The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-02-18
WE WANT LIGHT AND AIR.
NO UNDERGROUND RAPID TRANSIT
FOR NEW PORK.

Tns Commission IL Ask the Supreme Cons
To-day TO Appoint Three Men to mea
Testimony and Decide whether Its Plan
Should he Carried Out-These are ii
Pisn- Property Owners Have Protsste
Against and I.ondon's Experience ia
Condemned More Words OF Approval 10
the Ono risn that 10 Practicable.
in the Supreme Court. General Term. TO- day
the Rapid Transit Commissioners will take
step whiohthey hope will further their plan t
foist an underground system Of rapid transi
on the city. An application will be made upol
tho petition. afldavits. and reports o! the Com
missioners for tho appointment OF three Com
lnfssioners. who shall determine. after publ,
hearing OF all parties interested. whether tn,
underground system planned ought TO DO con
structcd and operated. They are to report the
evidence and their conclusion to tho court
and II they favor the construction OF the roat
and the court sustains them their report will
DO taken In lieu Of tho consent OF the property
owners along tho line Of the route laid out
The appointment Of these Commissioners was
provided for In tho Rapid Transit law OF 1901
and In made necessary by two facts. namely
that tho people do not want to travel through
the proposed dark and ill-ventiinted holes in
the earth and that tho property owners will
These Commissioners will have great power.
The Rapid Transit Commissioners hope with
their aid to build the obnoxious road in spite
OF tho wishes Of tho people, But tho Commits
sloners to be appointed will also have tho
power TO put down the scheme. Tho law says
they shall hear testimony and decide on the
evidence whether It is proper to construct
and operate such n road. They will find the
people. az THE Sun has found them. uncom-
promisingly against any underground scheme.
1t is not known that there will be any oppo-
sition to the appointment OF this Commission.
though there may be from the Madison avenue
property owners. who don't caro- to take
chances. II the Commissioners should he M.
pointed. and should decide on the evidence
against the building OF tho underground road.
tho Rapid Transit Commission will probably
be called on to lay out another route
1t may be said that tho only practicable plan
for open.air rapid transit that has been propos-
ed IL the one described In THE Sun a week ago
last Sunday. It provides for the building OF q
road over the present tunnel OF tho Now York
Central in Park or Fourth avenue. from the
Harlem River to the Grand Central Depot.
thence on viaduct constructed on private
property. between Second and Third avenues.
to Houston street. and in as straight u limo rs
possible from Houston street to the City Hall.
Tho cooperation OF the New York Central Rail.
road Company Is needed to build this road.
and It Is very likely that 1t can DO obtained.
The building Of the road involves no engineer
ing difficulties such as would be enco untered
In tho construction OF tunnel
CONDEMNED BY THEIR OWN ENGINEERS.
Some OF the difficulties In tunnel construc.
ton are set forth In the report OF the Rapid
Transit Commission to the Board of Aldermen
The proposed road under Broadway must
Eeeessarly . greater part OF tho way DO dug
through sand. William b. Parsons tho princi-
psl assistant engineer OF the Board. says:
while believe that 1t would be possible to
drive such q tunnel. also believe that the cost
OF doing 70 would be very excessive and tho
risks run very great. The results of the Dor
ings show that along large proportion of
Broadway. and especially that portion where
the buildings are the largest and the traffic
greatest. the sand is exceedingly fine. ap-
preaching. II It Is not actually. quicksand. In
tbs space above the top OF tho tunnel there
would be lying all the water mains and
sewers. and II the slightest settlement
took place in tho roof OF the tunnel
and 10 driving tunnel for n long distance
through the fine sand it would be almost i'm
HoSsible 70 prevent some settlement-a leak in
soon e. tho sand should become charged with
,E .ss TIE tendency to flow would be greatly
low Now Il must be- borne IN MIND r that not not
only would there be the weight Of tho sand
but The weight e. shs build
40 tae street trans constantly sot.in Ing up T"a
the tendency to run: II any accident should
occur, the loss would be 80 great as to be bo-
he ppsoppS OF Ss prop
Mr. Octave. Chanute. one OF tho consulting
snIineers OF the Board. says in this same
There would be. In my judgment; very
made to drive roof Shield through this sand sand
under the existing sewers. steam. gus and |
Xatsr pipes. subways. and cable road tracks.
sure to be some wet spots from leaky pipes. to |
r.. nothing hh1Es q those pipes which may be
ward-the fine sand would run away like |
iS% fb under the Which
street might cave n as we'll as s" so me- Of T the
In smother part Of the report Mr.. Chanuto |
Tho recent surveys. .mado under instruc-
Hons from your Board. have elected tho fact |
s. almost Wholly through, sanl. some Of It.
s sSSth sttssf + Saf iSa! issl. Beaver street
Sssarily so below, tide level. and while It may
q dans neroase rapidY wiz III
syery foot Of additional hydraulic head.
IHids between clrts. but there arc no less than
!ary AND Union square land twelve crossings
Above Union SQUARED where tho street Is less
II:sstSr street. where tho width i thirty: Jour
racks on level. as planned. require width
10 the clear Of forty-four feet. and at many
pointS this will out into the side vaults. which
g somo eases again have encroachcd upon the
:he Hap, every vault would be cut into from
he Battery TO Cortlandt street, above this
hey will be missed as far as Reads street. ex-
,ept two which extend beyond the. curb: then
rom Reade to Canal street sixteen vaults
would be cut, and twenty-three moro would
. y irGm Canal street TO, Union SQUARE. to
'oE the stations whore the, latter are located"
The plan OF the Commissioners does not con-
: : any disturbance Of the gas Or other
Y says none Of the pipes shall DO disturbed.
4s. Theodore Cooper. another consulting en-
ALI mixed with about ten to flffeon per cent.
u gas 10 very powerful explosive. However
ReIl gRs pipes may be fixed to prevent leak
we. . careless connection for house service, or
I0ak HaN nv INV coil ami ~ |