New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-10-23
RAPID TRANSIT ROADS.
THE BROADWAY UNDERGROUND ROAD.
MEETING OF TIE CoMMis sIoYERs-EXAMINATIoN
OF W. ]. MDRRIS

HE BROADWA1 UNDERbROUND hOAD.
MEETING OF TIE CoMMis sIoYERs- EXAMINATION
or W. J. NORRIS.
Ex-Judges Davies and Busw0rth and John
E. 'Bren the Rapid Transit Commissioners appointed
by Supreme Court yesterday continued the hearing
OF testimony in the matter Of the application Of tue
Broadway Connecting Underground Railway Company.
which was suspended September 10. Two sttings VI
the Commissioners had, aud the Testimony ad-
duced confined TO that Of W. j. Morris. the
engineer Tor the New-York Underground Rail
road and the applicant company, who was
crosse Xamned by Thomas l.. Stman and H. ii. Ander-
son, OF counsel for the Obecng property-owners in
Broadway There several other lawyers opposing
the application who represent the GOelet estate, Dir.
Walters the Chemical Bank Grace Church. the Stewart
estate ami either persons. At the former hearings Mr..
Morris engineer of the proposed road had testified
TO the plans OF the company. His crOssexamination
was conducted yesterday with the view Of showing that
the Broadway Connecting Underground Railway COM
pany irresponsible corporation and that the WhOio
plan ia iupracticabe as proposed to the Comniission
The Commission met the OF the Special Term Of
Supreme half past 10 o'clock. II after
IL, however before work was begun In answer to Mr.
Anderson, Mr. Morris testified that he had been an Gu
gin er for twenty-five years; he had been connected
with the applicant company year, and with the I'M
dergruund system four i've lie said he had ex'
amined Broadway with regard 10 the foundations oil
the buildings aud their mode OF construction and
was familiar with the underground system OF
ralroadng Il had particular Inventor, but had been
In Use in London. Baltimore, Liverpool and Glasgow.
He described the tunnel roads which he had seen and
the character OF the soil and adjacent buildings. lie
that he had gone the figures of the cost
the proposed Broadway road four five years ago.
and had considered al the elements which 81 into the
cost II would cost from S3OOOO 0OO TO 100000
mile He had been connected wlth the construction OF
tunnels South America rOm Lima over the mountains
and a railroads IL Virginia lie had examined all
the foundations that had been opened in Broadway
vii hin four years, and knew the charac-
ter Of the soil nearly every block between Fourteenth
st. and the city Hall. dozen fifteen buildings had
been put up within that time, and he had examined all
their foundations carefully and had found sand every
where. There was 40 qucksaId On tnls point Nc was
The estimates OF the cost Of the Broadway Connecting
hS pau,, ana the estimates aFcraEed iTon
81 .5OU.OOO TO S2.O0OO00 mle IN each. hot
was proposed lie said lie had been engaged by
the Broadway Connecting Company about year ago;
he had been paid anything for mis- services engi
urer hut expected to b. paid In due lime. lie drew tie
principal part ri hs salary from the New-lork Under
iIe was a siuckh0,dtr and director in the Broadway
Connecting Company bot dld not know whether there
.l,,sboldrrs meeting of the directors had not been
pans submitted q" the president. who approved
them some time about September 10, 1850 lie
al not know whether the directors had tahcn
any action or not, lie "hr acquainted with Robert
,cwe, James + RngSies, James f. Pearce, Charles l..
suaw. Henry shrI.uu Iirrnert NJ Curtis aud Origin
NautCnbWgI. al the directors Most oi tucm were law
ycrs lie said hal estimated thr cost of any rar.
ular private properly Tor stations except the slae
walks ana he thUu hI they wuuld one hundred
thousand 10 hundred aud MY thousand dollars. lie
figures, and dill not know whether they were
10 existence. Nor did io remember what had been At
lowed III the estimates t5r tue private vaults n"r qua!
the company would be obliged 10 buy nearly ao of
private properly tho stations; however lie oOn,I-
oi he matter 81 the 'O>i growing Out Oi the dis
turbanCe ~ pnNaic YddtS ulUHg'
INA You ever" a.aod M iilmaI "uake a separate
rpport tp the Broadway Connecting Underground Com.
my OF the cost ~ road from Park place 10 -Four
tccuih-si.
"Di you ever know it to to separately reported to
this company
M. sir
I'D You estimate and report the company the
Der % bricks mat would be dsedi"
" NJ. SIT"
pi yuu ever report the estimated cost OF the road
per uhie To tue cUlnPanyt'
" Yes, sur
10 Wri:iugi"
SIR
Tho motive power that was 10 be used, Mr..
Morris sad, had not Oeen decided upon. There
cu1cc between compressed air pad steam.
t IN operation o. Sccond-aNe, from FOru-
rtust. TO Hdrcm In his cSt t,Cs ne had allowed
$500 300 20 100000 rs the cost OF laying the pipes
bring the compressed air 10 tho stations He fh1u
the spo Il OF e trains wOuli Average tN,nty-ty llies
an uuIr t. maintain which wOuid req ure a speed Of
from TART s,von TO Ory mics between the stations;
The stops Ice about fifteen twenty-five seconds
steam en- zines could be used which womb con-
slime their and c0HenSo thrir own steam,
AMI the Rvu.d be about 100000 less. The
ulllun woud be accomplished trains driving the
foul air cat OF tunnel through tubes running up
IhTUu III tue SlilCH ak.
At 100 o'clocA n recess Of half hour taken.
Anderson exa,GGed Mr. Norris To the practical lie.
OF ScDelnC.