The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-05-22
RAPID TRANSIT BY TUNNEL


Aftor examining tnS report Oh tno u6plu
Transit Commissioners. dated Oct 20. 1891.
carefully. I am Of the opinion that the tun-
mol system vnoss at,a as
bic. ~ because It is too expensive a struo-
nns e to say ~ notAne Of interest upon
to be q conservative estimate. ut may and
probably will. cost much more than that sum
| when completely W This would give US only
ono Linz costing between s4ooooooo and 800.
ooo.ooo. whiie we REQUIRE .nf 90, OF 'our ,nes
to accommodate the public t3) l see from
the table Exhibit l" that tho rock under
the street is encountered at depth mo OF from
erouna woIk oeins .sousn s'a a;
ano oenss a,me"itie. won,d .riaa ~ so I
| he,ou tba aeuers pas Mines. electric pipes.
Oe.ow , h..;e~ ~'. 49, .mhwov const-rntion
eteam-heatlng plpess SUBWAY constFuction'
| and numerous other impedim ents encountered
below the surface. Unoue,tiopably they would
encounter numerous boiling springs and
brooks. which are known to exist the length
Of New York Island, which would render con-
straetlon e1ceeolnely aaneerous anu alineuls:
way Of these treaoh.rous sands which under
lie buildings WEIGHING thousands OF tons s on
the line OF BFOAQWAy lWnlCn nave CCSC nun
dreds OF miihons o, aonnls. IS oinicuis 70
s stn et tse line ase would S STOP. "' '''
me Com nlssioners are FRANK e1 tu 70 hu
init that they Know n?thinS OF its COST, nn it
age Increase with every ioHt Of depth; a and
s sieSers MAKE no the
method Of construction From the battery
NIX h for hese along the east side o
the street one track being under the s ,b
and one S S be 20 under 1d h
sidewalk must cut away all the vaults and other
6a stSndarS m hanE the Gon
Frsast bSidnF the first National Bank SuiId
ng d the p, Aito Sa LITE
l ns the ParE Bank suiIdins H5Sd build
Ing: and tho Post Office buitdngii oy me second
track NEXT me GuTe mus. on G1 at side ~ tho
danger lie FOUNDATIONS Of al ths buildings
These things alone are sufficient to condemn
the structure below ne ~ i a 1a ahn SimEf
10 are thnh the same Sfs
Is T. sndangernE the tGnn Gd s 81 MASSIVE massive
repetition: and the Same remark may DO 40;
Piled to the space between Union square and
street G0ys .ndI rInb yfsss
auicEsands to encoup;cr. and IL tho property
holders themselves DO not 9h,ect ~ that see
tlon see no reason Why .Lp Iuohc sllouni:
From Fifty-nnth street north. TINS system OF
structure recommended by the commissioners
mi 2ht possibly he construot"mud 40 az an expense
OF from 81 .5tW.O0O to S2.O'O.0ov per mile; but
why should this be expended. ASK. when the
extension OF the elevated system could be
made at an expense OF aGout one-quarter the
money per mileI -
l See from tho sworn report presented Mt
Albany that tho present elevated structurso f
about thirty-two mi les. com rrisinG the Metro
politan Elevated has cost Ssl.3iS;OoO for
road and equipments. or about two.thirds OF n
on per mile. This COMPRISES four ryr,ls
tho Harlem River. Now, how can one road.
underground. expect TO- compete. when it
alone costs moro than double me Tour e!e-
waited roads? ! made stuIy. Wnen IN Lon
don In the beginning OF ne tOs. OF their
underground system. ana came 70 the
conclusion. diapassionntely;, that 1T was
not at all suited to New York. Here we
have the thermometer frequently at ~ to 100
during the summer months. people would
reach the stations In Precipitation and go
down into II Temperature WHICH. at thirty to
nifty feet deep. averages from w to 10 tho
year round. Necessarily mo tunnel must DO
ventilated. and this cAuscsh draught OF damp
air which. II sat in from fifteen TO- thirty min
utes, would cause NOR" cases OF pneumonia
alone than New, York can now 5past Of entire
We're there nothing e!sf !" SiGImuemn inns un-
der2round system for TINS climate THIS alone
Is quito enough. .L,
II 1t is TIL" program,ne 10 i ,orcr ms unlcr-