The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-02-11
OPEN AIR RAPID TRANSIT.
AN. kxPERTs OPINION ON TEE DE
SIRABILITY OF THE PLAN

11eaoaneors SAFER, More Mealthful Cheaper
70 Cesstraet, ssa In Every way Wiser
then the Proposed Hole In the erssna-
The saH's Plan Tor Structure Above
the Tunael or tho Hudson River Road.
The plan for open air rapid transit proposed
in THE Sun last Sunday has achieved an i'm
mediate popularity. The underground system
Of the Rapid Transit Commissioners. on tho
other hand. meets with rs general condemna-
ton More unanimity OF approval from the
citizens could not DO desired for the open air
plan. The design OF the Rapid Transit Com
misstoners to foist on tho city system OF
rapid transit disagreeable. unhealthy. un-
clean. dangerous. and unnecessarily costly
had aroused the indignation OF property
owners. but many felt themselves helpless
because no other feasible plan was suS-
gested. The plan now sugeested-to tear
out tho top Of the Now York Contrals tunnel
and erect over It an improved elevated struc-
ture from the Harlem down to the Grand Cen
trail station. thence by viaduct across to the
centre OF the block between Second and Third
avenues, and down to the City Hall in as
straight line as possible-was what tho peo-
ple had been looking for.
Few men are more com petent to express an
opinion on the practicability OF the plan than
Mr.. Walter Katie the civil engineer who con-
structed the Third and the Ninth avenue ele-
waited railroads. and who is now the Chief En-
gineer Of the New York Central. He gave his
unqualified commentator OF the plan last
night and he also had something to say about
underground roads.
"There arc objections inherent to tunnel
construction" he said. 1T makes no differ
ence where you put it or by what method You
build It or how we'll you manage it The OBJ
jections are these: a tunnel Is one OF tho last
expedients in engineering. Rarely. indeed.
will an engineer advise or consent to tho
building Of tunnel IL there Is any way out OF
the difficulty. Tho difficulty OF ventilation and
OF lighting are two main objections. In spite
Of everything that has been done to improve
the London underground railroads. all the uu-
thorities. believe, concur that it Is intensely
disagreeahle to ride in. disagreeable to work
in. and is unhealthy. 1t is. OF course. possible
to partially remedy the difficulty Of lighting a
tunnel by the use OF electricity. but not wholly.
No artificial light can be like daylight It
would DO extremely difficult to commit New
York to any idea OF an underground system Of
travel. But II the people ever could be salts
fed with such system the difficulties Of con-
struction are tremendous
In the construction OF tunnel engineers
must OF necessity work more or less in the
dark. They never know exactly what difficult
ties they are going to meet with. Added to the
difficulty Of construction is the danger Of en-
dangering the foundation Of adjacent build
inas. 1t is pretty nearly impossible. in
spite Of all that has been said about
DDS Q, A tunnel construetion. to make
n tunnel safe to nd jacont buildings. Praise Of
dss 81 %aybe Be Sey MoS
to some extent is I, bound y to occur. One thing
Broadway as is proposed Without causing So.
along the street make the weight Of founda-
ton immense. and any lessening OF the solid:
y o.
neering difficulties involved il the constrac-
cost and eontins gent difficulties are seneral
in plain sight; The engineer can calculate with
HIM to Ts
btlity Of damage to buildings ANOTHER point
T9 cad is th9 fearful ad
has to b. ses rid o. soms how or e other
This involves a number Of shafts into the
street creating an intoeEaRle nuisance on the
ssuas done by Steam. horse power creating
an extremely disagreeable condition Of affairs
all the people in the while
would be-; Imagine 2 lot ot those houses IN
ssss e the sSrisee it has be tsksn
must s. ss s en to tss
crowded. now that the addition OF a line Of
ssn mset
that It is not 1t has not been seriously con-
Ts Of the
tinRent disagreeable. effect on citizens. OF
course. to an extent. this matter would be en-.
countered In the construction OF n viaduct, but
tunnel: .,..., .,,. Co.
ing impractieable about 1t. II New York wants
II, and | believe she wants something Of the
way q her having il: Ths building d the road
would not only satisfy the demand for rapid
shs a
date T. would be an Improvement 0f almost in
wond Re Il the interest tpav
Rsh There i 81 or
safe and beautiful structure could be built.
Gould n structure be built that would be
elevated raiiroadsiS Was asked dA'aou VI VI ''e
a.. One certainly could be-" said Mr.. Katie
oS naeDRs s nes IN Of
for the tracks. with metal ties embedded in
sand Or gravel ballast. the minimum Of noise
pmiples II this .city: The New York Central
.Te metal ties Tic S' dIrcrsn"s s ~" i"
them and the noise made on tho solid earth j.
rcmarkable. Tho sound is practically dead
Standing under the bridge even little is heard
until the train strikes tho other side Of tho
steel, ties this sido, Of .iarri.on's with such
gratifying results that TODAY nm order was
placed with n steel manufactuIer for II snf-
lcicnt number to lay all four tracks from, tho
Il You win g, to tiarrisol's you viii
going, over the, tracks there is very much
less than on other Pats Of the road
from tho building q our present ELEVATED
mentioned. tho noise Of tho new ,ssttruetare
Central gets its steel ties ip tie tunnel. the
running 81 trains there aud the. running Of
trains on an elevated road over it would not
make the noise that il now made by the Cen n
a little sound from the Vibration. but i would
amount to nothing don't suppose 1t would
DO possible to make the running Of a train
absolutely noiseless.