The sun., 1891-01-28
THE RAPID TRANSIT QUESTION.
View. OF an Experienced Eue,,sA Ens,uee


Views OF an Experienced English Engineer.
To THE EDlToR OF THE SuN-Sir: In re-
sponse to your kind permission to give pub
llcity to my scheme for rapid transit, beg to
state that 1t Is on the subway principle. and
sufficiently resembles that OF the Underground
Hallway Company and also Mr.. Gibsons plan
that will not explain It in detail: my object Is
to dwell upon that which ia to my mind the
question Of questions under the circumstances
OF tho citys present neel. namely the method
aud time OF construction. II an underground
system is adopted. the only reasons for going
deep down will bo non interference with the
traffic OF the streets and the pipes below them.
But II II can | o proved that subway con-
struction can be carried out in from one-hun-
dredth to one.f flitieth part Of the time required
for deep tunnel tie public would certainly
be glad to put up with small temporary In
Ny mothoi. "a laid before the Comm ssion.
differs from uny yet proposed. but involves no
engineering experiment.
to sec | that iii il We ] can M attack an exenvation st
one HUNDRED poiPts ipstead OF one Es Gan 40
viii with ali al the the asepdan. parsphesns!i" sni
dents wosld Ismolish Inc plant Or migrate.
The original plan ior tho proposed arcade
tridxe.worI % eoverinx carried forward 50 as W /;
form roof 70 the eXcaEato%n % undgrneiah i,t and md
1 e have 1ss on3 eex b sesss
tw! or three might have been proposed.
My method consists OF: :.
trough section nlled with concrete and paved
M.-Tuunellinc under It and building up side
Ia laying the steel floor. the work would be
N rsi psath os e an
this could undoubtedly be completed from end
to end Of any Of these avenues IN one , month.
returned to the public.
Tho excavations would then proceed BY the
al pit mouths about six feet square, locntel on
each side OF the cross streets, just outside OF
x he thus e.
outlets for getting rid OF the excavations; and,
as there are about two hundred blocks In the
points Of attack
In deep tunnel. on the other. hand. there
ture Of the rock. Surprising the latter number
Would @ be six sixteen son points Of attack upon the ex.
cavaiion. or only one-tlttieth part OF what
As 10 the difficulties with pipes in construct
inquiries Of those who know best, what the dif-
within which they would really be trouble as
c0mparsd With the total distance % certainly not
euWcIent " WaIrant type Vi conSHucAon
There would S,! be plenty Of room to put them
Of the island shows that tho foundntions OF
subway need not be below low water anywhere.
places it would not be at all q serious matter.
AZ to qnicksands, there would be few places
auired, b@t the bulk q tho sxoayation being In
ROCK. fail to see what is to be gained by going
The only difference is. that with a subway
gether with the comfort OF a wood pavement.
scheme rivalIina tho Mont C.nis or st. Gotharl
Now. ss to objections which may be raised
against my proposed matter OF conatruction;
mnDx n1 @ 9of How %oud
Ssns Ike to be walking over dynamite explo-
ANSWER Tho weight Of the central portion
OF the moor with its concrete filling and wood
pavement is l ton per yard forward. the side
at least 100 tons would have 10 be lifted BY an
Sxpioslon 3, n OF else dne fragments OF ToeK w"t
which would have the least possible chance .:
d9ipg either, the one thing or the other: -,
mining mining was going on; sufficiently so TO scare
snd s01SHss eses ss 9Th
enleisnt + non-eonductor % Of sound @ nnd "a th",e
WOuIu no IoSB noise Cuun IN Naue Dy thc guar
carried on in the vicinity Of streets IN daylight.
IlI.-Woud not the floor be liablo to settle
while the mining was going On before it could
ANs~EE.-- There would be moro bearing sur
driven. than is reuuirod for the. cross ties oi
railroads. Tho floor being continuous metal.
would be much more sol f-supportlng tlinn any
masonry structure. but In the construction Of
the London Underground Halfway high ma.
sonry buildings were underpinmed without one
GatflamNnf sOntrDrfnra
boast hat not a singIe crack was iscernibe.
ly.-WoMld, not Inc street floor DO vibratory
ANSWER: Tho results OF numerous railroad
bridges which have myset loorcd IN sini-
lar manner Prove his l9osips to BE- e. one Of thc
Of steel ana the Rightly OF stone. IT Is entirely
| deadeucd by The concrete in the ironghs: aud
, when paved with wood will mako tho ilnest
driveway in the ctv.
N-Wnuld no. the ilooring he liable to lateral
movement and 80 close the sots!
ANswER.-The ends beng t'ached to yoEcs
resting upon u masonry wall are thereby pre-
vented ir m closing. because th' yokes act us
distance nteces. but apart lrom this. The
| weight ~ tn" noor itself would prevent II from
ever beinG moved by anything Short OF an
earthluake.
In con fusion hca. sir TO put forward this
letter. noi as an apology for my svstem. but "a
nm invitation to any engineer or practical con-
trn.tnr Ia dispro"e Ihy statements II he can,
and trust that yon will extend IL him the
am Sir. yours. &c..
Late Const ructing Engineer Eastern and Mid
land hallway. England.
-------
New Candidate for Governor.