New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-01-29
COLONEL HAZARDS MIGHTY VISIONS
HIS PLANS TO TRANSFORM NEw-YoRK.

AND STATELY BRIDGE OVER THE HUDSON.
Mysterious utteranccs have been ahoat of late re-
garding tho formation Of syndicate to to Albany
and wipe ont most of the existing charters for rap"
transit ovcrground and underground railroads IS TINS
city and put into execution grand project for solving
this burning question the great feature Of which Is an
underground railroad from the Battery up, following
the backbone OF the ISLAND and commune ting with
great union station I'm the Annexed District, whence
passengers coming rom the north east and west cou'u
he transported to this city and whittier they couid 10
taken pursne their Journeys 10 these various poln
OF the compass As part and parcel OF this gfeA'
scheme freight lines envronine the city on It's wafer
fronts have been projected that freight couia w
picked m anywhere along the East North Rivers OF
distributed along th. shores in this city The site fo'
the vast central station the receiving and distributing
centre Of this huge scheme has been placed IN MOTIFS
anla In order TO complete communication between
this city and the outside world in the West ana SOUTH
bridge has been planned across the North RIVER al
Washington Heights; directly opposite the ceh'r~
station in Norrsana, by which connections with Jersey
City and the various railroads entering it and the state
n Jersev are to be made by road running from
the bridge tunneIled under the Palisades at height OF
$50 feet above high the Hudson River side OF
the tunnel and 100 on the other, to Jersey CITY,
The company which undertake this large scnehc
fs to be known as the Metropolitan Junction RAILWAY
Companv Its articles of association arc to De hiei
this week The why the particular spo reIerio
TO has been chosen bridge over the Hudson RIVER
was given Thursday by Colonel Rowland h hdZaiu'
who has the scheme in hand. He said:
Am examination of the bottom of the Hudson
River shows that this spot. opposite washington
Heights Is the only place in the Hudson where EoA
foundation for piers is to be found; In ~her placr'
there IS only mud 10 build on"
The new bridge proposed is to he known as the
Washington Bridge. II is 10 be built 1t is SAID py
the Underground Construction Company among "h"'o
stockholders are August Belmont. ir, Sir Rodrrck
Cameron. Henry Clevs Teman Clark. John D. C'eever.
J. Coleman Drayton John H. Davis. Richard IRWIN d
Co. Adolph Ladenbu.c. stephen Pettns' Niii'am
Mertens. J. T. woodward. c. Francis Bates + T.
Beach. c. c. Baldwin. and number OF other Nov"
York merchants and capitalists
The bridge is to be $50 feet above high water and
VIII he of canever construction the cantieycrs being
above rather than below the travelling line, the form OF
construction in the Poughkee psc Bridge. character
tic feature Of the bridge Will be the erection OF
two piers En- the centre Of The river These VIII he 50
placed as 20 provide for the passage Of vessels in the
deep channels on either side.
Colonel Hazard was asked II this scheme really
q meant businesss at certainly does the
promr reply for why should to this large out
lay OF hiring engineers at average expense of $50
dav getting MP plans and models perectng maps and
mourning labor and expense II VIC did not intend to 90
somethngl The scheme IS exceedingly live one
can assure you. The investors ell You can hardly
exuect me 70 give the nam yet Are large railroads
interested I'm the project Well they put mp dummies
so as not to be found ont so how can You expect me
10 give nsmes1 As proof of our earnesiness' how
ever Will say that I 60 TO Washington this week TO
have the necessary bill introduced to carry out this
Interstate nroect A bill will also be introduced In
the Legislature of New-Jersey for the purpose We
have law enough already in New-York for the plan
Colonel Hazard has had charge OF the surveys ana
dravtngs for the new bridge The Soundings rom TINS
side .ovc 90 40 60 feet diminishing as follows on
the other side 30 90 and 10 foot The height OF inc
bridge on the washington Heights side VIII DO Ia
feet ard on the opposite side, where Fort Lee Is SIN
s.ah eeG Fat The shore abutments are o9o 800
from their top TO the point OF contact OF the bridge
with the high land. The distance nom each central
pier to It's CORES pondng abutment on the shore Is
100 feet. while .t-- piers are half this distance"
o..r- The total length % tne bridge viii be $3.50
feet nearly three fourths Of mile the distance over
the wafer being $3.50 feet, over half mile.
Colonel Hazard said yesterday that the plan OIL INC
central PIERS although they $50 feet apart would
present no obstacle 10 navigation. 1.-THE dePth u
water to the east of the piers said he IS from 81 10
ca feet and % feet in the western chanrcL These
channels are the very now most IN use oy
passing vessels Colonel Hazard estimates the cost
Of the bridge at 100000
The great object Of this whole plan. including the
hrff
station in Morrisana with the trunk lines Of Ncw-York
New-England and New-Jersey as well as FOR local
travel in New-Jcrsey and New-York This city Is
growing RAPIDLY on the west side toward Washington
Heights the tendency Of travel IS upward and the de
mands for this Increasing current must be s"pphed'
What else shall we do with It all Does the plan IN
clude an underground railroad from the Battery up
Certainly. And has a syndicate been formed to carry
out the projcctl One will be formed There arc me
tod n hay CK a
solution Of tho problem and they say they will put IN
their money It IS premature yet to give names, Dnt
they Will soon be forthcoming. All / am at Iloeity
to say now Is that new money interests, unknown DC
fore in railroad matters, taking hand In THIS
matter and that II will be pushed vigorously. The
railroads which the Metropolitan Junction Railway
Company intends supply with connecting link Tor
receiving and distributing passengers by way Of The
proposed bridge are the Delaware, Lackawanna and
western; the New-York, Lake Erie and Western the
New-Jersey and New-York. the New-York ard Green
wood Lake, the Paterson and Newark, the Pennsyi-
vanla, the West Shore. tho New-York. Ontario ana
western, and the Central Railroad OF New-Jersey.
Here IS an immense field from which to receive ana
TO which TO distribute the enormous number OF pass
engers passing to and from this city. Then, con
slider the number Of railroads IN this state which wOuu
pour their passengers into a grand union depot ~
Morrsania be carried thence to the various paris Vi
this city by electrcity-or the Of steam wonid NOT
be thought Of for moment In any underground sSs-
TEN of rapid transit which would carry into exc
cution system Of superficial su0ways has been
devised which viii enable to solve the rapid transit
problem without difficulty. And OF this great scheme
the freight branch that for railroad around the Guy
along the wafer fronts, i part Al Is Inc Hlust -.
pbeusiye scheme for the sOutOn OF the trarSports-
ton OF paSse myers and freight yet put iOrNari 10 @
clty Besides the New-Jcrsey roads dlslfIuu'.,s =
centre would be supplied for the Harlem RIVER, thD
New-York central, The NewYOrk and New Eng y,
the Hartford and New-IIaven and the whole system va
w-Fnglaud roads The connections between tho
Washington Bridge at Washington Heights VIII Dc mar
by tunnel and depressed roads al Nash.neon lieIsp.'
and the track would pass two streets ohIJ >"
Morrsania." - ,ho
Colonel Hazard promises that IN FEW days tno
articles Of association of the Metropolitan Juneuon
Railway COnpan Will be fled and then an idea may %
out This comnrebensive srhnue Colonel Hazard think
that IL Will be necessary annu all the charters "a
the corporations seeking through Old Hshls a..
otherwise to solve tho rapid transit problem luz 'H''