New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-11-14
n CusSING RAPID TRANSIT.
.rrws OF THE COMMONWEALTH cLuR
,,xrsA,ur AGREED THAT AN UNDERGROUND

xreAILy AGREED THAT AN UNDERGROUND
SYSTEM IS NEEDED.
b =, r.s a condition. not theory, which oon.ronted
49,, r,.n who dined last evening In Morello's, No.
Wv. rxeptv.niptfst. aad csme to discuss "Ths
p,u,c Transit Problem Long before the speeches
- tbe subject was illustrated In a way which
,,letely satisfactory TO everybody and Which would
49, ~,yen tone and character TO railroad restaurant
~ .-anscontnentsl trip. The courses WIRE warm
"a n,atable, the cigars were good and ths theoretical
,-...,nsnt Of the subject when the members OF the
rnopvealth Club leaned back in their chairs and
-, IN listen attentively and to applaua Was MS in
....s,ipc rs might naturally be expected fon men,
~ them were expert engineers and all OF whom
-. we'll posted upon a subject Of such grave I'm
.s~.anee 10 the development and future weibeng OF
~ -,s,rcpous II was the first dinner Of the season
= -. cIub which will have. as in the past. these
,...nt gatherings once a month during the winter
uuusm J. foombs presided, and these ars
-. AZ the other men who were on hand: Carl SchuFz,
- : Hewitt, Dormsn d. Eaton. John J. Chapman,
..srv Of the Climb; Burton y. Harrison, Colonel
~~,ord Hazard. Edward p. Steers. Henry X. Ieck-
~ Asbb.l p Fitch John L. Mott Charles G. Cronin.
r0xard White. Theodore Cooper. consulting engi-
:, 4,e Rapid Transit Commission; Walter Katie,
A N, -,oeer Of the New York Central and Hudson
20. RAILROAD: George W. McNulty, John f. Fftz-
,1 Rspld Transit Commissioner Of Massachusetts;
~ wilson c. c. Martin, president OF the American
,,r.. If Electrical Engineers; o. F. Nichols, chief
.ss,a., O, the Brooklyn Elevated Railroad; W. r.
'n.,o, chief engineer OF the Hudson River Tunnel
q e Hamilton, principal assistant engineer OF the
~. Tr.nsj. Commission; W. Barclay Parsons Foster
-, q : Greene IT., chief engineer OF the Dock
..,t - Clair McKelwsy and Henry c. Meyer.
- h-ef Introductory statement by the chairman
C,oes made an interesting speech, in the course
A which heasaid:
:" tns az o; an underground road. as compared
~ ,c systed road in a street. the cost Of structures
VIII ~ shonf the same, the damages TO be paid to
,,irg property owners, Including the underphhihg
building 6 s would be the additional cost Of cx
sSstus sae removing the material dlspiseeG 70 i&ne
SOm ~ ,- the cost of this extra work is sl2ooooo
4 mile for . fourtaoh road. A.. .n,..u, .o,a,
bas nnc;sd with an underground Dad are sufficient
IONS ore undesirable and dangerous IN New norK
hsne ssrrer would be underground from fifteen to
Esea pa 5tes according to the length Of his rip
.io,fhs Of them would go through that eA perlencs
Tcs day That s to say ever t NE ~yS
20 sjtenr tber- from fifteen 90 fortynve minutes
morning and evening which no one e 0on 90 Wi'9 So
"a, Az Ria at least 1000 cases OF pneumonia would
.sTr daughter and some APPLAUSE
p,rrv r. Beekman said in part MY preferences,
,,nss considered are in favor, not Of an elevated
.n.o.1 an opnion founded perhaps in the fact that
hay, no charter for elevated railroad in my pocket
,an,b,s,,. Nm. I am in favor Of an underground
.y1ougb have no charter in my pocket Tor
,-ructnre Ike that either. (Reneved laughter9 The
Amenities attending the CONSTRUCTION OF an eieVa'co
a,,roaa are substantially nsuperaSle OF course 1t
is mnch peasanter to ride over an elevated railroad
and to look upon the people in the street huryng 70
and fro the hustle in the stores the enjoyment OF
Brht and air and especially the delightful sensation
yn..nced nv citizens in passing over that portion
~ the sixthave road with the Central PARK on one
s,de and the Hudson River on the other But then
there is the clement Of lard damage. When you con-
sder the state OF circumstances regarding an under
rround road you have nothing which obstructs the
use Of the surface Of the streets prevents the prop
erty-owner from having access to his property, so
that n this regard the conditions remain precisely the
zane after as before the road has been built
Henry G. Prout said "The system proposed by the
Commissioners has been estimated TO cost anywhere
from $50 .ooo,o 900 to s1oo,oooooo. To earn 9 per
cent on the lowest Of these must carry as many
passengers Is the elevated roads nov carry. To do
this it must compete with the elevated roads for short
and long distance travel and with the cable roads,
horse-oars and probably with trolley other electric
surface roads for short distance business. Whether
or not the tunnel accepted by the Commissioners can
be ventilated TO be wholesome and agreeable is
nos certain. for one doubt it."
Ex-Mayor Hewitt was next called upon. and on
rising was received with ctburst Of applsuse. He
,ket.hed the history Of the efforts made to obtain
from the plans embodied In bis now historical message
10 the Board Of Aldermen on tho subject ana SAD
You win not get rapid transit by any other scheme
than the the one worked out in that messages, ,,
Joha z. Fitzgerald, OF Boston, Rapid Transit Com
missioner Of Massachusetts aud Francis Colhnswooc
s,o spoke The latter said IN part:
@Tne problem starts from OF assured basis o
experience We know that any reasonable scheme
NAV bs adopted with confidence, and that a new
rorte for travel from the centre OF the suburbs VII
soop develop a paying business. The unsolved 9usS
ions are those al the best routes to follow a3d Tho
nsture OF the structure to be built. With tae re
sources Of modern engineering there can be no onesooI
thSt anv underground scheme be carried th-OuSi
successfully and with entire eafety TO both properly
and life