mind, because I shall take a great deal of interest in that as a member of the Commission. Mr. Meserole-April 16, 1869, and May 3, 1870, were the two dates. The meeting adjourned to meet July 13th, at 3 P. M. July 13, 1896. The Commission met at their office, room 200 Real Estate Exchange, at 4 P. M. Present-E. G. Blackford, E. F. Linton, E. H. Hobbs, W. M. Meserole, Commissioners, and W. J. Kelley, Counsel for the Long Island Railroad Company. Commissioner Hobbs presided in the absence of President Blackford, who was called away. The Minutes of the meeting of June 29th were read and approved. It was moved and seconded that the Secretary be authorized to procure articles needed for the office of the Commission ; carried. In order to conform to the established rules of the office of the Comptroller and Auditor, the action of the previous meeting authorizing the Secretary to certify to all bills was reconsidered, and, on motion of Commissioner Meserole, the President was authorized to certify to all bills of the Commission. The hearing of Mr. Kelley of the Long Island Railroad was continued. Mr. Kelley presented the following names as being those of the Directors of the Atlantic Avenue Elevated Railroad Company: Austin Corbin, George S. Edgell, E. R. Reynolds, A. C. Bedford, E. B. Hinsdale, F. L. Cook, Charles M. Pratt, F. L. White, W. G. Bosworth, Wm. B. Kendall, Daniel Lord, Jr., D. S. Voorhees, Frank L. Babbott. The Chairman-We have here a set of plans of the City Works Commission, copies of those made by Mr. Jacobs. They were made in 1893, and submitted to Mr. White in 1894. Do you know whether there is another set of plans made two or three years previous to that? Mr. Kelley That is the only depressed track plan that we have any knowledge of; I think it is the only one that was ever made. The Chairman-I had an impression that I saw some plans at one of the meetings held in 1891 or 1892. Mr. Kelley-Unless there were depressed track plans prepared at the time of the Rapid Transit Commission, there are no others. It may be proper for me to state that the engineers are now at work going over those figures again to bring them down to date, and they have also set a number at work on the extension from the Manhattan Crossing to the City Line. They have instructions from the Executive Committee of the company to hasten their work as much as possible. I spoke to Mr. Jacobs as to when they would be ready, and he said he didn't think that the plans out to the City Line could possibly be ready for submission to the Commission before two weeks from to-day. The Chairman-Is he considering the depressing of the tracks below Flatbush avenue to the river? Mr. Kelley-Yes, sir. The Chairman-We have some figures here given us by the engineer's office of the City Works Department in which the estimated cost is $3,162,854 for the road from Flatbush avenue to Manhattan Crossing. Those are the figures which were prepared in 1894. Mr. Kelley I think they exceeded the estimate which the company's engineer placed on the work at that time. Mr. Linton-Who would be the proper party to address on the part of this Commission to the Long Island Railroad Company to have a conference and possibly to get some views from them? Mr. Kelley-That is the very thing we are at work on now. Of course, it is an undertaking of very great magnitude. We took up the plans that were prepared in 1894, and simply want to go over them and see that the prices are right for 1896. There had been no estimates prepared on the extension, and the Executive Committee have directed that plans should be prepared and estimates furnished. Their intention is then to take these estimates up and consider them and consider any other plans which the Commission may desire them to consider, as to the cost and feasibility, and then submit to the Commission a statement of what the Railroad Corporation is able to do. We cannot make any such statement, and a conference would be fruitless until they have this information in hand. The extension through the Twenty-sixth Ward is quite a strip of property to go over; they are working on that now, and I am told that it will be ready two weeks from to-day. Mr. Meserole Are there any estimates of the cost of the elevated scheme? Mr. Kelley-I do not think there are any in addition to what were submitted to the Rapid Transit Commission. The elevated plans can only be accomplished under the conditions of the Rapid Transit Act, and that Commission at that time went all over that subject, and made estimates and plans and everything else in detail. There is a bound volume of their proceedings which contains all that matter. Mr. Meserole I have seen it, although I have not gone over it carefully, but as far as I have gone over it, I have not discovered any estimates. Mr. Kelley--I suppose the proceedings are filed in the County Clerk's office. Mr. Linton-In asking what individual would be the proper one, or if not one, then more, to represent the Long Island Railroad Company, I have in my own mind the idea that there needs to be some plan of action adopted soon; that the mere asking of desultory questions is not the manner in which the thing will ultimately be accomplished, and it may be that a depressed railroad will be the solution; it may be that an elevated railroad will be the solution; it may be that some other treatment would be a solution of this problem. The problem relates to many interests and the idea of a conference was to get this body and others interested, besides the Long Island Railroad,-to have a general conference with a view of applying brains to the solution of the problem, but more particularly along the lines that would be co-operated with by the Long Island Railroad and any other corporation that has railroad interests which are affected by this question. Nothing of that kind has occurred yet, and my own mind is that such action should take place before long. Mr. Kelley-Mr. Pratt is the gentleman; he is the first VicePresident of the Long Island Railroad Company. But I venture to suggest that there is no use in inviting a conference at present, because we are endeavoring to get the material on hand which will enable us to do what you ask. The Chairman-When that material is all ready we would like the Long Island Railroad Company to submit a proposition on their part for the relief of Atlantic avenue from their standpoint. Mr. Kelley-We will do that as soon as we get that information in hand. The matter was taken up at the first meeting of the Executive Committee after this Commission was organized, and it is with that in view that they have started this investigation. The Chairman-We have a large number of people who want to come before this Commission, and we will have a large number of plans probably. We would like to have something definite which might be practicable to agree upon, and, if possible, then to bring all interests into harmony. We might not be able to accept the first proposition of the railroad, but as a starting point, we think a proposition from them as to what they would be willing to do, as to how much of an expense they would be willing to bear, would be the opening of the question to a practical solution. Mr. Kelley-Whatever information is desired we are willing to give, but it occurs to me if there are other plans, or if there is a discussion from the various standpoints, that it might expedite matters and might make the result of the work more profitable if we had all that. If there are any other plans or if there are any other suggestions, or if there are any views to present, they should be presented so that the railroad company could have the advantage of them, as well as the Commission. We are engaged in a work of considerable magnitude in going over this ground and preparing these plans. They represent a great deal of work. We are perfectly willing to go ahead from our own standpoint, but it occurred to me at the last meeting, and presses |