The New York herald., 1870-05-05

corrorators named in the bill. Apubllc work Of this
magnitude should be authorized only when respon-
e1be parties can give suficent guarantees OF their
ability and readiness to construct It, This Is not the
case here. Capitalists are not pledged TO this enter
tors named In the first section OF the BIZ were placed
in position whereby, jointly or in severalty they
quirements as 70 the subscriptions and payments
may De wholly defeated by the acton OF the com.
subscriptions. Subscriptions NAV be procnred on
representations which may prove Incorrect and the
subscriptions aDsc Y though made in good faitn, may
properly limit and qualify the powers or the corpo-
fasion IN respect 20 the progress Of the work aud
dered impassabe for years. without redress or sun-
cient oversight by competent authority. There
Underground Railway Company" which has q
enafter. including the privilege OF carrying their
we are officially informed has already cont ted foi
large portion OF the work aud operations ore
70 sS days we
ture having already granted this franchise 10 one
corporation cannot give 1t away to another. leave
10 MIR. DetnOld, who IL u Well known practical en-
glneer 10 explain the insuperab.c dinculrIes con-
nected win the proposed work, and to Judge Hilton
tons to the bill; and have only 10 add that TINS
delegation, remembering the wisdom and justice
iency's decisions, have every confidence that you
strous invasion Of our rights as tnis Arcade Railway
bill contempates. (Appialse)
- - SPEECH OF W. DEriOLD.
Mr. WILLIAM DETMOLD-I ask your Eycallelcy's
this proposed Arcade Railroad purely from an
engineering standpoint AN Wen aware that the
project under discussion has received the sanction
OF some gentlemen OF experience and eminenec in
the procession OF civil engineers, who have p.o-
nounced IL feasible. But believing myself that 1t has
been treated by the gentlemen purely as theore-
cal problem that has addressed itself iavOrably to
their imaenation, do not hesitate to take direct
Issue with them and 10 express my deliberate con-
victlon, after carefully examining their plans aud
proposed methods for overcoming the many diff
hnr llsa annAn na.A Apa IN
Railway under Broadway Is to all inten,s and pur.
poses wholly impractcahe. mean 30 say that its
involve interruptions OF such duration to the enor-
mousscurrent OF trade and travel which seeks accom-
ue Of al as T uy 9
this value once destroyed 1t be recoverei.
Inat the difficulties 10 be overcome are novel
Of the project, and they endeavor. TO meet
them by plans, contrvances and suggestions which
Of which have ever been tried in practice. The
work must necessarily be done all from one emil
that IS nom the Battery upwaris-and by way Of
avoiding any Interference With The trade and travel
OF broadway It Is proposed ID build the entire Arcade
hallway under '.noyeable brdges'' cf about three
hundred eet In length, and raised about four ieet
above the ground, with fixed de.ricks ana openings
through which the iron columns tnat are to support
tne railroad ore TO he let into cir places How the
work oil construction VIII consist: first, removing
the present admirable pavement; next, the twenty
Two feet deep excavation the entsre width OF Broad.
way; then the foundations must be laid and the
whole structure OF iron and brick is TO he built with
the entire length Of the road and then large pro-
portion OF the buildings on both sides OF Broadway
must be underpnnea as then foundations go only 10
about half the depth or the proposed excavation. In
addition TO this, all the sewers watch are now geo.
eraly thirteeen and hall 1cet c'at bottom inside')
below the grade OF the street, must be lowered at
least thirty feet below grade. The same with the
Croton water mains and with the gas pipes
aud all the connections OF the water and
gas pipes on bJth sides must be restored
believe was not mistaken in my impression that
your Exceilency was member OF the Commission
nf ff1a
Croton Aqueduct Mr.. a. w. Craven an engineer
OF great experience, ability ana conscientiousnes,
was examined as TO the feasibility OF the plan PR.
posed Tor lowering the Croton MANS In Broadway;
Your Excellency will remember hos complete air.
these plans as impracIcable ana hazardous in the
extreme. And when 1t Is borne III nalnd that these
ms a the sso s s
to be moved its own length the greatness OF the
risks and hazards OF it win become manifest. Bat
the preservation OF the sewerage viii present even
greater difficulties; for it is hot only the
Broadway that have to be lowered some 20 feet
below their present position, but the con-
nection with the III the cross streets must he
re-established, or their sewerage must be erected
without reference to or connection with the Broad
way sewers; and for all this there is no pra,-
ucal plan proposed, beyond the assurance Of
to tneir. plans, 1t VIII be an easy thing 10
do. Without dwelling upon the embaYrassnlelts
inconvenience ana hazards connected with inc
breaking and re establishing OF the existing comes
tons OF the sewerage water ana gas pipes with the
Mh0qses M M On both sides OF Broadway. viii pass to one
presents Itself at the crossing q ea t t
Broadway. Your Excellency well knows that tho
grade Of Broadway at Canal street Is only about
twelve feet above iide, and whenever you go below
been proposed for overcoming this difficulty One ~
to raise the grade Of Broadway ana Canal ana che
other cross streets just above and below, as 30
permit the building OF the Arcade acove che wafer
level, and the other is, to make the 4rcaae at that
water without changing the grade OF the srceis
The former plan involves the nee essty OF raising and
1
largest and most important buildings there the
Bandreth House for instance T. Is 6ns upon piles
e correspond becomes s manifest. Tie csSsr
below. the existing grade q the streets
at that point involves the necessity Of Golfer danl
street, which 1t would be wholly impossible TO at
tempt to do from under bridge, as IL can only be
s ee ad Of fop ss o
indefinite period. ! will but allude to the very Sc
rious embarrassment that VIII be met with IN M
a depth Of twenty-five feet at such points where
rock is encountered, WHICH is the case from Thir.
teenth street upward II Is claimed by the proIec.
tors and the bill provides tEat the whole work shall
be done In five years, but In renort presented 70
arcade without inteTnpting The travel on BIoad
way" and signed by the engineers, Me5sis. Meal.
time during which the street. in iront Of an ordinary
building OF twenty-or eer front woald be occupied
by the bridges ana workmen would not exceed one
ISoW dioNuis tNSAtJ'iVut iSCt pei
according to their own estimate, gives wv unired
and twenty months, or sixteen years per mile, or
about fifty years To reach Madison square. This
seems so absurd that should have supposed the
statement typographical error, but that 1t is re-
peate1 in the latter part OF The report, somewhat
modified and in dinerent language, as Iollows:-
lin ordinary cases, within twenty days
from the time thai the temporary bTiage
Is placed in front OF any ordinary sizeu
building 1t will be removed ana leave in front Of IL
q completed roadway and sidewalks on The same
grade as the original one, and also the subrOaaway
or arcade below" ] trust that the few remarks |
have briefly presented TO your Excelency win sat.
isy you that the project in question is fraught with
the most serious practical difficulties, and that the
proposed methods OF overcoming them are wholly |
crude, insufficient and irreconcjlabe with the pre-.
servatiOn or the business Of Broadway, and must,
therefore, prove rlinous to the most important and
vital interests OF the city OF New York; and tlat
therefore yOnr EXcellency VIII withhold your sigma
ture from this bill granting privileges and iavors
the Arcade Railroad Company, which II they sMOnld