The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1869-11-08
strueted BY mud na,s and badly constructed

tidal pbsnomena the ductuatlun OF the latter Deihu
| emal sometimes to twenLy-One feeL. ana OCCASION
! mo great Inconvenience III the handling or eooas
Tine tides OF the Harlem rise about six Feet IL mas
The advantage OF the SEINE III easy lux into potn
| rivers ana ia that, while any slddcn laa OF ram
| swells the Seine inconvenienty, the Harlem IL hJt
annarently nlfectei by The same cause. At small
comparative cost water way from Inc North river
10 tie Sound can be made by way OF ms estuary,
vita greater depth OF water tnan the Hudson
auJrds at several points between New
York and Albany, and with width guits su0lcens
for all practical purposes fhe Importance or this
measure beginning TO attract the attention IL
deserves, ara sooner or later VIII be made SUBJECT
Tor leg station, Shortening the distance from the
OF iedi us navigation through an oveicroWuoi
water way around the Battery, 1t Is wonder tnat
legislation ms NOT sooner grappled with the ques
ton Of the restoratl n oil the Harlem river anu
SDuyten Day va creek TO commerce. As early 2S
I7o0 tuis estuary was respected us nayisab!e
stream the nrst bridge IL naviug been draw
bridge erected by Frederick PhilIpse near Tue spot
OF ibe present Kings Bridge; and recent surveys
demonstrate the fact that prior to the erection OF
the water mil at Kings Bridge the width OF
tho nger near that point was not less than
ISo feet VITA depth OF roa sly or , seven
the same point IL rather less than eighty feet.
Between High Bridge aud the East river, the
AiaCoomD's Dam obstruction has been erected
during the current century; also that OF Harlem
Bridge. In 1883 the Croton Board, threatening stll
further obstruction, an sct vas passed inisias the
bridge at the Second avenue was also prevented,
and legal action was set on foot TO compel the
removal Of hascoombs Dam anu the erection or
draw bridges .. THIRD aud Fearth ayehaeS. The
opening OF TINS estuary 10 com nerce has no legal
obstacles ia ITS way MacooniDs Dam having been
decided to be puJc nuisance in tae case OF Rem
WICK w. Morris and must ensue sooner or later.
Inc engineering phases OF me troo'eih are simple
and need not be discussed, the method OF cross ng
the IallIaa more lasitnatey wltnin the scope
OF the present paper Traffic on the river and tranc
across the river must be so adjusted that neither
shall interfere with the other, aud ths leads 10 the
consideration OF the extent or
BRIDGE AND TUNNEL COMMUNICATION
that VIII ultimately he needed IN the future rela
ton OF New York 10 its SUBURBS. Same notion Of
its extent may be gathered from the experience OF
the great cites OF i.ondon and Paris. Inc former
has now seven bridges Tor ordinary franc across
the Thames, and threa exclusively Tor railroads,
within distance Of three miles. Beginning al the
east end there IS London bridge, Southwark bridge.
for general rahc, with railway bridge
between, at distance OF 1,451 from the
the Southwark, with raiiway brlJge between.
Waterloo bridge Is 1900 feet fron BlacSirlar's;
way structare between; Lanoetn, $50 feet iron
Westminster; yauSha, 100 feet further up the
river and near the hmil OF the dense population.
Beyond The latter are Two more, at intervals OF d
mile. These structures vary III length from 70S to
l,3so anu arc Of no Iaed width. century since
were Ola London, B!ac6lnar's ana Westminster;
and II IS now lhlrty years since the London re-
neWed, at an expense equal to sls,0J0,0oo United
states currency or ~ 0O1 600 Sterling. The designs
OF all are on scale OF great magnihcence. 1he
Thames TlnRcl, another connection Is two mles
or Paris the Seine II crossed by tweaty six
bridges. dispUsted along distance OF sevel anu
1lai utes, tneiudng the NUMBER across OOtn water
ways passing the Isle OF ST. LOUIS and the ise du
Paais Or these structures seven are SUSPENSION
three Of iron aud stone piers one oil wood and the
rest OF stone structures In len9.n they vary from
10 10 400 feet in breadth from fifteen to eighty
thres feet Two are Tor the use OF foot pas
sengers only and Two are exclusively for rall-
ways. Twelve are ess tnan LOO feet apart
between fourteen the distance Is less than = O0)
and the greatest distance between any two IL
but 400 rect Most OF them are elaborate anu
elegant structures, put up al municipal expense, aud
free Of tolls The seyerest pressure will continue ior
some years 70 push nOrthWard, In which direction
with the opening OF the Harlem river ana Souyten
Dvyvil creek 20 navigation, excellent water
ways will be afforded. The communication de-
maaded IN al directions Will, however, within
the next ten years, be fully equal to tnat
for passage across the Thames or the Seine.
The length OF alter way ron the North river %
nte Hell Gate, by way OF the estuary, is about
5000 feet, or nearly eight miles. which, brdged
cordIug to the London average, in 20J leeb
would need nineteen bridges, or, according 10 tne
Paris average, once In 1870 eet would afford TWEEN
~ i've structures. THIS lengn, except those built
feet. To span tho East river in the same way nom
Wards Island 70 the battery twenty-five would DO
required, according to the London average, and
thirty according 70 the Paris average; ana, again.
for the North river forty would be neeaed ON tle
English average, and nity-four, according to tie
Paris The general width OF these rivers as com.
pared vita the thames and SEINE d.
Feet
Seine. ...,................,'..... 100 to coo
Harlem aud Spuytel Duyvll........... 200 TO 49,
East rger........... ..............l, 20 20 2Sss
*
The construction OF ingress way 10 tunnels undcr
the Harlem river would D. easier taau under the
Thames, ion account OF the greater rise 0! tides ia
the atef and, ior VARIOUS reasons the construction
OF tungels whea pracLcabie Ia Leu Of bridges has
met with general favor-iaougl from High Bridge
% SnCrmans creek taa toposraphy Is naturally
adapted for suspension serial structures. In de.
terlnning the height OF bridges II mast b3 remetn-
bered that sean vessels are rapidly taxing tue place
or sailing We 59s, aud that the accommodation
OF lofty Inasts rs constantly lesseniag necessity.
the result Wlii be, no DOUBT, Suspension bridges
WAen practicable; otherwise tunnels similar 70 that
alder the Thames. RsdilIDg iron ths levels Of tle
lower part OF the city, tunnels d Brooklyn or Jersey
CitT would seem to % more practicable than
Drldges aibei Numerous ingenious designs for them
nave been nreseated ana publicly discussed
Ihe idea o. trauelug b5ae1th river 1ad = old
as Oh as BabYouian grandeur. Connecting the
palaces u BABYLON with the iurtner sh0ro oI tns Eu
pirates, undCr that RIVER runs iuane jJJ feet long
nlIeen feet IN witta anu SIX feet nigh rhe course
tion. TIE Thames tunnel. begun Ia 1501 ab2n-
dOneu IN 1919 and resumed In 1925, as Tue
most colossal undertaking OF modern times,
naturally reclIs az the outset Ins WORK
Vas attempted IN 1907, but, atter drit had been
eXcayaed Under tho bed oftne river Tor the distance
OF 1000 feet, was abandoned on account or qucE-
sauds. IN 1925 Brunei reiuyenated the liea aad
brought the Work 20 successful termination " the
use o SO sinoe m tnvenu II al the shied notT!th.
standing winch the river lntru1ed twice, tne lalt
time Ming tue tunnel N ten minutes and drowning
six nen me original plan included clrcu ar shat
rage access out these have never been constructed
and tic tunnel "a only used b. foot passengers. Tue
Removal OF matter, per cubic yard. ........ $40
hh0'o cost o0,o)0
fiN2Glat ilE3tis. lOj9UV
In tunnciilny the East river the structure viii
have u resi- On the river bed, NOT under IT. and for
TINS ana other Teasoas iron Is he only available
material Masonry must therefore, he dismissed
from the discussion, the elimination OF which some.
what slupiihes the solution u tne problem. Oh lne
| PLASs r02 EAST AND NORTH giyER TUNNELS
| which have oeen proposed and discussed three
merit mention md description. Tue Hrss proposes
| 70 lay two tubes " proper thickness aid fourteen
| leet IN diameter upon the bel OF tho river. Iho
tubes are 70 be OF cast iron ana submerged in sec.
tons Of egat fees IN lengtn, beginning In tie middle
OF the river. canal Is GrsL dtedyed; then length
Of t4he open OF the ENDS sum- the Gescen1 pelnR
g0verneI by tackles ana O floating Derrick Ing
sccon IN position others are added, tic whole BENG
covered VITA the material dredged from tic canal.
Tho JOINTS between the sections are TO DO
made water tght by means 81 compressed rings vi
iel1. hilhil tH9 tube the space VII b. disposed or
~ me following manucr.-Ballast, Two feet deep a
nlled ~ lUr road bed and upon this Is laid road
| way seven ieet IN width, to DO used by cars anl
otier vehicles ~ common Two feet above the road
Wa5, IKE sidewalks, are footDath9, four feet and