New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1866-11-16
THE PROJECTED BRoADwAY RAILROADS.

MAYOR HOFFMAN, AND ALL TIE MsABERs PRESENT
FORTY PLANS OPENED AND C0YSIDERED--sUR-
PACE. TUNNEL, AERIAL SUSPENSION, BAsEMEgT--
Tug NECESSITY FOR TuB WORK.
The City Of Eew.IoTk is the great cntrepOt and
depot the country In commercial im oraaoc the first
in TIC Hemisphere and tue second in civilized
word Through it PISS tbTcequarers the imports and more
than half Of the exports United Stltes and all the
goods received ana delivered here pay commission 10 us
citizens for tulnsactug the business This commission and
goods and b the proacer OF The exported merchandise and
its amount necessarily depends In great measure upon
which depcnd upon the Of ready transit
and from hC business center of the city That center
Is located below Caat while most OF those who conduct
the business reside above a majority at distance OF
several miles To provide rapid and agree.
able transit for this multitude between theiI homes and places Of
business the problem whose solution sought It, import.
nncc IL ~ obvious need demonstration Should we
estimate the number Of in business the
and residing on the upper pan Of the island at 10000 and pro
vide saving half hour per day in travel viii
appear thai there is saved 10 those
OF business In These 100000 half hours But il rapid
aud erss could be provided the number living the
upper calf of the island would be immensely increased 10 the
relief OF the packed and snocatng houses down
town whose occupants now struggle FOL lie In the midst OF
sickness impure air and inevitable filth II snch road colld
ne Afforded \ would also retain within the city limits otter
thousands WhO not accommodated by he present ales Tor
travel viii follow the thousands who have already gone
HSdson n 4, found ~ or Sj miles oS tb civ inv
b reached short time the remotest parts OF Man
ctizena TOR most serious impeachment to the natural ex
Important as would be this saving to travellers it is aing
Consideration when compared with iSs gmG that would be
casndiso by of railroad through of the
saDd The crowded condition Of the streets particularly of
Broadway caused principally By the distribution OF goods to
parts OF the city. That NewYOrk does the
present time afford facilities for travel aud traffic proved by
The constantly OyercrOwdcd condition Of railroads parallel
70 Broadway aud of the Omnbusses running through that
thOToughare. ID.
conceded fact that relief should be Immediately sought
through tho only practicable and adequate measrapd
transportation from end OF the island the other by
route nov unused 1t may also be considered as settled that
this desideatum only be completely attained by the
St.gc,ion Of Teroad along the general line Of Broadway
sature last Winter that charter for tunnel iToad uuder
Of the intervention OF Gov fton with
veto Upon this the Senate appointed commission OF three
lis next session m, pai which they sbould 6nsIv edont
The commission therefore, carly July last invited the
submission OF Plans and ge number have been proposed
inventors may Judge by the great variety OF
schemes of which remarkable for their comph
cations eabOhteness and startling originality than for their
practical value.
formal meeting for the examination of the plans held
Yesterday at the rooms OF the street commissioner Present
senators Cornell Andrews and Low of the Commission Mayor
Hoffman. State Engineer GOOdse and Col A. W Craven
Chief Engineer OF the CrOn Aqueduct Department About
propositions opened and considered many OF them how
opinion that the proposed road il there be but one must run
the the island but the choice Of plan FOR Broad
aud the great amount Of travel with which it is continually
hrongcd Many suggestions discussed but decision
An tho plans submitted may be divided rather collected
into the following classes:
suTfscs fesd laid the sar othe city rairoads
} 40 underground railroad, constructed by tunueing
bSeupt Tsirosd constructed By excavations support
parallel rosd rsVeug the OF the CLOCKS
Of e Pses r the 'T Of tue stores the entrances
Each Of these plans believed 10 possess some advantages
over the others In city 30 comPeey built up The Committee
do expect 70 find scheme which shall be without serious
objections but they aim to select TINT which shn safely effect
RAPID transfer Of passengers with the least damage TO private
rights Among the plans before the Committee may be men
Mi A. p Robinson C. E. urges again the project which
last WITHHOLDING for dOuberaek rail-
way running through tunnel under the middle Broadway
receiving aud delivering passengers by winding stairs at the
sias DodsOn proposes suspension road to rest single
OF hollow iron columns elevation OF ~ % 20 feet and
directly the cubstone each side lot the
Tue track TO be provided with threench hange to prevent
fUm running and to be four feet wide
over the sidewalk and two over the Wagonoad BE run by
danmyengiues
VIM Rand and NJ d. Moore have similar plans before the
Committee. differing only in details.
Geo NJ Van HOuseu and others also present proposition
fOr aerial road running the Outor edge of the sidewalk
Other schemes submitted tracks immediately
sidewalk and for track elevated above the middle of the
of elaborate plans tibet Of Z. P Nicholsops
ton Of immense tube the island OF epcal form
through which the cas are to be carried always in one dec
tOn b confined column OF air isolated from the surrounding
atmosphere and forming continuous circuit set in motion BY
propelled BY moving column piston disc
attached 20 the OF euch The inventor the Com
gently through Inc elastic medium the air that though notion
would be communicated nstsnaneoy there would b. VIC
cnce whatever In stopping the disc Of the car mpnge upon
an cir Cushion at the station bringing the Car to rest without
Ventilation Is provided Tor.
Joseph Dixon ooE improved tunnel road proposing in
stead Of tunnel under the surface of the earth excavation
from the surface and then TO have tunnel of iron and low
cred into a. and fastened at the joints so as to be water ga
He provides for gas light and ventilation.
Charles T. Harvey proposes an arrangement OF endless wire
EngOnc aour presents plans and elaborate designs for
endless belt road columns through tbs center Of the isl
and The be the belt and the other
way suspended under it, and the whole is b.
series Of drum Wheels propelled by an engine of 5000 horse
II Cary proposes On aerial road Of four tracks for ar
commodaOn and express cars all TO be driven by compressed
b B. Nowlan C. T. submits the plan for the Basement
Railroad along Broadway t. be constructed by
buiding building This cOntempates four tracks
% feet below the present level the wogOnroad he sustained
cOonGdes Of pillars extending the entire length The wagon
rendered waterght by the adoption OF locked
pavement invented by Mr. NOwlan Another pam OF this
prchensive scheme Is the protection OF sidewalks below
Level with railways and the fitting Of the Easements
~ which, and the light 70 be admitted through
SIMPLE apcrtures both sides OF the wagonroed The
would be heavy estimated 100000 me) but is pro
qHdate the by the rental derived from dOub
ling the business capacity Mr. N also represents
that revenue city Of 500 OOO could be realized by
ing stands along the line Of the railway under the
crOss-str and public parks.
The Of Mr. Robinson obvious and great
advantages a. 1t could be constructed as not seriously 70
nure private property e. it would admit Of high rate Of
speed which is indispensable.
On the other hand there equally apparent objections 10
It. The gravest presented with much force ny a craven
esq his report 10 the Legislature responsive 70 their eS
tOn that Is that tho road proposed can hardly be built WIN
the removal Of waerppes gaseedes and sewers o an
might result IN damage greater than the neOnye
OF crowded city Moreover If the projected tunnel Is
felt 10 riding in tunnels generally Might IL not
he filed with damp exhibitions and would not be difficult 70
nearly road under London Is success carrying 1000
passengers per day and that others are building may be re
bar the serious consideration Of
other plans The world older than was i've years ago and
perhaps and 10 would not be surprising American
ingenuity should again superior 70 the English processes
the aerial plan has some striking ecyanase among which