Sixteenth avenue and Culver road and of the general conditions. in the neighborhood shows that platforms of an unsafe type are maintained, and that physical conditions subject passengers to unnecessary danger in boarding cars and alighting therefrom. This is one of the first matters to be taken up in 1908.

An accident recently occurred at the junction of Fulton and Prospect streets, under the Brooklyn approach to the Brooklyn bridge. In this case the trolley car became unmanageable, jumped the track at the switch, and ran with its forward trucks on one track and its rear trucks on the other, for a distance of two blocks to Front street, where it collided with a horse and wagon and came to a stop. Upon investigation, the switch referred to was found to be in defective condition, and the situation at the point in other respects dangerous. The matter was taken up by the Commission on complaint of an inspector and an order (No. 143) was adopted requiring the company to satisfy or answer within ten days. The matter was pending at the close of the year.

A hearing to determine whether the local tracks of the subway should be fully equipped with the block system or some adequate safety device system for the prevention of accidents was ordered to be held on December 12th (Order No. 121). Two hearings had been held before the end of the year. General Manager Frank Hedley of the Interborough Rapid Transit Company asserted that everything possible had been done to provide against danger from lack of care and judgment on the part of employees of the company operating subway locals. This proceeding is still pending.

Gas and Electricity Accidents.- Naturally the number of serious accidents connected with the manufacture and sale of gas and electricity is very much less than in the case of transportation companies. In response to order No. 28 requiring all gas and electric corporations within the jurisdiction of the Commission to give notice to the Commission of every accident happening upon the premises or in connection with the manufacture and distribution of gas or electricity, which resulted in loss of life or any injury to person, or any interference with the constant supply of gas or electricity to any consumer or consumers, the Commission has received 178 reports, of which 171 were injuries sustained by employees, 5 injuries to other persons and 2 killed.

VII. APPLICATIONS FOR APPROVAL.

Additional Elevated Railroad Tracks on Flatbush Avenue. The Brooklyn Union Elevated Railroad Company has made application to this Commission for the right to construct, operate and maintain four elevated railroad tracks upon what is known as the Flatbush avenue extension, to connect on Fulton street at or near its intersection with Flatbush avenue and to extend northerly along the extension of Flatbush avenue over the elevated railroad structure of Myrtle avenue to a point distant about 100 feet north. of where the northerly side of Myrtle avenue intersects the Flatbush avenue extension; also two clevated tracks connecting with the two elevated tracks on Flatbush avenue, beginning at or near a point on Flatbush avenue, distant about 350 feet southerly from its intersection with Fulton street and extending northerly under the elevated structure on Fulton street and over and above the elevated structure on Myrtle avenue along and through Flatbush avenue and the extension thereof to a point near where Nassau street is intersected by the extension of Flatbush avenue and where the extension of Flatbush avenue joins the Plaza to Manhattan bridge, the last two elevated tracks applied for to be in addition to those already on such Flatbush avenue extension and to be one on each side of the present tracks, also two elevated tracks connecting with the petitioners' elevated structure, turning out of Myrtle avenue and extending northerly along the extension of Flatbush avenue, to be constructed between the tracks last described to where the same will merge into such tracks at a point about 100 feet north of Johnson street, together with the right to construct, maintain and operate all the necessary turnouts, sidings, switches, crossovers and connections with its elevated structure en Flatbush avenue, Fulton street and Myrtle avenue and the further right to maintain signal towers, plants, equipment, platforms and stations necessary in the operation of said road.

The Commission is in receipt of requests by individuals and the local civic organizations in most instances opposing the granting of this application and requesting an opportunity to appear in opposition on any hearing which might be ordered. The date for a public hearing on the matter has not yet been determined and the matter is now pending.

Livingston Street Extension. This application was for pernission to construct and operate an extension in Brooklyn, as follows:

"Along and upon Livingston street, from Court street to Flatbush avenue; on Flatbush avenue from Livingston street to Lafayette avenue; and on Lafayette avenue from Flatbush avenue to Fulton street, by a double track street surface electric railroad to be operated by an overhead trolley system together with the necessary poles, wires and equipment with connections at Court street, Third avenue, Flatbush avenue, Lafayette and Flatbush avenues and Lafayette avenue and Fulton street with tracks of the Brooklyn City Railroad Company; at Boerum place with tracks of the Nassau Electric Railroad Company, and at Smith street with tracks of the Coney Island and Brooklyn Railroad Company."

The petition on this application was filed under date of August 8, 1907. The company had already obtained a franchise from the city authorities. A public hearing was ordered for August 12th and duly advertised. On August 12th a hearing was had and no one appeared in opposition to the petition. Testimony was taken and the facts found to be substantially as follows:

For a number of years it has been desired to widen Livingston street so that car traffic might be properly taken care of. Fulton street had become so congested as to make it practically impossible to put more cars on that street, more cars meaning a slower movement of the cars. Various devices have been tried from time to time to divert cars from Fulton street during rush hours. But the measure of relief intended to be secured by the widening of Livingston street cannot be fully realized without some means of connecting the streets with the north roadway of the bridge. At present all New York bound cars in order to get to the north roadway of the bridge are obliged to use Washington street. This causes congestion at Fulton street and Boerum place and on Washington street. The full relief to traffic on Fulton street to be afforded by the construction of tracks on Livingston street and Lafayette avenue will not be realized without some way of avoiding the necessity for the use of Washington street. This the Bridge Department has undertaken to accomplish by providing

for a connection at about the intersection of Liberty street and Fulton street over private property to an inclined structure, passing over High and Sands streets above grade and coming out on the north bridge roadway a little west of Sands street. This will enable all New York bound cars passing down Livingston street, Court street and Fulton street to reach the north roadway of the bridge without congesting traffic at Boerum place or on Washington street. On the return trip from New York a similar inclined structure over Sands and High streets will prevent congestion at these points and will enable cars to pass directly up Fulton street, Court street, Livingston street and Atlantic avenue.

The extension on Livingston street and Lafayette avenue will permit the dividing in half of the traffic which now congests Fulton street. In other words, all South Brooklyn cars, including lines operated on Flatbush avenue, Seventh avenue, Bergen street, Fifth avenue and Third avenue, can pass down either Atlantic avenue or Livingston street instead of being all crowded down. and congesting Fulton street. If it is desired to remove Fulton street, Gates avenue and Putnam avenue cars from Fulton street, the cars of these lines can be diverted at Fulton street and Lafayette avenue, down Lafayette avenue and Livingston street to the Borough Hall or bridge.

The opening of the subway makes necessary some changes there, requiring these Livingston street tracks. Assuming that great numbers of people will take the subway, the main station from which they can take it will be the Borough Hall station, and presumably a large number of people will be deposited at this station, which will necessitate a movement of the cars up and down Fulton street for their proper distribution. With this extension. complete a circulating system of cars can be operated down Fulton street and up Livingston street and down Lafayette avenue and up Fulton street, as the conditions of travel require.

It appeared from the testimony that the Nassau Electric Railroad Company entered into a contract with the Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company, under date of March 29th, last, by which for a period of ten years the Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company agreed to furnish such advances as may be needed, provided the Nassau Company issue its mortgage to secure these advances, as

well as to secure about $3,000,000 advance made prior to that time. That mortgage has not yet been approved by the Com

mission.

Upon the above allegations and the proofs presented, the Commission, being satisfied that the construction and operation of said extension as applied for was necessary and convenient for public service and that said petitioner means in good faith and has sufficient financial ability to construct and operate such extension, and after due deliberation, granted the application. (See Order No. 9.)

The extension authorized above is now in operation, and the report of the Commissioner of Bridges for the month of November states that because of it there are improved conditions as to arrival of surface cars at the Brooklyn bridge.

The Nassau Electric Railroad Company Mortgage. The application of this company for permission to issue a mortgage to secure certificates of indebtedness not exceeding $5,000,000 was originally made to the Board of Railroad Commissioners. Two hearings were had before that Board, but no definite action was taken prior to the passage of the Public Service Commissions Act. At the request of the railroad company, the application was continued before this Commission, and the papers turned over by the Public Service Commission for the Second District. Hearings have been held on this application, and the matter is now pending.

The Brooklyn Union Elevated Railroad Mortgage. This application was for authority to issue a mortgage covering the property of that company, to secure certificates of indebtedness issued or to be issued, not exceeding $20,000,000. Like the application of the Nassau Electric Railroad Company, it was first made to the Railroad Commissioners. Hearings were had before it, but no action was taken and the papers, exhibits and minutes of the hearings were filed with this Commission for appropriate action. The matter is now pending.

Application of the New York and Queens Electric Light and Power Company to Issue Bonds.-This company applied to the Commission for its consent to the issuance of bonds of the par value of two million dollars for the purpose of acquiring property, constructing works and the extension and improvement of its