The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-07-05
DoUBLE-DEoK STREETS.
Plans for Complete Streets Under New
YOrlk's Presnt Network of Ways.

| Plans for Complete Streets Under New
Yorlz's Presnt Network of Ways.
New York Morning Journal.
What would appear a solution of the
problem presented in the message of Mayor
Edison to the board of aldermen respecting
relief for the overcrowded condition of
| streets, and a systematizing of the network
underlying them, is offered by an inventor
and engineer named Noah Jacobson. He IS
man somewhat advanced in years, and
| has devoted the half of his life to the study
of this subject in London, Paris and New
York. The result of his work has just been
patented at Washington.
| Mr.. Jacobson reasoned that the only FEAST
bic plan would be to build a complete I'M
derground street, and this was made the
most reasonable to his mind by concluding
that underground streets would be simply
the continuation of easements. He found
that on the larger streets the sidewalks are
excavated and used for q large number of
purposes.
"In the first place" said Mr. Jacobson to
Journalier, during the construction of
my system there would be no interruption
OF the present usages of Broadway below the
surface Again, only one-third of the street
would be constructed at a time, beginning
with the center of the roadway. Besides the
| regular sidewalks, which would be imnedi-
ately under the surface sidewalks the road
way would be divided into three distinct
roadways. The middle one would be COW
cred by a perforated steel grating, wide
enough to build street railway on, either
on the endless wire principle. or to be pro-
| PEELED by steam, electricity or horses.
| Through this grating the street below
would receive light and ventilation, and the
| central roadway would be devoted to street.
cleaning The grating would receive the
sweepings of the two roadways on each side
of it, and at intervals there would be trap
doors through which to dump the dirt from
adjacent streets. In winter the snow would
be shoveled or swept into it, The dirt
cars below would simply gather it up or
receive the dumps and cart it away.
The streets are swept at night, and the large
| force of dirt carts would have all the dirt
carted away at an early hour in the morning.
The other two underground roadways would
be for purposes of general traffic. and would
be laid with tracks, so that railroad cars OF
merchandise might be brought to the very
basement of business houses By the use of
these roadways all carting of merchandise
could be done. All telegraph, telephone
and fire-alarm wires could be strung on the
roof of this underground street. All pneu-
matte tubes, gas, water, steam, and other
pipes could be laid down there. The under
ground roadway is designed to be thirteen
feet below the surface, thus lying below the
sewers Building of new houses would be
| Carried on from this lower street, instead of
\ as now on the surface in a word, the lower
street would relieve almost every feature OF
surface life as it is to-day, except pedestrian
ism and the vehicular traffic"
What would be the revenues to a COM
! pany operating such a system@'
Il have figured out fifteen distinct features
| of revenue, namely: l. Street sweeping,
2. Street paving, for the city should pay
something for the third part of street pave
ment supplied by the grating. g. Street
| Sprinkling, assuming that the company
i would have their own water for This mn
pose and sprinkle by the system l have in
vented in this connection. 4. Water for fac
tories, livery stables, ETC.; private cabinets,
leased, as in Paris and London. 6. Manure
7. Freight handling. 8. Passenger traffic
| below which could be easily carried on at a
threecen fare. 8. Transporting of building
material, etc. 10. Wires, telegraph, tele
| phone, electric, etc. II. Pipes, for steam
| gas, water kerosene, etc. II Track on the
grating. Is. Ice store-houses and ice trans
portation. A. Carrying of refuse from
| buildings along the underground street
Is. Places of storage for building and heat
ing materials, and places of security in cases
of great fires, riots, and other calamities
| These would all be distinct rights, and of
course there are others of a minor sort. and
many would develop In any event. every
| thing would be cheaper to the citizen than
now, and there would be a great reduction
| in city expenses"
| Mr.. Jacobson was found in the office of
his legal adviser, Edward NJ. Fox, at No
35 Broadway, where the drawings of the
| plans and every feature OF the inventors
system were shown to the reporter Mr.
| Fox, who is an expert in the matter of pat
ents, was asked if the underground patents
| could be interiered with in any way.
| 81 have examined into the patents of Mr.
| Jacobson" he said, land carefully gone
| through the entire series OF patents relating
to underground systems but l find his
| claims are foundation ones, that is basic
patents, or in other words his system not
only does not trench upon any other but is
so absolutely unique and simple, and EN-
| braces so many features as to almost pre-
| clude improvement. The adoption of his
! system would more than meet the very wise
| and sensible suggestion made by the
mayor to the Board of Aldermen on
Kidding the city of unsghtly telegraph
lines, and systematizing the water, steam,
gas and other pipes now forming an inextri-
cable network of confusion under the streets,
Mr.. Jacobson is backed by some very strong
| capitalists who recognize his merits as an in
| ventor and an engineer.
| Would not the cost of such system be
enormous?" was asked.
Undoubtedly. 1t would run away up
| into the millions before completion but the
advantage accruing from it would very soon
more than pay the cost OF construction. A
construction company is now organizing and
in very short time we hope to be under
Roadway"
would not the holders of charters, such
as the Arcade Railway scheme, be likely to
| fight this Sys:em"
mo; we anticipate no such trouble, for the
reason that no perfect underground system
can be put in operation without infringing
on the patents of Mr.. Jacobson"
| The Only White House Bride.