Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1889-02-28
TO ANNIHILATE TINE.
A STUPBND0US SCHEME P0R RAPID TRAN
SIT IN NEW YORK.
A Tunnel 10 bs Built 100 Feet Under the Surface
Mayor Grant Now Considering Contractor
CIGk's Plans-Capialists With
Millions Back Of It.

ia now examining the plans Of n stupen-
dous scheme for tunnelling New York and
solving the rapid transit problem. The
corporatoIs of the enterprise are about to
organizs, and when the organization is
perfected, which is expected to be within
ten days, it will be backed by a large
number of railroad men snd capitalists
ready to place $3.50, ,OOO,O 900 in the venture.
The plans of the gigantic tunnel were pre-
pared by Contractor Herman Clark, Of
the aqueduct building firm Of Clark q
O'Brien. Mr.. Clark has studied the feasi-
bility of the scheme for many months, and
after consultation with leading engineers
and real estate men, feels satisfied that
within a year and a half tunnel, with
four tracks; could be put in operation, $50
feet below the surface, from Fleetwood
Driving Park, under the Harlem River,
down the backbone Of the city to the Astor
House, and from that point across the riy-
ers to Jersey City and Brooklyn.
There would be fifteen miles Of tunnel
ing done aud a unificatiOn Of the three big
cities would be accomplished.
There have been numerous conferences
smong the leaders in the enterprise, and
Contractor Clark said yesterday that work
was likely TO be started within a month
and that the scheme is not "a paper af-
fair" but fully matured plan for the SO
luton cf the all-absorbing rapid transit
question. The exact route to be taken by
the tunnel in this city has not been deoid-
cd on, but in al probability it will be I'M
der Broadway the greater part OF that
thoroughiare's length.
Down $50 feet under busy Broadway
there is solid rock, and there would be no
danger TO buildings from the excavaiiug.
Ia connection with the tuuneling between
twenty-five and thirty shafts would be
sunk for elevators for passengers, aud as
many more to be used ror freight purposes.
Mr.. Clark, in speaking Of the gigantic
enterprise, said The freight pockete viii
be short tunnels turned of from the main
line for distance OF 500 or / 600 feet, and
into these as meny as 90 freight ears can
he sent for the accommodation of mer-
chants Take II. B. Claims hig dry
goods house as an example. We could run
freight cars right under his basement and
I'll his goods could be lowered into them.
This would do away with 80 pei cent OF
the trucking now done ia the city and save
New York $500 600 a year now expended
for street repsira end street cleaning
mo tnnnel scheme ID perfect unless
PROVISION ia made for the transportation OF
freight. Take Brooklyn, for example.
Our plans provide for the running OF the
tunnel directly under the big warehouses,
and goods need only TO be lifted mp and
down from our cars, thus doing away with
lghte,age and trucking, which costs thou
sands and thousands Of dollars each year.
Two Of our tracks would continue from
the point Of junction near the Astor House
on nearly a tangent line under the East
River and City Hall Of Brooklyn. The
last shaft on this side Of the river would
be sunk at the foot Of Wall street, and the
first on the Long Island shore would be
near Prospect Park.
"All our passenger elevators wonld have
O capacity OF $50 tons, and the freight ell
evators will be licensed to carry ten or
twelve tons The elevator stations IN tins
city would utilizs, in case the tunnel was
dug ust west of Broadway, buildings at
different points on the side streets. The
upper floors of these buildings Will be
utilized for business purposes. The seying
Of time would he simply wonderful. A
passenger could get on an express train 40
the City Hall and bs whirled away 10
l25th street at the rate Of forty miles sn
hour without stop There would be two
express trains. One would make lts iirst
stop after leaving City Hall at l25th
street, and therefore be an accommodation
train TO the end Of the line. INC oiner
fast train wonld stop first on 10 uptown
Journey at Filtieth street and thea make
accommodation train stops. There would
be one regular track Tor accommodation
trains and one for freight trains.
at would cost about $1,000, 600 for the
excavating alone. Twenty years ago 10
would have cost $4,000, 900, which
amount will now cover the entire cost oil
the tunnel. We will have TO blast only In
a solid formation, and we nave succeeded
in perfecting drilling machinery 70 that
the cost of excayating ia greatly reduced.
We now have a drill carriage which VIII
be used in the tunnel. 1t will bore, by
steam, twelve holes at the same time"
along Broadway, $50 feet down, y
sold rock, with the exception OF pocket
of sand 35 feet deep, under and IN the VI
cinity of Trinity Church. Work would DO
in progress at $50 points at ore and the
same time. Il would cost 50 100000 to
line the tunnel. Tire material to be used
is concrete blocks Gs hard as sdamant.
These blocks will be manufactured IN the
tunnel from the rock excayated and the
most improved kind of cement and Tar.