The New York herald., 1877-02-02
RAPID TRANSIT.
An Answer TO Mayor Ely on the Feasibility OF
an Underground Railway.
A FAVORABLE REPORT ON THE SChKnE.
Can 1t Be Built for q Mill
ion q Mile.
OPPONENTS OF GILBERT'S ROAD.

Tho revival OF tho underground railroad scheme ap-
pears meet with tho approval OF capitalists IN this
city, generally believed that ST. 600 900 can
be at home there will be Jnculty IN raising
tho balance required from foreign sources. HERALD
reporter paid visit yesterday afternoon 10 Mr. D.
Vandenburgh, u gentleman who has been much inter-
estcd in underground railroads for over ten or twelve
years, and the following conversation ensued:-
REpoRrER-Can you. givc mo some information In
regard TO the Great Metropolitan Railway Company
Mr. vANDESBuRGH-Tne company is not yet organ
izcd but as We have charter and franchises that gvo
US right OF way Tor nothing that COS. the Metro
politan Underground Railway In London about
$23 OC0, 900 do think will have much difficulty
RAISING the preliminary million that We how require
RErokrER sec that Mayor Ely is not In favor Of
underground railways.
Mr. VAxpESDuRGn--SoI perceive, and have just
written this answer 10 his attack. will road It TO
you:-
A REPLY MAYOR
viii YOU allow present some facts refutng nc
a,at.m.nl made bv Mayor Eiy 10 tho Sixth avenue
property owners that tho underground system OF rail-
ways IN London could not be adopted ON account OF
the nard uf tho SOIL aud that IL would
be unproductive investment Of capital TO undertake
similar works here. Firs 10! us look at home We
lind that the Now York and Harlem Railroad, paying
prices material and labor (under contracts let IN
1922 higher than before paid In tho absence
tracks, but iour sets Of tracks, through more than
half tho length aud r0ckicst part OF tho city at
OF 900 900 per mile Ia these constructions
immense masses OF iron grdcrs usod instead of
the cheaper brick arches, IN order TO Keep an open
trains. Openings are now regarded by tho London
engineers undesirable Tor city cars that arc To DO
properly lighted, ana Mcssrs Fowler 4 Wilson, the
engineers Of the London underground railways, have
shown and repeatedly stated, after Mr.. Wilson had
carefully the ground here, thut the line from
City Hail 10 Forty second street can DO made, excud-
ing stations and ut present prices, ior loss Than
81. .0OO 900 per miie.
Let us now tho ruin this would impose upon
capital Iu 1875 the Third Avenue Railroad earned
$75 per mile, cent interest Oh tho capital
II this horse railroad ST. co., 900 per mc which
,s all under ground railway need 10 cost per milo
Had the work Of conveyance on Third nvcEuo
been done by steam owing to us economy over horse
power the income would have been over $1,000
per mc or ~ per cent on cost Of 81 600 100 per ne
This not very runous TO capital Lot US now turn
less 81, 900 900 per milo IN soil more costly 10
penetrate than solid rock and where Tor about one
Ihmd OF their length they are below the tde level.
The soil Is in alternate layers of qucksard aud tao
most tenacious OF clays Tunnels now made any
through solid rock for ST. 900 per mie the
contract Tor the GotharG Deng for less Ninety mil.
lions OF dollars have boon invested IN underground
railways In London, and no one has been ruined
OF this about 500 O0O 600 been pad Tor tho land
In which locate them. II the Mayor means to pub
lish world that II will not pay to make an UNDER
ground railway through tho denscly occupied portions
OF this city, with right Of way given here that has
cost IRON $4,000 900 to 0cO 900 per mile IN London,
tnink he viii live long enough to SOC that, uninten-
lonally no doub; presenting aud deg rad
Ing this city unit Tor the civilized capital and capi-
talists OF Europe TO enter touch, not because
underground railway won't pay, but because Of the
ignorance OF its leading citizens concerning
the civilized appliances required Tor It's Improvement
REPORTER Then you think that this road can bc
built for million mile.
Mr. vASDExBuRGH-l think the construction Of tho
road from the CITY Hall to Forty will cost
under Gvc aud quarter millions. ~
THE PROPERTY OWNERS ANSWERED.
Among the promoters OF the Gilbert Elevated Rail.
way the new opposition to Its construction made
manifest In the visit to the Mayor on Wednesday OF
Sixth avenue property and business men does
not excite any apprehension whatever 1t Is argued
that the committee represents only about four per
cent OF tho property tho avenue, and all opposition
is confined hem and beyond this 1t Is claimed that
this new move is at the instsaiion OF the Sixth Ave-
nue Railroad Company. 1t was remarked by gentle-
man ntc, cstcd Gilbert road That when the char
ter OF Tho company obtained In 1872 little or
cumnlnnt was heard until hue aud cry raised by
| the sixth Avenue Railroad Company. For several
! months the RAPID Transit Commissioners were IN
session discussing the various pans and hearing all
protests but not received against the Elevated
Road through Sixth avenue Perhaps this In measure
was accountable TO the TACT that many believed that
money could rot be raised for its construction, now
| discovering their mistake IL is cmphaicalIy demo
bv the friends OF Gilbert road that there be
any depreciation the value OF property on tho ave.
nue. or that any proof can be given In substantiaon
nr the inado before Mayor Ely in this re-
snec On The contrary II is claimed that as business
| street tho establishment OF the roal Oh Sixth
| avenue will add to It's importance Arguing from
the point that the business SUCCESS of the avenue has
bee, due to fact It has been great thorough
fare IL is claimed that with tho constr ucton OF tho
Elevated Railway and greatly increased travel on the
street there must Il corresponding increase Of bust
| moss 10 all the retail stores. Under these circum
stances II would be stretching II point, they say Ia
eIam that a general depression IN business would be
the result the proposed construction OF tho Gilbert
| Elevated Railway.
TmK MAyoR's VISITORS PROPERTY.
| From inquiries made by u HERALD rcp0rter yester
day II appears that the deegation waiting upon Mayor
Ely on wednesday represented properly having
frontage on the avenue OF something 800 feet ant
the assessed value oi S45l 800. OF their number IL
| C. f. Kocf, Richard Meares and H. Altman represented
only their business interests. The assessed value o
all the property the avenue, according to the las
Official valuation, $13 246 750 The following table
shows tho individual interest Of the abOvc:-
Block. Lot Assessed
Name. Streets. Feet. Value.
Frcd De Peystcr.. 18th and l6th 3S 20 $50 OO(
q H. Dcycr..... 10Th anu 17th 90 xlO0 G00Ot
q "A Rcver l7tn and 18th IL 80 yU0