New-York tribune., 1871-03-29
TUNNEL VERSUS VIADUCT
THE PROBLEM OF CITY TRANSIT.

MEssRs. wHITBECK, MARTIN, AND OTHERS.
public meeting was held at Irving Hall,
last evening for the purpose Of urging upon the Legisl
ture tie dirty OF passing some measure providing for
rapid transit the upper part OF Manhattan Island and
Westclestcr County The hall filed with property
owners interested III the development OF the proposed
systems city transit and on the platform were num-
Der Of leading citizens The meeting called to order
by william H. Martin who said:
Day after tomorrow, at y. m, the Governor has aI
pointed for hearing those who fOr and those who
are ara!nst the bill passed in the Legislature and now
before him for his approval and which is known az the
Beach Transit BIZ" TO provide for underground
Railroad On Broadway At that time we expect Alexan
der r Stewart VIII appear with number u Broadway
property owners TO offer opposition 10 the BILL The peo
pie have not the opportunity Of being heard because
they cannot DO present there. This meeting has been
called here tonight that, if may express myself
you may be heard beforehand and that the people may
speak so be heard and have their wishes known to
the legislature. ! beg 10 nominate Benjamin +. Beck
man as Chairman OF this meeting. Carried.
John Foley nominated the following Vice-Presidcuts
and Secretaries:
JOSEPH O Lber: Quac.5a Dr. Nm r. Van Baa, co. a. M IL Da
~ John Psrs Mlall Ie GeS Je"e, & g. W,S3 or 'fG 81 10 .a
v MOTE Moses IT, er aael w Msekelsr Jane, Manolse Ran
aei,h VI 1ogn'e3t N.sn pa59s s Jq1a H. "to9 % VILLAIN i1
Chse Charles H. Rindan 7. al, Wu T. HsThd.n, k A.
Wttaaus JOHN Z. Williams, Robert Le1oI Kennedy goun h
Iol8 webbeT MARSHA Long Robert r. Rei m Hav r m
ley A5ram ". .Eclsa NJ A. Laeh Bsa[i Hsless Henry A He
sT JOIN t H. sIeS0l & q - HBbParl Fd,r K9T TToTas r.
Gerssy McGay BerTn GsIh;d Bedaser Daniel lo pa.
Z m.rtn EeineI, MaI,a{d Day, wH H. RsyGor Hosa G.
@ bcs RueB wiuterOn, Edward Roberts, Jacob YsHdoPOO,
B. ~ y B T. DAILY Roswell D aah James Rueg
p BT.b Bonner John MeChys JOIN H. Morris Alex rain,
James Cunningham Geo C. An a. b. Bacon
Rober, Ward, JamesA Cramsey
The chairman stated that the views OF all these gentle
men had been fully ascertaned and that they wfe all
willing TO serve. The list accOrdir~,c adonted
WIN. A. whtbeck Of the East Side Association then
spoke as follows:
Mf wTrTfBECKs SPEECH.
Mess. Stewart & Company characterize the act
amending the Beach charter bill for digging up
Broadway" and injuring or destroying nearly all the
buildings that great thOrOugiare The hrst OF these
charges may be answered by stating that is not pro-
posed TO dig UP Broadway at ALL to interfere In any
way with the free OF the street for this would be
disturbance wholly unnecessary, as has been pract
caly shown by the Beach Company itself in
the construction OF the tunnel now on exhi-
| bition under Broadway near Warren-st. Surely
| the execution Of that work caused no incon-
venence the public. And the same thing, on larger
scale has been successfully accomplished in hundreds Of
other instances both in this country and in Europe. In
regard 10 the tumbling down Of houses would state
that the tunnel will I've "drifted" under the middle Of
| broadway a1d not within five feet Of the line OF the
curb Now II Mr. Stewart and others, in erecting their
large Broadway, able TO make deep
caVatons for cellars almost under the foundation walls
adjoining buildings, without injury to them, II would
| that damage result from boring for this
tunnel than IS feet from the building line, es
pecally the work viii be brcked up and protected
by substantial masonry as fast as the excavation Is
| made.
The Same persons further assert that the running OF
trains drawn by locomotives within the tunnel when
completed will crack and injure every large store
warehouse the street Those gentlemen favor the
yaduct elevated railroad running through the blocks
Now the locomotive running in the tunnel beneath the
of the street, incoscd ia two feet OF
causes vibration which shake the buildings
an Broadway what must he the effect OF running trains
unon the yaduct within ten feet Of adjoining budings
With nothing between them and the locomotive resist
its nose and furcef How Will the houses along the via
| duct Withstand the conclusion thus applied Z
ness IN them Think not. AZ between tunnel and
the yiaduc locomotive in the will HARM
icss i'm with the damage IL will innct
ming In the latter All the property on the line of the
aduct must be utterly ruined by H. But we have the
oninon OF engineer, ms 90 the effect OF running the loco
ptive nnder broadway that II will do injury. A. W
late Chief Engineer OF the Croton Aqueduct and
Gems Greene and Barnard, engineers, all concur Ia the
| onerat,onn OF trains therein drawn by locomo-
| lives as proposed Will cause no injury what
over 10 buildings BrOad"Ay' mr.. craven
80 f,rtbcrnOre that "a tunnel 0I the dimensions
gwen woud leave ample space LOT .e "hter
ann gas ppeS and sewers in the streets IN WhIcn ~
nrooscd 10 construct IT," aud also that ny inns on
the duty OF rcrrdnging the pipes ana sewers - pIeeu
i'm ts hands of the prO,er municipal obecfs VINO a'oe
Know l0w 10 perfrn this duty ~ tbc shortest pOssOe
time aid consequently Sit the smallest aouh, % VI IN
c,uveuioner IA the junah!taGts" Tbus VIII be seen
Inn this laaIpany I. not seeking an iinPfaccapic tlhk
and lDf saUIc time that the DlI now NiVio 'o WV