- son, No, 62 Wall street, Mr, John Paton presiding. Lord Ardmillan, David Duncan and W. R, McDiarmid were requested to act ns a committee to pronounce on the design of tho eculptor, John Steele, of Edinburgh, and, if approved, to accept it, Mr, Watson, the treasurer, reported a payment of £686 28, 8d, as the first instalment to the artist. A committee was ap- pointed to draft acircular for distribution im order to secure additional contributions, that the best | The | ‘church, Forty-first street, Wednesday evening, xooahl public purse; and when we are told in | an official document like this that = “large | pipes” are the remedy for a deficient | The Croton Ordinance Again Stood Up To Be Knocked Down. A Dangerous Predicament for Property Owners Who Bou't Keep Their Eyes Open, The Board of Aldermen held their regular meeting yesterday afternoon, President Lewis in. the chair. When the Board was first called to order there was barely @ quorum present, but before the proceedings had been carried on to any great extent nearly all the Aldermen put in an appearance, among them ex-Mayor Vance, who has been seriousty ill tor several weeks, and Mr, Billings, who buried himself at Fire Island early in the summer and ‘was dug out only yesterday in time to be carried to the city before noon The businews was begun by Alderman McCarrny offering a resolution requesting the Rapid Transit Commissioners not to adopt the plan of any RAPID TRANSIT railroad any part of which will run over the sidewalks, and that they give preference to plans which provide that the tracks will be located only over the centre of the street, Mr, Vance thought the subject of such importance that it ought not to be decided upon in a hurry, and he therefore expressed a wish that it should be laid over for a week or two. Mr. McCanriry advocated the speedy passage of the resolution, as the Rapid Transit Commissioners were now considering the plans and would make public their decision in a few days. Mr, Vaxce’s motion to lay the resolution over was lost by a vote of 13 nays to 6 yeas, and the resolution was finally passed by a vote of 15 yeas to 4 nays, ‘THE AMERICAN TRAMSTERS, Messrs. Cole, Billings and Purroy, the committee ap- Pointed to accompany the American team, made are- “port, which was read, and to which was appended a resolution thanking the Common Council of Dublin for the hospitality eatended to the team and to Mr. Cole, who accompanied them. The resolution was adopted, with a provision that an engrossed certified copy of the resolution be forwarded to the corporation of the city of Dublin, 3 ‘THE BOULEVARD WORK. A resolution was introduced by Mr, Morris that no more work shall be done on the Boulevards, in view of the alleged fact that the work was already “in advance of necessity,” and that the cost in most instances fell in part upon the taxpayers of the lower wards of tho city instead of upon the taxpayers benefited solely, and ‘asking that the Commissioner of Public Works report to the Board what work is being done on the Boulevards by contract and by days’ work, Mr. McCarty warmly combatted the resolution and declared that no taxpayers were assessed for the work now in progress on the Boulevard except those benefited, and he argued that, as the “facts” alleged in the preamble were not facts at all, the resolution ought not to pass, The resolution was referred to the Com- mittee on Public Works, A WATERY SUBJECT, Mr. Mornis created quite a breeze by introducing an- other resolution which, in a disguised way, declared that the Croton Aqueduct was not under the control of persons who understood their business. A wrangle en- sued over this, Mr. Seery declaring that the resolution ‘was an insult to General Porter, Mr. Monnts stated that the object of the resolution was to got the Croton water supply works examined by an expert (whose name was given in the resolution), so that the people might know what ought to be done and what not done in regard to the water supply. The reso- Intion was by vote placed on file, Mr. Morris also in- troduced a third resolution, asking the Commissioner of Public Works to inform the Board what amount of money had been expended on the Tenth avenue big pipes during the past year, and that the original es- mate be given, On motion of Mr. Sxeny the resolution was amended to cover the expenditures for the past three years so as to include the work done under the administration of Mr, Van Nort, and it was then passed, A WARNING TO PROPERTY HOLDERS. Mr. Mornts called attention of the Board to tho fact that assessment lists had been made out to meet the expenditure on a sewer, the construction of which was begun some years ago, from Twenty-third street down Eleventh avenue to Seventeenth street, He said that the sewer has been completed at a cost of $400,000, and that the assessments amounted to $1 03 per foot on | all property embraced within the north side of Four teenth street, from the Narth River to Fourth avenue, the west side of Fourth avenue to Fortieth street and the south side of Fortieth street to the North River, The Alderman stated, that he understood that all the property on this area—fully two and a half square miles—would soon be sold at public auction for arrears of taxes on account of this sewer. He believed that not one in twenty of the property owners terested knew anything about the matter, and he made the statement that he did so that they could take the proper steps to protect them- selves. It seems that this sewer is an outlet sewer, and that, under the law, every property holder Within two miles of an outlet sewer, into which the ordinary street sewers along their property empty, are liable to be assessed for the outlet sewer. Mr. Vance introduced a resolution which, at his re- quest, was Jaid over, that a new pumping engine be erected at High Bridge, the cost of which is not to ex- ceed $45,000, A communication on the subject was received from General Porter, STILL HARPING ON WATER. Tho Croton main ordinance was for the twentieth time called up again, and this time by Mr. Power, Mr, Vance made a Jong speech on the subject, in which ho argued that the answer given by General ‘Porter wo lis resolution, introduced some time ago, was not suill- cient to satisfy the minority that they were wrong in opposing the ordinance, He analyzed the Commis- sioner’s answer, and argued to show that there were many misstatements of fact init. As to the condition of the aqueduct he said that the report stated that it was “generally? im as good a condition as it had ever been, He said that a had given “facts proving that the dam was not in a good condition in some parts some time ago, and these were not referred to im the report. He denied that the water could be puritied by simply pass- ing through five miles of the Croton itiver. Mr. Vance closed as follows: —Reviewing, in brief, this whole sub ject in the light of the unsatisfactory report which has been offered in response to the resolution of inquiry, the conclusion 1s irresistible that there is an ubsence of oiticial candor, a want of breadth in the comprehension of the great questions included and au apparent ignor- ance 0: the merest details ofadminisiration, which calls for a radical reform in the management of this depart- ment, It has been asserted that the demand for more large pipes originated not in the department, but pro- coeds from the will of the power behind it, in order that the drilled men of the party in power may be supplied through this means with lirge appropriations and the tribute they have been accustomed to levy on the head of water, that the absence of large pipes is the cause of all the trouble growing out of the deticient sup- | ply of water, the imputation nas some shadow of foun } vases, &c. The collection will be sold for the benefit | dation, which has at least the merit of common sense it would be an act of folly to appropriate another dollar except | for maintenance for the use of a department which ap- pers to be the mere tool of a political organization, and whose official reports are the echo of a poittical party. There was a time in the history of the Croton | Aqueduct Department when its management was be- youd the influence of polities, and until it is again placed in that position the public will withhold their onfidence in ft, and too much care cannot be exercised in appropriating money for its use. Mr, GiLsos who hod Ueep | tive control of the aqueduct tor the past sixteth Yoat show that the aqueduct wag in as good condition now as it was sixteen years ago, - A DIFPERINCH OF SPINOR” = Mr. McCartuy said that Mr, Vauce's #peech was simply a lecture to the republican State Senators who had voted for the appropriation of $500,000, and which gave birth to the ordinance he now so Vigorously op- posed, It was nothing more or less than a plain state- ment that those Senators did not know what they were about, and that he (Mr, Vance) did know more than all | of them put together, Mr. Purnoy reniaiked that Mr, Vance always set him- self up as @ Mentor for the other members of the Board, The vote on the ordinance resulted as usual—12 yeas to 7 nays, and not being a three-toarths vote was de- clared Jost, the republicans again standing firm in their opposition, An attempt was made to pass an ordinance fining every owner of a dog $10 if his dog annoys his neigh- bors by barking at night, but it failed. LEASING OF THE FERRIES, Bids for the leases of tho franchises of the soveral The members of the committes who have th'chargy | ferries were opened yesterday by the Comptroller and | ‘were found to be as follows:— @ ‘ Tenth street, East River,to Greenpoint, $1,500 a year for ten years, Twenty-third streot, ten years, $3,500 ayear, The bidders for this ha a 4 and the Tenth street ferry were Shephard Knapp & Edward 8. Knapp, Barclay street, two years, Hoboken Land and Im- provement Company bidders; two and a half per cont to be paid for the franchise on their gross receipts, Grand street, New York, to Grand street, Brooklyn, ten yours: $8,000 for the first five vears and $4,000 for in- | local paper | And until some statement shall be furnished | quoted from the report of the engineer | f-- Lori: five, New York and Brooklyn Ferry Com- ny. Desbrosses street to Jersey City, The Associates of the Jersey Ferry, ‘one year, $1,000, Ferry foot of Chambers street; $15,000 dock rent, and two and a half per cent of gross ‘receipts. Erio Railway, vidders, THE CITY DEBT. THE COMPTROLLER AND THE COMMISSIONER OF PUBLIC WORKS—GREEN’S INCONSISTENCY SHOWN UP—FACTS AND FIGURES ABOUT THE PUBLIC IMPROVEMENTS, Commissioner Porter has addressed the following letter to His Honor the Mayor, replying to the state- ment of the Comptroller that the Department of Public Works is prosecuting improvements which are prema- ture and unnecessary :— DEPARTMENT oF Puntic Works, Crry Haut, New York, Sept. 20, Tei. } Hon. Wituiam H. Wickuam, Mayor of the City of New York ;— Stk—In a recent communication addressed to you by Mr. Comptroller Green you are called upon, ‘as the Chiet Magistrate of the city, to “exercise your author- ity to arrest the enormous expenditure of public money for the prosecution of street improvements and other public works which are at this time premature and en- | tirely unnecessary.” The Comptroller also states that ‘‘such works have been pushed forward in spite of all remonstrance and opposition on my part, adding millions yearly to the public debt, and neutralizing, if not defeating, every effort to reduce the expenses of the city by the’ intro- duction ot economy and system in the administration of the various departments and by resisting unlawful and extortionate claims upon the city treasury.” After a statement of the public debt arising from Street openings and improvements the Comptroller proceeds to say :—'These figures will bé largely swelled by the cost of several large works now authorized or already under way by the Department of Public Works, to say nothing of the extensive operations of the depart ments of Docks and Public Parks, which also require large outlays of money from the proceeds of bonds.” The Department of Public Works, of which I ata in charge, is directly assailed by the’ Comptrolier, and I deem it my duty to you and to the taxpayers to submit the subjoined statement in reply. The improvements now being carried on in the upper part of the city were commenced years ago, and thereiore long before my administration of this office, | The laws authorizing the opening and improvement of these streets, avenues and boulevards (save the East- ern Boulevard’ and perhaps a few stnali pieces) were originally drawn by the direction of the President, ‘Treasurer and Comptroller (Mr. Green) of the Commis. sioners of the Central Park. and much time and exer- tion were used, in obtaining the passage of the same. And the imprd®ements were begun and carried on under Mr, Green’s special administration on that com- Mission, It, therefore, the improvements complained of are deomed by him “premature and unnecessary’ at this time, by what process of reasoning does he justify his action taken years ago? I do not assume oiticially to decide the propriety or impropriety of action taken by the city authorities years ago or now. My duty is that of an administrative Officer, with laws to ‘exccute, not to discuss, I think, however, 1 may fuirly object to having the onus of expenditure placed upon this department by the Comp- troller, when, but for the action of himself and his as- sociutes years ago, these expenditures could not now be under uiScussion, Tregret to say that the Comptroller, in his anxiety to appear as the special guardian of the public interests, shortens his memory ag to facts, It was upon his action that the great improvements he now deems “premature” and expenditures he now deems “unnec- essary” were authorized and an increase of the city debt was made. Possibly, now that hard times and taxation oppress our burdened people, these improve ments may be judged to have been ‘premature and une necessary,’ but it is rather disingenuous to plice the ree sponsibility on this department now or upon me as its recently appointed head. For ight years previous to June, 1875, the power to direct the opening of streets, avenues and places north of Fifty-ninth strect was vested exclusively in the Commissioners of the Central Park and in their suc- cessor, the Department of Public Parks, Of these boards Mr, Green was an tnfluentia! member. When they declared that the openiug of any street, avenue or public place was necessary ior the public m- lerest, and they instructed the Counsel to the Corpora- ton to take proceedings to acquire title for the city, it was equivalent to a declaration that the public interest required its actual improvement. Otherwise the land might as well remain private property and the assess- ments therefor remain in the pockets of the property owners and the city treasury, since the mere acquisi- tion of the land required for a street does not alter its actual condivion or make it more available for public trailic or use. ‘The aggregate amount of assessments for opening Streets, avenues and public places north of Fifty-ninth Viecee since 1860 is $29,204,188 $4, divided ‘as {fol- lows :— On the city at large, ++ 2 $11,217,429 74 On property owners 7,986,759 10 ‘The aggregate amount of assessments for actual work on street improvements for the game period is: On the city, $1,959,846 11 On property 14,402,848 16 | Total...... Stace ceeceerseneecesece $16,362,694 37 Tho following are the principal street and park open- ings made on the application of Andrew H. Green, as Comptroller and Treasurer of the Central Par! Seventh avenue (widening), 110th street to Cost. Hariem River. $412,812 97 Sixth avenue (wi Harlem River, 432,967 00 Circle at Fifty avenue. . ius tie ots 545,819 61 Boulevard, Fitty-ninth street to 165th street. + 8,607,916 20 Plaza at Fifth avenue an Street. ... 06.65 +s ++» 533,530 50 Avenue St. Nicholas and widening Man- | _ hattan street... sesseesees , 989,468 20 | Tweltth avenue, Filty-ninth street to 163d street, 454,215 00 High Bridg ese « _ 488,622 00 | | Morningside Park and avenui 1,720,192 40 ‘Triangle at Boulevard, Ninth avenue and Sixty-third street, eeeeee. 153,480 00 | Riverside Park and avenue. + 6,173,960 80 Broadway widenin; fo + 4,369,805 62 One Hundred and Tenth street wideniny 185,494 00 Eleventh avenue, north of 165th street... 729,700 00 +++ $20,704,884 16 ‘added openings on the application of the Department of Public Parks, Mr. Green being stilla member :— Triangle at Boulevard, Ninth avenue and Sixty-sixth street... sesessee 62,282 00 Boulevard, from 165th street to Inwood street....... + 1,029,875 02 Kingsbridge road! + 1,371,334 00 Total cost of openings...... seeeeeeee oo $23,268,325 18 Improvements were commenced under the direction | of Mr. Green on the Boulevard, on the Sixth and Sev- | enth avenues and on Avenue St. Nicholas; and under | the directi: of the Department of Public Parks on Manhattan street, 165th street and Tenth avenue north | of 155th street, Up to June, 1872, when these works were transferred | | to this department, and when, with the exception of | Sixth avenue, not one of them was completed, the fol- | lowing amounts had been expapded upon them On the Boulevard. | On Sixth avenue. | On Seventh avenue, | On Avenue St. Nicholas, | Oh Manhattan street On Tenth avenue, | On 155th street | Total. devecd SRONH | They were commenced and carried on by day’s work, | | oF by special contract, without public letting. It appears fromm these facts that Mr. Green years ago, | and up to the time that these works passed’ from his niral, did not consider uptown improvements prema- ture; but, to the contrary, considered them necessary | for the development of the city. Indeed, in pressing the beginning of improvements before completing the laying out of all the streets, roads and public places, “the asked the Board of Com: | missioners of Central Park to determine which portion of the proposed streets shall be first laid out and worked,’ and advised “In this the law greatly aids us | | by placing special stress upon the main drive’—Boule- viurd—and as if to forestall deprecated efforts, in years | to come, to mar his grand plans, he adds:—‘The execu- tion of any plan will require the raising of large sums | of money, and if itis not well considered, questions of time and expense and convenience will arise that will | demand its abrogation aud the substitution of another. We need not go off the island to see the lamentable re- | sults of the want of largeness of ideas in the attempts that have been made to provide for the growing wants of a great people."’ (Comptroller Andrew H. Green in oe penal Report of Commissioners of the Park, i). 126, 127.) . Tt is but reasonable to suppose that the plan then | adopted by his vote began under his direction, and now | veing carried out, was “well considered.” As to the improvement of Kingsbridge road, Mr. Green, in the same report, pp. 152-133, says:—‘‘The longitudinal avenues for moving the heavier traflic through the whole length of this portion of the island eanuot, by reason of the intervening high lands, well bo more than three, one of which will be immediately on the shore of each river, a fow feet above high tide, and the other will generally follow tho line of King ae ro ‘hese avenues should be of ample ih, and of light grades,” ‘On May 24, 1820, tite Commisstoriors of the Depart- ment of Publig Parks, with the concurrent vote of Mr. ‘Green, adopted a resolution to acquire title to the lands required for the road, as widened and straightened. The application for the appointinent of Commissioners of imate and Assessment was made June 10, 1872, and commissioners appointed October 10, 1872. New delays intervening, the report of the Commissioners ‘was confirmed by the Supreme Court November 18, 1874, and upon an appeal from the ordor of confirma. tion’ it was reaffirmed July 8, 1875, by tho Court of Appealg More than five years have thus passed since Mr. ore, by his vote in the Park Board, recorded his opinion that the improvement of Kingsbridge road was a public necessity. Prayther quo from Mr. Green's language relating to the improvements under discussion:—‘“The owners of adjacent property may generaily be relied upon as the best judges of the necessity of opening and working those ways that are moro especially intended for the ac- commodation of the neighborhood.” (Ib., p. 136.) A petition signed by eighty-five property owners was | crime find an abode." lnertieiee t property owners have asked for permits to do the work themselves at rin expense. Many personal applications have been mado to me te hasten ihe commencement of the Kingsbridge road im: provements, No protest has been presented by property owners on its line, and at an early day proposals will bé invited and the Work will be done by contract according to plans prepared to meet the expressed wishes of the property owners. In the prosecution of these and other improvements it can be properly and justly asserted that the depart ment Raving the care of them has but performed a duty enjoined by law, to prepare in advance the neces- sary convenicuces for communication and for the health and comfort of an increasing population. I have proceeded at more length he I had intended to detail the facts connected with the Comptroller's past action and recent complaint. Jam conscious of the severe strain that even mod- erate taxation places upon our citizens, and I shall in- termit no effort to conduct the ailuirs of this depart ment with true economy. The growth of the city compels uninterrupted ex- Penditure if it would retain ita population and provide for it increase, The laws that authorize these im+ provements { found upon entering this oftice, and they are obligatory upon me. It would be an act of supremé effrontery should I delay or hinder their execution be- cause of ‘any private opinion of mine, Whatever no- tions others may have of oilicial duty, I believe mine will be best performed by executing the laws relating to my own department and attending to my own. busi- ness. Veryrespectiully, FITZ JOHN PORTER, Commissioner of Public Works pesos te users Se CITY DEPARTMENTS. COMMISSIONERS OF CHARITIUS AND CORRECTION. A number of bids for 2,000 barrels of flour, 7,000 yards of Canton flannel and a large quantity of other articles were opened yesterday morning at the office of the Commissioners of Charities and Correc- tion in Third avenue, The contract for furnishing the flour was awarded to Mr. Consider Parish, at the rate of $5 7734 per barrel. Contracts for the other goods will not be awarded until to-day. ‘The following changes in the departinent have becn announced. Appoint ments—Mary Donohue, nurse, Luuatic Asylum; Will- dam F. McCurker, steward, Park Hospital; Daniel Hol- land, keeper, Penitentiary; George Ferris, keeper, City Prison; Michael Flynn, codk, Nursery Hospital; Edward Keegan, attendani, Homaopathic.Hospital; Thomas L. Fitzsimmons,’ keeper, Penitentiary ;’ Thomas A. Doyle, guurd, Penitentiary; Peter ‘McDonough, orderly, ‘Bellevue — Hospit Removals—Catharine O'Neil,’ nurse, Lunatic Asylum; Cornelius Sexton, keeper, Penitentiary; Bernard Clark, keeper, City Prison; Mary Short, cook, Nursery Hospital; James Handivote, keeper, Penitentiary; Ann Farron, nurse, Nursery Hospital. ' Resignations—Johi Hart, steward, Park Hospital; William Quinn, keeper, Peaitenuary} Michacl J, Phelan, guard, Penitenuary; William i Howell, orderly, Bellevue Hospital. DEPARTMENT OF PURLIC WORKS. Proposals are solicited by this defartmert for the building of sewers in various parts of avenue A, First, Fourth, Tenth and Eleventh avenues, and Centre, For. tieth and Water streets, Large quantities of lumber and materials are also wanted, togetuer with 60d tons of coal, to be used in the public buildings during the win ter months, Some 2,500 laborers aud mechanics are now employed on the'works under charge of the de- partment, + RAPID TRANSIT. THE “MODIFIED ARCADE” PLAN ADVOCATED BEFORE THE COMMISSION, The Rapid Transit Commissioners held a somewhat Prolonged meeting yesterday. There were present, besides the Commissioners, Commodore C. K. Garrison, Judge John K. Porter, William Foster, Sanford E, Church, José Navarro, Alfred Speer, William S. Scott, W. F. Brooks, Jumes C. Travis, Richard P. Morgan and Peter Cooper. Mr. Travis submitted the model ofa new metal suspension arch, and Walter F, Brooks was heard by the consulting engineers in regard to a column. of his invention. Mr. Cooper was present as the adyo- cate of Speer’s moving sidewalk arrangement; but he said that for a road tocarry both passengers and freight he favored the depressed or modified arcade road advollated by Melville C. Smith, one of its original projectors. Mr. Smith, on Friday last, made the opening argument in favor of this plan ‘tefore the Commission. He was then requeeted to como with his friends and continue his argument on Wednesday, which he did, In con- cluding his address he introduced H. ©. Gardner, known as the advocate of the New York Warehouse and Railway bill, to finish the chain of reasoning in favor of his scheme, Accordingly Mr. Gardner was given the floor yesterday, and he occupied almost the entire ses- sion in the delivery of his argument. The following is tie substance of his remarks:— Upon the construction of a railway for the transpor- tation of both freight and passengers by steam within city limits depends the commercial and material pros- perity of New York andthe health and morality of its people, Tho great cost of carting merchandise through the crowded streets bas diverted more than one-half of her trade to other cities. This falling off in trade and the long distance between homes and Places of business have depreciated the value of prop- erty and crowded our poor into pestilential tenement houses, where the death rate has reached one tn nine- teen, while on Murray Hill it is only one in sixty. The most densely populated district in London in 1860 was fess than 176,000 to the square mile, while in New York the population was over 290,000. The Council of Publio Health, in their report of 1864, say:—“The elements of public discord are gathered in these wretchediy con- structed tenant houses, where poverty, disease and The object and purpose of the law creating your Commission were to remedy these evils, You have selected a route for the proposed Fail- ways, and now you are to agree upon a plin of con- struction. You have to aid you the results of the labors undertaken by the Legislative Commission im 1864, That commission was instructed to examine and report of railways, both elovated and underground, and their effect upon the property along the routes. They reported in the strongest terms in favor of the underground roads, saying that they presented “the only speedy plan for the present and prospective ‘wants of the city of New York in the matter of safe, cheap and rapid transit of persons and property.” Mr. Melville C. Smith has devoted ten years to this subject, and has received the professional opinion of a score of eminent engineers on the subject, among whom were W. J. McAlpine and General McClellan, and they all express their unqualified approval of his plan, From the Battery to Harlem by Third avenue the distance is nine mi The surface of the street has a maximutn grade of not less than 120 feet to a mile, Along this line transport is required for at least 50,000,000 passengers a year and more than 100,090,000 miles & year passenger travel. This travel is divided into 30,000,000 way travel and 20,000,000 through travel, The “through travel” is crowded into three hours in the morning from the upper part of thecity down and three hours in the eventug from the lower to the upper part of the city. Thas we have only six hours per day to transport 20,000,000 passengers a year. If they allow the trains to run three minutes apart wo have twenty trains an hour, or 120 trains per day, and with 500 paseengers per train we have 60,000 per day and fully 18,000,000 passengers a year. To run at per hour, including pps, We must ran thirty miles an hour between the stations. To haul these trains twenty miles an bour up the grades along the line will require an engine of at least thirty tons weight. Experience on the London roads proves that in order to make this time on com- paratively level grades it requires engines of fifty tons in weight, With less speed than that we will not have rapid transit. Here we have made no provision for way passengers nor for the transportation of freight, which is of even greater importance to public interests than that of passengers. An elevated road constructed of iron capable of sustaining this weight—ihe engine, number and weight of trains and rate of speed—will cost more than $1,000,000 per mile; while this “modified ar- cade” road, now under consideration, will appear, from the details of the report before you, to cust less than $400,000 per mile. ‘The London Underground Railway, in 1874, transported 44,118,225 passengers, It 18 but six miles long. Ours will be nine miles, To elevate the road over the tracks or the surface of the road would destroy its utility. The engines and trains running at high rates of speed directly over the horse cars would frighten the horses and make it ex- tremely uncomfortable for passengers, The structure would be offensive to the eye, and the clang and clatter of the trains at night will be discordant to the ear—in fact, a nuisance. The construction of this modified arcade would employ more than 10,000 laborers and machanics of New York for moro than a whole year, while the elevated iron road would be made at the tron- works of Pennsylvania. In short, every interest of the city demands the construction of this road with its tracks on the solid earth. » Mr. Sanford BE. Church made a few remarke in support of Mr. Smith’s plan, and the Commission ad- Journed till today. It is said that Commodore Vander- bilt is strongly in favor of this plan. REAL ESTATE SALES. There was but a small attendance at the Exchange roomé yesterday, and little spirit was manifested in the bidding, R, J. Garrottson sold per order of the Supreme Court, in foreclosure, by Frank Sampson, referee, one lot 25.5 by 90, on First avenue, southwest corner of 119th street, subject toa mortgage of $5,000, with interest from May 1, 1875, and $56 for $4,350 over and above the mortgage, interest, &., in all $9,460, said property bey! valued yo oe It was purchased by rmstrong, plaintit James M, Mi jer, by order of the Supreme Court, in foreclosure, sol under first decree over $10,000 mort. Kage, the house and lot 18.7 by 100.5 on West Forty. SIXth street, south side, 127.8 feet west of Broacway, all $20, 10, 000, , Bard pI 'y tang Salted os $000 i. Tho sale of \ntriy-two SOMO received as carly as June, 187 ie a | for the improve- ment of the Boulevard north of 155th street. Since then, in default of avy proceedings by the city, the being val " Flevonth and Tweilth avenues, Ninety and Nimety-Hrat ‘streets was withdrawn, upon the charters, government and general management ~