The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-04-01
THE PNEUMATIC TUNNEL.
Veto Of the Beach Underground Railway Bill
by the Governor.


ALBANY, Marcn 81, 1871. !
entitled, IAN Act supplemental 10 and amendatOry
or chapter OF S42, OF Laws OF 1858 entltled An Act
aud Merchandise in the cities Of New YORK and
Brooklyn and across the North ana East rivers, by
meath the suraca OF the streets, squares. avenues
and publc places III said cites and under the waters
q sa,d rivers passed d June J. 1855 and o. chapter
tary to chapter 6l2 Of the laws OF 1861 entitled An
Act supplementary to chapter SA2 OF the laws OF
1855, IN relation TO carrying Letters, Packages aud
Merchandise, by means vi Pneumatic Tubes IN New
York and Brooklyn, and to provide for the ranspor-
talon OF Passengers IN such Pneumatic Tubes"
AS appears by lis title and provisions TINS bill Is
supplementary To and amendatOry Of two acts passed
IN 1888 and Soy. me act passed 10 1865 among
therein and their assigns to lay down. construct
and maintain one or more pneumatic tubes sfa
mean interior diameter not exceeding nifty -four
inches, to convey letters. parcels, packages, mails,
merchandise and property through said tubes tor
therein by the pneumatic system of propulsion, and
authority was gwen to erect on the sidewalks and
ing thirty inches In diameter. and without limit
AZ to number connected with such tubes, for the de-
post q letters parcels and properly 70 be transmit
structng said tubes the said persons their assigns
were authorized 10 make such openings in said
SAID tubes were TO pass, might be necessary and
proper. The CrotOn Aqueduct Department was
prevent as far as possible the destruction OF any
street. square, avenue or public place. 10 was re-
quired That the SAID persons, or their assigns,
should first lay down and construct one line Of
said pnuematic TUBES from the Post ONCE, in Mas
saa street. between Liberty aud Cedar streets. IN
which should be put III successful operation, aud
commune so for period Of three mOptbs, and
certificate to that effect to be MADE by the Post
master for the time being OF the city Of New
York. and the Mayor and Comptroller OF said city,
OF the Secretary OF State before proceeding to lay
down ana construct any Other lines OF sucn pnel-
matic tnoes a. mel autnorzea; By one o. the
were authorized to incorporate themselves under
the General Manufacturing and Mining act.
BY the act passed In 1859 IT was provided that
II the Postmaster should neglect or refuse to give
his consent TO connect SAID tubes with the Post
office, the said persons their assigns instead OF
performing tue foregoing requirement and In lieu
thereof sasuid nTst ,l Lay down ~ construct one
its cennection with Broadway, entirely under
broadway, 10 the point Of intersection OF Cedar
street tnerewtb. or 70 some point within
In this act That the tubes should not exceed "a fy
four inches Interior diameter, and authority was
Ing, construction and repairing OF the pneumatic
tuDes aud appuitenances' 10 make such openings IN
through aud unuer which said tuoes were to pass as
might be necessary, subject to the regulations
1t is claimed that the said persons or their assigns
organized as corporation under the sixth section
OF the act OF 1859; and the bill returned herewith
me 'Beacn Pne1matic Transit Uompany;'' and it
is expressly provided by section 10 ten) OF this
bill that mounting therein contained ''shall be
construed to limit or restrict any OF the powers
rights and privileges heretofore granted
der either OF said acts, as required by their provl
sons; but there has been constructed in Broadway,
between Warren and Murray streets, without au-
thorty OF law, a tube eight feet in diameter, or
nearly double the size OF those authorized, which
has not been used ior the purposes declared By the
consideration declares that this tube between War
rem and Murray streets, shall be deemed TO be The
nf Ina tn fpha,
1ed," required by he provision Of the act, winch
this bill is proposed as supplemental and amenda-
Ii viii be seen that the bill under consideration
revlves two acts containing important powers ana
no s S1 move aase peen G
that the provisions Of those acrs and OF the bill
herewith returned must be considered as one
scheme
have given to the measure thus presented care
! full examination and consideration from the time
the bill reached the Executive Chamber, and have
| the most decided convlctlOn-lOr reasons which
will proceed to state-that ought to give 1t my
ihave given public hearing to the parties inter-
| ested. 1 nave patiently heard and weighed all
that could be said Its favor by the partles the
bill, as wei as those who were led 10 take part in
favor OF the measure because OF their interest
the general question Of increasing facilities for more
rapid city transit but they have failed TO change my
d st conviction derived from examination OF the
subjects, which so Tar as 1t relates % railway under
reached me addressed . communication TO Mr.. f.
Ii. Tracy, chief engineer OF the department OF Pub
III ~.
under the direction OF the head OF the department.
with the care Of the Croton aqueduct water pipes,
sewerage and underground works OF the city, asking
his opinion and judgment as to the practicable
| character and effect OF the proposed scheme. he
| has furnished me with a thorough and compre-
hensve report upon the whole question, unquali-
nedly cOndemning the project, ana pointing out
| great and lrremediabe injury which would be pro-
duced II were attempted To be put operation. Mr.
Tracy is specially qualined furnish intelligent
and reliable opinion GU the whole SUBJECT. He was
connected with the building Of the Cr0ton aqueducU
commencement to the conclusion Of that great en-
terprlse drst as assistant and finally chief en-
gineer In charge thereof. subsequently he was
chef engineer OF the city department Of the Croton
aqueduct, in charge or the laying Of water pipes
perience IN railroad construction andesnce the Or
gauizaton OF the present department has been the
NO one can be found in the wnole rauge Of his pro-
fessiOn VINO has greater experience than he upon
these questions Or VINO can claim to oe MS superior
gard To the subject under consideration IS obviously
entitled to great weight.
The bill under consideration authorizes the said
cOmpanys organized under the act OF 1868, to con-
struct, maintain and operate an underground rail-
way for the transportation Of passengers and pro-
perry IN the city or New ork extending from Bow
ing Green under Broadway to Fourteenth street,
thence under Broadway to its Junction VITA Central
PARK and Eighth avenue, with q branch railway
from Union square und Fourth avenue to Harlem
River, and across and under the bed of said river
the nortnerly shore thereof by means OF tubes of
enlarged diameter suIiiclent for the construc-
the carrying OF passengers therein, aud also TO
construct within said tubes two more tracks OF
railway 1t Is further provided that these passenger
tubes shall, as lar as Practicable follow the
centre line OF the Aforesaid streets, and snail
occupy, In the aggregate, greater space tnan 81
tiirty-onel feet In width by L. leighteen) feet in
height exterior measurement The company are
authorized In addition to construct turnouts and
stations without limit. and nues, openings and
| staIrways Tor Ventilation without number. The
! work Is to be done under the direction OF three
engineers, or majority Of them, one OF
wnom Is to be appointed Dy the Department OF
Public Works, and the remaining two Tor the ma
| joriIy) are named In the DILL, VINO are to adopt
needfu precautions. The said engineers, or q
majority OF them are to decide whether the pneu
matic system or suitable locomotive shall be
adopted BY said corporation for the propulsion OF
| the cars to DO used II the said company shall not
remedy provided Is that the engineer shall notify
the Mayor, and he may bring suit against them:
but IL Is further declared that all cases the use OF
the streets, avenues, squares grounds and places,
hn u a I'M chs l,a