, 1864-07-28
TUNNELING TOE RIVER.
Necessity Of Some such Accommo
datton for Street Travel
The Projected Tunnel
at LasAlle Street.

The idea OF tnnnchug under the river Ia one
which several 5eare ngo engaged the attention OF
many OF cur leading citizens. 1t was then fore
seen that the time would come when the traffic In
the rer would 60 increases TO require tue bridges
to be open good portion Of every day, and that
the land travel would become so 1argc, as that IN
interruption OF few minutes in the busiest parts
Of tho day at the bridges would be productive Of
great Inconvenience andlose. Even now we often
see string OF vehicles three or four blocks Ii
length accumulate on either side Of bridge d1sing
the paesage ofa single vessel and when that is fol-
lowed By othern 20 quickly as not to leave time foF
the teams to get across the pressure increases Al
present ths detention is ye1stious and causstiya
Of loss. What it will be few years hence can
s.adilg be JUDGED BY those capable Of reasoning az
cross the bridge. once in half an hour durins the
season Of navigation.
On wider rivrrs this difficulty may be- and is met
BY building stationary bridges Of stons the caate.
srches Of which arc SO high that ordinary vessels
may paes nnaer them IN safety with nasta standing
Ut sr1a toe o. ths s1d a E9ropsan rse.s where veg
Ion is made Tor passing under low bridges By step
ping the uasts: Neither Of these are possible with
structed, and 1t is equally impossible to ct maats
Tor lowering, combining such stcadines as is need
Cd 10 withstand the force Of our lake gales. No
bridge which is Objectionable In this. that it only
permits travel one way at dme-and failing tbs,
70 run tunnel under the river, something after the
PA0 VI <AS A244OA6 AuaH4Et 4uHuef4 QQE Oh m4cQ
The project Of running tunnels under the river
has often been asitated, and SO long ago 1856 or
latu.e. the directors consisting Of such men as w.
B. Ogden, George and Steele Two or three weeks
sgo ne subject Was renewed, and subsequently
which is still In suspenFe.
:, The matter being referred to the Board of Pub
G;ndcle, President Of the Board, has prepared .
feies OF drawings designated for the tunnel uoder
the river At LaSae street, the 1rst proposed to be
constructed. The paus are scarcely finished ~
yet, and the estimates hare not been made The
following. short sketch OF the principal features
will not, hoTeyer, be nninteresting:
high and twenty eight feet wide, the door being
almost fht i9 the direction Of Its diameter, and
suzmonnted BY an almost semt.clrcularnreh- Be-
egth to one sixth Of circle, intended to contain
betFecn It and the dooztng central seNee of come
wafer pipes which are required to Cross the ,1yer
teen feet in width, and walk Of six fee, in sijth
teen feet wil be amply sufficient for ordinary vchi
cles, and The top will be carried within about four
teen feet OF the surface ol the veE, leaving soma
The carriage way is intended to be approached by
grade Of one foot in twenty one In twenty-1we,
carrying the slope out about one thoasand feet on
Michigan streete.-. 4 sixteen feet passage way
there In the middle Of the street will 1esre in al
ordinary eighty foot street. sixteen feet clear on
! each Eiac between the Sidewalks. This way viii
Be available tor AZ vehicles except those very
he4yy laden It will be safest for them to wait for
TUE bridge. The foot passages will be resched By
stalrws5s placed On the docks, saving The room In
the stteet The tnnnel will Of course require to be
lighted and drained. and vigorous watch kept for
| the prevention OF nuIsances. With these prccau-
tions and provisions there be no doubt that it
| would be found invaluable during the SEASON OF
| navigation, in the winter months the bridges be-
ing c!osed the tunnel would not be used. A toll
would Al flrst be charged to passengers who should
prefer using the tunnel to visiting for the BRIDGES
but ultimately the whole wou!d revert to the cty
We have not space IN this issue to give more
extended descIiption; the above will convey
| general Idea OF the proposed scheme Should it be
found TO work az anticipated there is no doubt
that before many years are gone the river would
be tnnne1ed at every street crossing It, aud
the bridges be but little used. The tunnel would
save not only dcse but expense from collisions
with the bridges which a.e Of frequent occurrence
| The calamity at Clark street bridge few yeare
ago. ard at Rneh street last year were due cnlse-
Il to the fact that the bridges could not be cleared
IN time to open them for passing vessels, Let rs
have the tunnel by all mcans If the present com
| pany cannot be treated with on terms sufficiently
favorable TO the caty, the thing my doubtless be
1 arranged in some other wsy.