Chapter 07. Inception of the Elevated Railroads

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Fifty Years of Rapid Transit · James Blaine Walker

Chapter VII

Inception of the Elevated Railroads.

IN spite of the recommendation for an underground railroad, made by the Special Senate Committee, the next session of the Legislature, that of 1867, failed to pass a bill authorizing any such road. Three bills were introduced by as many rival interests, but none of them gained the approval of both houses. This session, however, did take an important step in providing rapid transit. It passed a bill authorizing the construction of the first elevated railroad. In this it acted on the recommendation made by the Special Senate Committee for a trial of Charles T. Harvey's scheme. This act, which was promptly approved by Governor Fenton, gave New York its elevated railroad system, and much as the type is condemned today it was an important element in the growth and prosperity of the city.

H. B. Willson and his friends made another fruitless effort at this session to gain the underground franchise for which they had been fighting for three years. Their bill was introduced and a strong effort was made to pass it, but it was opposed by two others, one backed by the accomplished lobbyist, Vandenburgh, and the perplexed Legislators could not decide between them. An effort was made near the close of the session to combine all three bills and pass one which would embrace all the rival interests, but this came to naught, and the session closed without the authorization of any underground road. The Legislature, it may be said in passing, did pass a bill granting Jacob Sharp and his associates the right to build and operate a surface railroad in Broadway, but this was vetoed by Governor Fenton and its friends were not strong enough to override the veto. It is highly probable that the passage of this bill was a factor in preventing the approval of any of the underground measures for Broadway.

As before stated Harvey at the session of 1866 had obtained the passage of an amendment to the General Railroad law allowing him and his associates to form an incorporation for the purpose of building an elevated railroad to be operated according to his patents by means of cables driven by stationary engines. In July 1866 they acted under this authority and incorporated the West -Side and Yonkers Patent Railway company. The capital stock was placed at $5,000,000, and the company was to continue for 999 years. It proposed to build a line 25 miles long, from the Battery by way of Greenwich street and Ninth Avenue and other streets to Kingsbridge and Yonkers.

The directors and stockholders named in the articles were as follows: William H. Appleton, New York and Riverdale; Chauncey Vibbard, New York; Walter S. Gurnee, New York and Tarrytown; Frank Work, New York; Samuel M. Pettingill, Brooklyn; Moses A. Hoppoch, Hastings; Charles T. Harvey, New York and Tarrytown.

The above were named as directors and stockholders and the following as additional stockholders: John H. Hall, New York; John Perkins, New York; Robert Turner, New York; Isaac Scott, New York; David Crawford, Jr., New York; John P. Yelverton, New York; F. P. James, New York.

The act passed by the Legislature of 1867 authorized the construction by this company of an experimental line one-half mile long in Greenwich street northward from Battery Place. It created a commission of three, two to be appointed by the Governor and one by the Croton Aqueduct Board, to inspect the road on its completion and if approved to certify such approval to the Governor. If approved by him the line was to be extended northward, but if disapproved the part already built was to be removed. If approved the company was given the right to extend the road northward on both sides of Greenwich street and on both sides of Ninth Avenue or streets west of Ninth Avenue to the Harlem River. One year was allowed for the completion of the experimental section.

Fares to be charged by the company were fixed as follows: Five cents for any distance less than two miles; one cent for each additional mile or fraction thereof. The company was allowed at its option to establish a uniform rate of ten cents and to collect the same for five years after the passage of the act.

Compensation to the city was provided for in the following section of the act:

"The said company shall pay a sum not exceeding five per cent. of the net income of said railway from passenger traffic upon Manhattan Island, as aforesaid, into the treasury of the city of New York, in such manner as the Legislature shall hereafter direct, as a compensation to the corporation thereof for the use of the streets thereof."

Harvey's plan of operating the road by means of cables was specified in the act, which said:

"The railway hereby authorized as aforesaid shall be operated exclusively by means of propelling cables attached to stationary engines, placed beneath or beyond the surface of any street through which such railway may pass, and shall be concealed from view so far as the same may be detrimental to the ordinary uses of said street. The structures shall consist of a single track, upon which the cars are to be moved in contrary directions, upon opposite sides of the streets, which track shall not exceed five feet in width between center of rails, and shall be supported by a series of iron columns not exceeding 18 inches in diameter at surface of pavement, or equivalent space (if in elliptical form) which columns shall be placed at intervals of not less than 20 feet (except at street crossings or sidings) along the curbstone line between the sidewalk and carriageway and attached at their upper extremities to the track aforesaid, so that center of the track shall be perpendicular to the center of the columns, and at a distance of not less than 14 feet above the surface of the pavement. Whenever deemed necessary to prevent oscillation of the track aforesaid, a second series of columns may be extended on the building side of the sidewalk at intervals of not less than 20 feet, which shall not be more than 9 inches in diameter at surface of pavement, and shall be so placed as not to obstruct any existing door or window without consent of the owner, and from the upper extremity of which bracers or girders may be extended to the first series of columns mentioned for purposes aforesaid."

On December 3, 1867 Governor Fenton appointed two Commissioners, as provided in the act, as follows: Freemen J. Fithian, and John H. Morris. To these was added, January 4, 1868, Jacob S. Frear, appointed by the Croton Aqueduct Board, which at the time consisted of Thomas Stephens, Robert C. Darragh and A. W. Craven.

In the meantime Harvey had gone ahead with the construction of the experimental section of the first elevated railroad ever built in New York. It was located in lower Greenwich street and designed to be operated by cables according to Harvey's patented system. It was completed within the one year specified, and in June, 1868, was placed in operation for trial. As may be supposed it was the wonder of the city. Crowds watched its construction, and almost universal skepticism as to its practicability was expressed. Its builders were jeered, and the prediction was made that the structure would never stand the strain of train operation, but would collapse and fall under the weight. Harvey demonstrated to the satisfaction of the Commissioners, however, that he could operate cars over it, and on July 1, 1868, they certified their approval to Governor Fenton, who on the following day gave his formal approval to their report and the railroad. They had inspected the road on June 23, and in their report certified that "it was in practical operation as contemplated by the West Side and Yonkers Patent Railway company," and approved the structure, plan and operation and found "that the same can be operated with safety and dispatch."

There is no evidence in the newspapers of the day that the trial of the first elevated railroad excited popular interest. No ceremonies outside of the necessary official participation marked the event. Nowadays it would be heralded for days in advance and signalized by civic celebration. In 1868 it seems to have been taken as a matter of course. It was on Friday, July 3, of that year when the trial was made, and the following account of it, published in small type under a single line heading, is taken from the New York Times of July 4:

"The trial trip upon the elevated road in Greenwich street having been postponed on Thursday on account of an accident to the machinery came off yesterday at noon and was very satisfactory. The car ran easily from the Battery to Cortlandt street, starting at the rate of five miles an hour and increasing to a speed of ten miles. The company does not pretend with its present machinery to run the cars faster than fifteen miles an hour; but during the next two months will make arrangements for much more rapid motion.

"On the first day of July, 1867, the work was commenced, $100,000 then being pledged for the purpose. Contracts were made and the first column was placed in position on the seventh of October. The machinery was first tried on the 7th of December on the first quarter mile. So well were the directors pleased that they authorized the inventor to order the remainder to Cortlandt street. This was erected in March and April and some improvements introduced. About the first of May the new trial car was placed on the road, and the directors took a ride at the rate of fifteen miles an hour, propelled by an engine out of sight and hearing.

"On the 6th of last June the railway was placed in charge of the Commissioners appointed by the Governor, Messrs. Fithian and Morris, and ex-Senator Frear (of Sullivan county) appointed by the Croton Board for its inspection. During that month Governor Fenton came from Albany and inspected it himself by examining the machinery and taking a ride upon it; also the Croton Board with their Engineer; Mayor Hoffman; the Governor of Minnesota; a deputation from the Common Council of Boston and many eminent engineers and civilians. The opinion was expressed that it was a great mechanical success. On July 1st the Commissioners reported in its favor. The Governor gave it his official approval promptly on the following day. This indorsement vests in the constructing company full powers to proceed with the railway at once from the Battery to Spuyten Duyvil.

"The chief engineer and inventor expresses the opinion that there is no engineering difficulty in the way of having the railway completed to the Hudson River depot at Thirtieth street the present year. Then the passage from Wall street can be made in fifteen minutes! He is desirous of having the whole line put under contract at once, that the time of its being thrown open to public use may occur during the terms of the present incumbents of the offices of Governor of the State and Mayor of the City, who have recommended the project and assisted its development as a means of relief to the overcrowded thousands of this city. The inventor will proceed next week to take down the present machinery and substitute some special improvements which he has perfected after testing the working of that already up."

The financing of this pioneer rapid transit railroad must have been a work of great difficulty considering the skepticism of the time. Mr. Harvey, a year or so before his death in 1913, stated that it was almost impossible to raise money, and that he went to usurious lenders to get the funds to keep it going. The first money, $100,000, was put up by Harvey and his associates in the company, but once the road had received official approval it was possible to borrow on it. As above said, this approval was given on the first and second of July, 1868. On the first of August following the property was mortgaged to George S. Coe and James H. Benedict, trustees, for $750,000 to secure a bond issue of like amount. The bonds were issued in denominations of $500 each, bore 7 per cent interest and were to run 15 years. The mortgage was signed by W. S. Gurnee, president, and Henry W. Taylor, secretary of the company.

This bond issue was floated by two prominent Wall Street houses of the day -- Clark, Dodge and Co., of No. 51 Wall street, and Lockwood and Co., of No. 94 Broadway. In the advertisements offering the bonds it was stated that "Messrs. George S. Coe, president of the American Exchange National Bank, and James H. Benedict, of Lockwood and Co., bankers, are trustees for the bondholders." The advertisement was dated at the office of the West,Side Elevated Railroad Company, No. 48 Cortlandt street, August 6, 1868. In it the officers of the company were given as follows: W. S. Gurnee, president; William H. Appleton, treasurer; W. H. Taylor, Secretary; and the following directors: William E. Dodge, A. IS. Barnes, Samuel D. Babcock, S. M. Pettingill, C. T. Harvey and Robert P. Getty.

The Harvey company, however, never succeeded in getting the elevated railroad further than the experimental stage. It fell into financial difficulties, Harvey was forced out and others reaped the reward which should have been his. H. C. Stryker, in his "Historical Sketches", describes this phase of the Harvey fortunes as follows:

"Financial arrangements followed with a leading banking firm to extend the line to the then terminal of the New York Central railway at Ninth Avenue and Thirtieth street. The cars were placed on the extension and won the approval of the adjoining property owners to the structure as ornamental and to the train service as comparatively noiseless. The stock was in demand at a premium, when 'Black Friday' (Sept. 26, 1869) panic occurred and the bankers raising the funds failed, with the extension to Thirtieth street about half completed to the point where a traffic revenue could be realized.

"In the emergency an offer was made of a loan to complete the extension from the most powerful clique of Wall Street stock operators and accepted, which was upon condition that the stock-voting control should be vested in them as security for the loan until paid. They conceived the idea of having the railway appear for a time as a failure until they could acquire nearly its entire stock ownership at a low valuation and then "boom" the same to high premium prices, make large issues of new stock and realize millions by the "deal." They outlined this scheme to Harvey, and although his share of the profits would have been increased, he declined to participate in the plot because of its perfidy to the original stockholders and its intrinsic dishonesty. The clique determined to carry out the plan, displaced Harvey from his official connection with the railway, forcibly prevented his perfecting details and caused it to appear in temporary disuse and discredit in order to depress its stock market values."

These men did nothing with the property until 1870, when they completed the single track line up Ninth Avenue to Thirtieth street. To do this, however, they encumbered the property with a large debt. On August 1, 1870, the company issued a second mortgage to George S. Coe and Alfred S. Barnes to secure a bond issue of $2,500,000 which was to be used to pay off the previous loan of $750,000 and to raise new funds. Only 200 of these bonds, in denominations of $500 each were issued or printed, and they were numbered 1,501 to 1700, the first 1,500 being reserved for the first mortgage. Of these 200 bonds only 21 were parted with, and they have been paid off. The others are said to be now among the archives of the Manhattan Railway company, the present owner of the elevated railroads in Manhattan and the Bronx.

After the track was completed to Thirtieth street efforts were made to operate it, but the stationary power method proved a failure and the road again lay idle for some months. On November 15, 1870 the property of the West Side and Yonkers Patent Railway company was sold at sheriff's sale and bought in by Francis H. Tows. The property thus conveyed is described as including the road from the Battery to 31st street on Greenwich street and Ninth Avenue, six car bodies and three passenger cars. Tows represented the bondholders, and a committee appointed by them attempted to get the road in running order. One of the acts of the Legislature relating to the company permitted it to substitute locomotives for stationary engines if the Commissioners appointed by the Governor consented. This consent was obtained, and on April 20, 1871 the trustees for the bondholders began running a train of three cars hauled by a dummy engine. Thereafter the road continued in uninterrupted and successful operation.

The bondholders then organized a new company to take over the property. They also interested in it William L. Scott, a wealthy coal dealer of Erie, Pa., whose money and influence put the struggling enterprise on its feet. Mr. Scott was the coal agent of the Pennsylvania Railroad, and counted a wealthy man for those days. The new company was named the New York Elevated Railroad company. Its articles of association were filed October 27, 1871. The capital stock was placed at $10,000,000, and the following were named as directors: David Dows, Francis H. Tows, Ashbel H. Barney, John D. Mairs, Haney Kennedy, all of New York City; William L. Scott, of Erie, Pa.; Danforth N. Barney and Frederick H. Foster, of Irvington, N. Y.; William L. Wallace, of Tarrytown; George H. Marvin, John H. Cowing, Alfred C. Barnes and George C. Martin, of Brooklyn.

In addition to the directors the stockholders included Edward C. Delavan, of New York; William L. Oakey, of Brooklyn; Charles T. Barney, of New York; William N. Goddard, of Brooklyn; Henry W. Taylor and Augustus Hull, of New York; James R. Cowing, Charles H. Marvin and T. H. Marvin, of Brooklyn; Daniel W. Wyman, of Jersey City; James R. Jessup, of New York and Milton Courtright, of Erie, Pa.

David Dows took 400 shares of the stock; Danforth A. Barney 400; William L. Scott, 600; Alfred C. Barnes, 150; Ashbel H. Barney, 100; Milton H. Courtright, 100 and the others 10 shares each.

The life of the company was placed at 100 years. It proposed to build altogether 160 miles of road. It named a route from the Battery through the Western part of the city to Westchester county and through the westerly part of that county to Putnam county; also from the Battery through the easterly part of the city and the easterly part of Westchester county to Portchester; also lines in every ward of New York City across town from river to river; also from Yonkers across to New Rochelle and from Tarrytown to Portchester. In addition the company named the route of the West Side and Yonkers Patent Railway company from the Battery up Greenwich street, Ninth Avenue and other streets on the West Side to Kingsbridge and Yonkers. Stock in the New York Elevated Railroad company to the amount of $801,825 was issued for the property and franchises of the Patent Railway company.

From the list of stockholders and directors of the New York Elevated Railroad company it is apparent that Harvey, the originator of the elevated plan, was finally eliminated. With him went the cable method of operating, which never thereafter was tried on an elevated road in New York City. The dummy engines, introduced by the trustees for the bondholders in 1871, continued as the motive power, with slight variations in type, until the elevated roads were electrified 31 years later in 1902.

One reason for the embarrassment of the old company was the litigation in which it became involved. Another was the opposition by the Tweed Ring. After the experimental half mile had been built and accepted by the Governor, lawsuits were brought to prevent the extension of the line to Thirtieth street. While some of these suits were inspired, no doubt, by the horse railroad interests, others were brought by property owners who alleged that the road would injure their holdings. This question of damage to property became a burning issue in the 1870's and it required a constitutional amendment and several court decisions to settle it.

After the New York Elevated Railroad Company had taken over the property it obtained the passage of an act by the Legislature, confirming its acquisition of the rights granted to the West Side and Yonkers Patent Railway Company and authorizing it to continue and complete the railroad thereby granted. This act required the New York Elevated Railroad Company to construct and complete at least one track within five years, under the supervision of the Commissioners named by the Governor, who were continued, vacancies in their number to be filled by the Governor. The Commissioners were to receive $10 per day each, to be paid by the company. The supplemental act also authorized the company to charge a 10 cent fare for five miles or less and not exceeding two cents for each additional mile or fraction. This ended the first period of the elevated railroad movement, which thereafter gained great impetus. Another company, the Gilbert, was soon chartered, and the two were firmly established by the Rapid Transit Commission of 1875, as will be told in a subsequent chapter.

The Tweed opposition to the first elevated road is described as follows by H. C. Stryker in his Historical Sketches above quoted, which were indorsed by Charles T. Harvey himself:

"But a new transit possibility had developed from the then political dictator of the city and the state -- the most notorious corruptionist of the century -- William M. Tweed -- having decided to introduce another rapid transit system known as the "Viaduct Plan" for exclusive extension on Manhattan Island. He was then Commissioner of Public Works of the city of New York, with its immense patronage. He was a State Senator and considered the actual representative of the city in Legislative affairs. He had a charter granted for the "New York Railway Company", with a capital of $25,000,000, of which the city of New York was directed to take five millions at par, the county of Westchester was authorized to be bonded to aid it to any extent the Board of Supervisors might decide, which might be twenty-five millions or more.

"The Board of the Railway company comprised some of the wealthiest capitalists of the city as associate directors with Tweed. A magnificent suite of offices was occupied, and printed plans published showing a grand terminal station facing the City Hall Park, where the city office building is now being erected. The railway was to be built upon elevated masonry arches through blocks instead of streets, and a picture was published of its crossing Broadway on a heavy masonry arch some forty feet high. That its cost per mile would be in millions was certain, and that it would never serve as adequate or convenient transit for the wage-earning masses was no less sure.

"The only rival in sight was the discredited Elevated Railway on Ninth Avenue and Greenwich street, and this Senator Tweed decided to have destroyed forthwith. He introduced a bill in the Senate, March 28, 1871, authorizing him as Commissioner of Public Works to remove it within ninety days, and made his boast that within sixty days after the bill became a law he would have it wholly torn down. The bill passed the Senate two days later by a vote of 20 yeas to 9 nays, and was sent to the Assembly for concurrence, it being known that the Governor would approve it.

"The clique in control of the Elevated Railway were taken by surprise and were hopelessly unprepared to effectually defend it at Albany. Harvey was, however, informed of the emergency, and valuing the public interests above any instincts of personal revenge upon his despoilers, he, as its originator, appealed to Hon. Erastus Corning, then residing at Albany, to save the Railway for friendship's sake, as Mr. Corning had no investment interest whatever in it. The memory of the Canal episode sufficed to cause Mr. Corning to appear in the Assembly chamber to oppose Tweed's bill. An onlooker saw on the afternoon of that fateful day Tweed in one part of the chamber marshalling the New York City members to vote for his destructive measure, while Mr. Corning was seen in another part of the chamber among groups of country members urging them to vote against it. He was considered as the most influential citizen of the State outside of New York City, and the country Assemblymen generally accepted his advice.

"When the vote was taken the bill was defeated by the decisive majority of 74 nays to 34 yeas-the only defeat Dictator Tweed experienced during that session. Conclusive evidence is preserved in State documents proving that the Tweed measure would have passed but for Mr. Corning's interference, and that his only motive was his personal regard for Harvey, coupled with the memory of the latter's engineering achievement before mentioned. But for that memory-inspired victory, the nucleus of the Elevated Railways of New York would have then been destroyed and the system become too discredited to enlist capital for its re-introduction. With Tweed in control, the "Viaduct" system would doubtless have been adopted as the only transit system available. Contracts to build it would have been let with a "rush," New York as well as Westchester county heavily bonded under special laws and a hundred millions probably expended to prove the system a practical failure.

"The Elevated system thus saved passed through several changes of control, but was gradually extended and enlarged until it had a patronage of over a million passengers per diem and for thirty-five years was the only means of rapid transit in the city."

The "canal" incident alluded to in the above was a happening in Harvey's younger days. He was engineer for a company, of which Erastus Corning was president, engaged in constructing the first great ship canal around the falls at the outlet of Lake Superior. The work was being done under a contract with the State of Michigan, and when the time limit was nearly up it was discovered that what was thought to be a sand bar was really a ledge of rock, which the dredge provided for the purpose could not excavate. Harvey saved the day and got the contract finished in the time specified by inventing a machine 'which broke up the ledge under water so that it could be dredged out with the apparatus provided. The directors gave him a vote of thanks and Corning never forgot the service.

It has been said above that the first elevated road incurred the antagonism of the Tweed Ring. This opposition was described in an article published in the New York Herald of June 5, 1877, favoring the holding of a citizens' meeting to encourage the companies then beset by vexatious legislation. That article said:

"In the days of the Tweed ring the corruptionists went so far as to try to indict the Greenwich Street elevated railroad as a nuisance; they boasted that they would not only tear down the road, but would fine and imprison the enterprising citizens who advanced money to try this important and now entirely successful experiment. Engineers and newspapers were hired to assert that the road would not stand; that it was dangerous to the lives of the passengers; that it would cause constant 'runaways of horses; that it would destroy business; and attempts were even made at one time to incite mob violence against it. Today the elevated railway is, as far as the track extends, one of the greatest conveniences the city has."

Harvey, who died in 1913, maintained his interest in rapid transit to the last. In the early part of 1912 he submitted to the Public Service Commission, then engaged in perfecting the Dual System plans, a project for an improved, noiseless elevated railroad and urged its adoption. The plan, however, was not adopted, and soon thereafter Harvey was stricken with his last illness.

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