New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-11-13
RAILWAY INTERESTS.
DISCUSSING THE BROADWAY TUNNEL.

DISCUSSING THE BROADWAY TUNNEL.
IEsTlMONY BEFORE THE RAPID TRANSIT CoMNIs-
sIoNERs-DIFFICULTIEs TO BE ENCOUNTERED.
The Rapid Transit Commissioners, ex-Judges
Davies and Bogworth and John E. O'Brien who are to
determine whether the Broadway Connecting Under
ground Railway Company ought TO be allowed to build
III bFoadway heard further testimony yesterday. The
commission sat from hafpast 10 o'clock In the fore
noon until O'Clock in the afternoon with half hours
recess for lunch. The crossexamnatiOn Of the appi-
cant companys witnesses by counsel for the Objeotng
propertyowners finished the opening statement for
the directors made and the examination Of Witness
es In their behalf was begun. Isaac Newton, who had
given testimony In favor of the proposed pan said that
he had only examined the plans below Canast,
and that in bis opinion the municipal authorities ought
to know precisely what the company proposed to do,
and that they ought to control the work in order to pro-
tect the Interests Of the public lie also said that work
ing plans conld not be properly made without borings
al along the proposed route. Eugene Mclean said that
MS examinations OF the plans had only been cursory.
H. H. Anderson, who In the list of Obccting counsel
represens the interests of Mrs. A. T. stewart opened
the case for his side. lis argued that the Commissions
ers had Ia decide the question, not whether it pos
sibe to overcome the difficulties in the way OF the pro-
Ject by the best OF engineering skill but whether
ought to DE given to corporation in the pecuniary CON
dition Of the impecuniOus applicant company,
with thirteen lawyers and two Others directors and
500 in the treasury TO build road which their
witnesses testified would be worthless unless other roads
yet In the womb Of the future should be built John
Dcmorcs n builder, testified that there was very had
quicksand IN Broadway between Twelfth and Thir-
tcent-sts.. running kind Of substance. Twelve feet
below the surface there rock The witness had cxcava-
ted cellars FOR the stores at Nos M IiGand AS Broad
way, between Grand aud Howard SIS aud found quick
sand twelve feet below the surface ethought IL would
be exceedingly dangerous TO adjacent buildings to build
the tunnel under the surface OF Broadway Twenty years
he had been employed foreman in an excavation
In C0rtllnd-st whore Guiclsand was mot. Tho watcr
pumped out and the Merchants Hotel, which stood
t'y feet distant, moved that the doors all stucS
In their frames. QucAsand he said, would percolate
through ta" soil just Ike wafer ard 10 would lind an
U.eftF N u.riv i,,us,r t sire tfa iIltp,s in Er'aJ
way tt1u injury u the tunnel built Watcris found
In tH SOIL si Cst below the surface a. Caualsj. twelve
feet no Howard; AT F-tnkn the soil begins 10 crt damp
~ tNcpty-tvO fcot, and M TWe'ft' st appears
thirteen below the surfacc MIR Dcfnorest also said
that he dt not believe the proposed tunnel could DO built
James y. smith, of the contracting firm Of Smith &
Prutger' csar mat be had been employed il the con
-trucon ortbe Post Odc, the Equitable, Western Union
aud other arg" bindings. I. was his judgment that the
proposed tunnel could not hc built without doing mill
ions 81 damage ~ the buildings. which would Ell hav"
90 De- " shore1 mp" Robert NJ. Dlrragh. builder ot
AqueIuct testified that ne had butt as many as zen
large buildings between fdrkplacc and Fcurteenthst,
In Bro.dwny TIE srl varied III THIS distance mp TO
nc1r Canal a., n Bis clean, sharp SAND, then filling OF
sand gravel ard art for about two blocks, then sand
again am ahoG' sng e.. then filling for two or three
blocks sand lg-in till about Tenth-at. Above this
there s. saul t1t fine loose lorm with water II ono
dgl iyvu more ian ten feet. II le tunnel were bniit
the bgidiurs you'd to Dee supported. In his udg
mcut about oar-Iird OF them wouid settle, oue-thrd
wouiG D." pulled down and the remainder probably not
disturbed Ie recalled the incident mentioned by Mr.
Dcmorct, and said that the Merchants Hotel had been
me-. od ah ,h'h and halt from the adjoining hulding
although TIC excavation from which the water and
qucEsnud We're pumped was fitty feet away.
ON cross examination hy Orgcn Naudcrhurgh Mr.
ptirarh said DE would be willing 10 undertake 10 build
tuuuei 10 be were given money enough. lie
also said that about fifteen years hc
hal, at the instance OF underground rail
ruad company, begun tie COnst tructun OF
tunnel In The NJ houses I'm Boadst, east OF Broad
r had hoea told to hc in the work but had been
stopped after ne bad built about twenty yhve feet Of one
OF the walls Judge Davies being anxious that the COM
mi seton shOnld the benefit OF Mr. Dtrraghs nOwl
edge o. and experience with tne SeWertse system ot
question thcr the proposod plan o. changing The
ilruadway sewers practicable, Hr. DIrrIgh was
given the plans aud printed testimony relating to this
point. and requested to appear again Tor examination
next week.
The Comml- sion will s again Monday forenoon in the
Superior Court, General Term, room.