New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-01-24
BIG TUNNEL PLAN
TO BORE UNDER FoRTy-sEcoND-sr.
A SCHEME TO CONNECT THE VANDERBILT LINES
WITH THE LONG ISLAND RAILROAD.

| In the last few days of a project for tunnell1ng
| Forty-secondst. practically from the East to the
North rivers In order to supply close railway con-
| nections between the Long Island Railroad and
the Vanderbilt system Of roads. The names OF
the Vanderbilt family and that Of Jay Gould have
been connected with the enterprise, and as usual,
the original reports have taken eXtravagant
form.
Investigation yesterday failed to confirm the
claim that either the Vanderbilt or the Gould
interests were involved in the project In fact,
denials received that they were parties to
any such scheme. 1t was developed, however,
that some foundation existed for the rumors
A company has been organized for the purpose
of linking by a tunnel road the transportation
interests of Long Island and the Vanderbilt sys-
TEN. 1t is known the New-York and Long
Island Railroad Company. It's promoters assert
that they have comprehensive charter, and
tnat an abundance Of capital is at their command.
Representatives Of the company have called upon
President Depew, of the New-York Central to
secure the consent Of the Vanderbilt interests to
the tunnelling of Forty-second-st in front of the
! Grand Central Station, and the matter was taken
up at one Of the committee meetings at the station
| last week No action has yet been taken upon
the application, but the Vanderbilts favorably
disposed toward the scheme While dsclaiming
|
any project which holds out promise of bringing
Stravel to the Grand Central terminus.
The scheme Of the new company is to construct
Q tunnel under the East River from some point
in Brooklyn which can easily be connected by
railroad with the great warehouse and storage
region Of that city. The tunnel will then be carried
through Forty-second-st to Eleventh-ave, where
it will come to the surface 1t is designed to
have openings that will afford connections with
the Grand Central Station and with the Forty
second-st stations of the elevated railroads.
At Eleventh-ave connection will be made with
the west side line of the New-York Central Rail-
road. The tunnel will be constructed at great
depth in order to allay the fears Of property
owners that the foundations of their buildings
might be impaired.
Connection is to be made on Long Island with
the Long Island Railroad, the projectors of the
scheme look for large distribution of New-Yorxs
population along the line of that road. They also
assert that easy access being furnished, immense
stimulus will be given to shopping and business
traffic between the two cities outside of the
temptation offered for suburban settlements along
the Long Island Road. The freight traffic is
not ignored, but the advantages to passenger move
ments are more obvious.
Jay Gould was not at his Office yesterday, but
his son George said that he knew nothing Of a
scheme to tunnel Forty y-second-st. Russell Sage
and Robert NJ. Galloway both declared their
ignorance of the project, and were decided In
the opinion that if Mr.. Gould was interested in
it they would have had some knowledge of the
enterprise. j. Hood Wright of Drexel, Morgan
Il Co.. made a similar disclaimer of knowledge on
the subject.
Chauncey NJ Depew said "The only knowl-
edge have of the project was derived from the
submission to me by De Lancey Nicoll and
Thomas Rutter, in behalf Of the company, of
request for us 10 consent to the tunnelng of
Forty in front of the Grand Central
Station The Messrs. Vanderbilt knew nothing
of the scheme until laid the matter before them,
nor did Mr.. Pierpont Morgan. We have not
taken any official action, but we are disposed to
grant the request The management Of the New
York Central is favorably disposed toward any
project which will bring business to the Grand
! Central Station. These gentlemen propose to put
their tunnel 1875 feet under ground, and don't
believe the foundations Of the Grand Central go
down that far. I know nothing Of the details OF
the enterprise and the Vanderbilts have no in
terest in it. The company claims to have all the
charter and all the cash it wants 1t only asks
our consent as property-owners for the tunnel
Thomas Rutter one of the committeeman who
called on Mr.. Depew, is man of wealth who has
wide connections railroad contractor. lie
is a director in several railroad companies. DE
| Lancey NicoIl is counsel for the company, and 1t
! is suspected that he can command some political
| influence in favor of the scheme. The intimate
relations between the Corbin-Long Island inter
ests and the Drexe-Morgan people are well known
The promoters of the new project may consider
| these facts as having an important bearing upon
! their enterprise.
| M Rutter was found at his home by reporter
ave hope to build the tunnel he said; I'VE have
been planning for number OF years, and we are
convinced that it is practicable and much needed.
We have moved very quietly for a number OF
reasons the chief Of which is the desire we natu-
| rally have to perfect our plans before we submit
them TO the Judgment Of the Common Council.
And then we do not care to alarm property-holders
with rumors of tunnels beneath the streets un-
til are in a position to demonstrate
that tunnel such as we propose gives no possible
cause for alarm. And then, again, we may not
desire to initiate the price of the la land that we
shall have to buy. The tunnel will be beneath
Forty cut in the solid rock twenty-six
feet high and twenty-four feet wide. There will
tracks What kind %e S 05e 6aTe b%f es we
mined that point yet, but but it will
be the best and most modern we can find.
We shall have large station and freight depot In
| Eleventh-ave near at the wharf Of the New
| York. West Shore and Buffalo Railroad, where
we can ship by water in any direction -,
Mr.. Rutter could not say where the tunnel VIII
well informed on the details, and that ne dld not
care to initiate the price of property near the pro-
posed outlet. But unless the tunnel devlates
widely from the line of its course across the city,
| IL must come to land ufwhere in Long Island
City, probably between Flushing,st and Ninth-st.
1t will take about two years to build the tunnel,
| and il will cost about S5.000,0OO 80
As to the capital stock of the company MI
Rutter said We have not decided that point
yet We can make up anything that the project
demands Mr.. Leary the man who constructed
the big lumber raft, you remember. is the presi-
dent General Roy, Stone Is one OF our directors:
Mr. Ncol is another ana among ga me r members @n1ar
of the company are o.. W. barnes ana Mr. Cryder.
| of Whitmore, Cryder & Co.. -
Mr. Rutter said that the company originally
| planned TO cut through Thirty-fourth-st., but
u ndnad tl,a nroiecf favor OF Forty -SecOnd-St