The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-06-20
HUDSON RIVER TUNNEL.
1t Will Run From Union Square
New York City to Jersey City.

An extensive project for the convenien t
transit of suburban and long distance
passengers from a great underground
railroad station in Union Square through
a tunnel a hundred feet or more below
the surface of land and river and connect
ing with the railroad system termina ting
in Jersey City, is pending before the
Board of Aldermen, the promoters OF the
scheme having asked the consent OF che
city to carry out their plans.
Although the application for a franchise
was made u year ago, when the New York
and New Jersey Terminal Railroad Com
pany was organized, nothing was done
with the request until yesterday, when
the Aldermanic Committee on Bridges
and Tunnels CAV u public hearing OH the
subject in the Council Chamber. Secrs-
tary William e. Lane, appeared, filed q
brief AMI explained the purposes OF the
company.
It Is Intended TO run a four track tun-
mel from Hackensack meadows. In this
State. under Castle Point, and the Hud.
sou River directly to Fourteenth street.
Inc tunnel will De twenty-five feet high
and about fifty feet wide in two s%ectious
lone for East bound, the other for West
bound traffic. The roof at the tunnels
lowest point will be 104 feet below the
surface of the Hudson and tweaty- six
feet under the bottom Of the river at Its
lowest point.
FOR PASSENGERS N FREIGHT.
The tracks In the tunncI Wall De 100
feet below the street level at the foot of
West Fourteenth street. At Ninth ave-
nue. and Fourteenth street two tr tcks
will be run under Hudson street to
Chambers. thence TO Il terminus under
Broad, near Wall street. These tracks
will be used chiefly for freight.
Passengers, baggage and freight will
be landed In a vast central station ak
tending from Broadway to Irving place
under Union square and adjacent blocks.
The station Will be 100 feet below the
surface of the park. II will be reached by
elevator, aud will be supplied with fresh
air forced through shafts and will be
lighted by electricity.
Both the station aud the tunnel will be
free from smoke. dust aud cinders. as
electric motors Will be used. Trains will
De made up on the car storage tracks
conuectinG with the station for western
ana southern roads, while on the Jersey
side thers will De DELAYS of only q minute
in ~eXcnangiug motor. for locomotives.
No BUILDINGS DISTURBED.
Secretary Lane said the excavations
under the river would DO through blue
clay, while those under the streets would
be through solid rock chiefly. The sur-
face would not lie disturbed IN the sligat-
estdegree, he said, as the work would be
lone by IMP owed methods and at such a
depth, that there would be no jar or
shock 10 the deepest foundations OF
buildings, and 10 uoise from the under
GROUND operations would be audible d t
the surface.
The cost OF the work is estimated at
SIG, 500. 600. exclusive OF rolling stock.
me time of construction will be TWO
years and a half.
All privileges have been acquired from
the New Jersey aud New York State au-
lhorities, it is said. and only permission
from the CITY and the re quisite capital are
needed to begin work.
The committee OF the Board Of Alder
men took the matter und er consideration.
The directors of the New York and New
Jersey Terminal Railroad Company are:-
General H. W. Slocum, Isaac 2. Martin.
Thomas Rutter, Isaac D.. Fletcher, Wei
come s. Jarvis, William Marshall,
Charles +. Smillie. Thomas Sturgis, VIII
liam C. Lane. Charles s.. Brown and Will
liam d. Guthrie.