, 1881-09-04
BETTER TRANSIT.

TrE rF1uEUNE some time ago contained |
full account of tile scheme which proposed |
to run :,il underground railroad from some
central point OH the South Side through !.
tunnel under the river, anti thence by tile
North Side to Lincoln Park and on out to
Lake View and Lake Forest. it subsequent
1y published an interview ol the subject with
Gen, William Sooy Smith, the wcil-knowh
ciyil-enginecr, who had been consulted ny
the promoters Of the enterprise. and who ex-
pressed tie opinion that the project
was I'LL entirely feasible ono. Since
that time a good deal Of the neces-
sary: preliminary work has peen
accomplished, both iii the settlement OF Gil
..lneering questions and III the conduct Ut Inc
financial operations in the Ea:t and abroad.
Mr.. E. e. Cole, the local heat anu front OF
the enterprise. informed i T11ErSE reporter
Yesterday that there was decided prospect
that something more dctinlt would be heard
Of the project before long. ......
TIE ESTIMATES OF TIE ENGINEERS
were that the Gust of building and eaulppins
tic road would be something over S5,U0o,0oo,
though his own idea was that the amount re-
uuired woultt be less. As to the financial ar
rangencnts, everything was going on swlin-
1ningly, and when :ll the other preliMlnaries
| the enterprise would apply to the Council
| for franchise The route was the same aj
| originally contemplated. no opposltioll wo'lla
| ht, made By the Chicago N Northwestern,
and lie did not think the constfnctlon o. l, uat
proposed belt line around tie city would at
iii Interfere with them Whether Inc road
would run through. the La Salle-strect tu1t-
NIL or whether the company would bulltl Il
new tunnel under the river vt @ MGils street,
| or sonic other street east Of Wells. was rs
| yet an unsettled question. Gell: SMITH WAS
If the opinion that the cost of fitting up and
renairill~ the present tunnel would be about
etual to the cost Of building new one, and;
Willie that was probably true. still the tact
remained that the tunnel WIS there. and that
| it would give the road the ADVANTAGE OF i
Straight line-Wllich w;ls the chief point
| in yiew-antt that the present tunnel
sewer being small one. Wo tha onstructnn sE, it
| of Il ilew sewer III new tunnel WOULD ln-
yolye u considerable outlay. The
EQUIPMENTS OF THE ROAD
engines. cars, etc.--would be similar il.
every respect 10 those used on the New ork
Elevated Koatl, and the construction would
h. n1lsi,el 50 rapidly that the road would be
completed i'll Il year FROM tic llinG Wien
grouud was first broken. As Mr., Cole put
#. the public was in favor OF the road, a1'a
for that reason he did nor in1ik 1ne enMe. .ta's
Them a franchise, or throw anything Ill tie
THE NEW CITY RAILWAY COMPANY,
to rim through fifteen wards i'll lll tho iii
visions OF the city. and to charge o1st tilrse W
cents instead Of live, has been organized "
the election If Directors. The name u the
new corporation is the Peoples Halfway
Company of Chicago. It proposes 10 lay
forty miles Of track, and to carry passengers
| for three cents each within one DIVISION, 1nr
i've cents through two divisions, and for lj
cents all through the city. Twellty-year 4
! ner cent bonds will he issued to build ln NE
road. ;t1M the capital stock will be S''oo; 0u':
The man is to llilve four lines Ill the w esi
Division. taking in Polk, Harrison, Adams,
and Fulton streets: one in the Northwest l)l'
vision. taking Ill Division street; ot1iers u.
Franklin, Lii Sale, and Michigan streets, az
| other on Michigan avenue from 4Ad'l1s lc
| Michigan street; and still another rini1ils
North l3aistel street from DIVISION q
Fullerton avenue, OIL Fullerton avenue tt
t,lyi,ourll avenue, on C1yD0ur:a avenue u
S0,hia street, AMI On Sophia street bacK u
Surth Il;lIstcd street, BESIDES these i!nc:
. ther,. will be ''cross-t0wn fet.ier5, Whlcl
will connect with all the MALL lines.
TIE TUNNELS
: at Washington and la Sallt: streets, and the
bridges ut I:ltsl,, Adams, Polk, and Harrison
:rc It, bc occupied. Il, return for TIE 1tSe .
the tunnels, the company propt'>e to iIsll
them with electricity, alld ketp them nfy am
: clean. Uprses vii! not be used. The c:f
viii he carried through the tunnel by
| screw.