The morning call., 1892-06-07
UNDERGROUND TRANSPORTATION.

The contest between wayfarers and mer-
chandise for the possession of the surface OF
the earth is leading to some interesting SUD-
terranean enterprises in the East. A COM
pany has been organized under the auspices
of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Com
pany to tunnel under the city Of Baltimore,
so that through trains shall not be hereafter
DELAYED. In the tunnel the trains are TO be
drawn by electric power. and the contract
REQUIRES that they shall be moved at the
rate of 80 miles an hour. simultaneously
the Land Commissioners at Albany, n. Y.
have granted the application of the New
York and New Jersey Terminal Company
for a grant Of land under the bed of the
Hudson River. The company proposes TO
tunnel the river from point in North Jer-
sey City 10 Fourteenth street. New York.
and 70 land goods and passengers in Union
squire, in Chambers street and in Broad
street, New YORK. The cost of the tunnel
Will vary from S1.000,00 to $1,000, 900 per
mile, according to the nature of the ground
and the number of tracks, the expense Of
the whole undertaking being reekoned at
SIG 800, 900. Another tunnel, 10 connect
with the Long Island Railroad and the
proposed new line Of steamers from Mon
taus, is projected By Austin C0rbin. It's
terminus in the city would be near Castle
Garden.
The difficulty which these projects are
designed TO 0bviate was overcome in Lon
don by underground railroads, which are
now the chief channels OF local tIanspOrta-
ton. The famous Thames Tunnel, which
was completed half a century ago, never
was Of much practical use, but il had the
effect Of demonstrating the feasibility Of
snbaQueous tunnels, and several have since
been dug in various parts of the world. 1t
undoubtedly suggested the scheme Of the
tunnel under the British Channel, which
viii probably be built some day. New
Workers have given the preference 10 over
head transportation over subterranean bur
rows. A charter was granted some y or Is
years ago for a tunnel under the Hudson,
and work was actually begun; but the
water broke through the roof Of the tunnel,
% men were drowned and the work was
abandoned
ia this part Of tie country we are quite
familiar with mountain tunneling, but no
occasion has ever arisen TO make it neces-
saTy 70 tunnel the Bay. There may come a
time, however. when some plan Tor the re-
lief Of Market street may have TO be con-
thOT0ughfare is So crowded ut certain hours
of the day that lOc0m0tion is attended with
Inconvenience. if not with danger, ana as the
population Of the city increases it viii prob
ably become necessary to invade the domain
either of the sparrow or Of the mole. An
elevated road would probably cost less than
an underground road, but il would be IN
available for the transportation Of mer-
chandjse. At the present time our
city transportation is planned upon the
theory that heavy merchandise will cen
ter near the water trent, and that
The passenger business VIII radiate from
that point to the residence and retail busi-
ness quarters lying farther west. An ele-
yated railroad running along Market or a
parallel street would afford ample relief.
when relief became necessary. But il is
impossible to say in what direction San
Francisco may extend itself when it starts
out TO become a city Of a million, and it
would be rash TO assume that cur present
narrow streets VIII always be adequate to
accommodate the travel that may press on
them