New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-12-27
COSTLY AND DANGEROUS.
THE BROADWAY FOUR-TRACK UNDER
GROUND PLAN NOT APPROVED.

. COMMITTEE OF EXPERTS TO Re APPOINTED
BY TEE RAPID TRANSIT COMMISSION TO Go
OVER THE RErORT OF TIE ENGINEER
\, the regular meeting of the Rapid Transit Com
,,.yson Yesterday there present President Orr
I'D Commissioners Low, C.afin and lnman, Judge
80. H. =. Beckman and \. Il. Boardman OF
counsel NJ. ClaAiE offered the following resolu-
icn:
resolved. Tina, If the change as cost of the
road be confirmed the plans be altered SO as c to
n~'ly be obtained within the limits OF expendi-
lure of &e.c0.O~.
Mr Low offered the following preamble and reso-
lGtion
I, view Of the fact that any conclusion with refer
"a ~ The fundamental questions involved in the
S"yeopment OF the rapid transit system Tor ms
rs,nuch as the report submitted 10y the cbief en-,
sineer with the concurrence OF MessIs - ic ssr
TO the city line both the east and me west sues
If The city vii exceed $j0@OW", which Is me fH-
9endiiure named by the law, under when 'hS
r,mmittee acts: therefore be It ,
y, ei,,nitiel TO a body OF experts five IN number
with a request that they on the earnest P'"0"'"'
ud tSrstTWhcther the calculations as to the prop
able cost embodied in this report may DC pr pPhe
srtcl llpon by this committee as OASIS ioI ''''
coi,,Io,G Whether they concur in believing the
,a OF constrnction in Broadway. proposed by the
inrn,r committee. unsatisiactoI! Iof .le - o., ber
sU1I~es1cd by the chief engineer or for any o'he'
Ie TSIs Whether the plan submitted by the en-,
~,lear treating the local and express tracks as
60 rc,6s using the same stations when theE Jo''
s@pears 10 them practical ana wise, any better
"'Fourth-Whether they can sussesu any 200 o iran
solution Of the problem before the Tb ' ast
has already been brought ioT%S a wav for the
question is intended TO open we " no one can
hest possible suggestion so tnat NO e~e one asErd
hereafter IN i1a' specfc guestions submitted
10 hem bat asked to propose IN .neIr lhV b,
any solution OF the problem as niS"' Se''' - ''>'
wise. , a,o,ad
those resolutions were unanimously ADOPTED
~. 1ov, moved that the president of the board
,,oxander F. orr, be authorized to select the N'e
nersons 10 whom the report o. the c'''''
,l ~ submitted and who will act under the
r,.,ire, resolution. and that he be requested 10
ronnrt the names Of the persons so ,sa 70
ItPp nth AN estimate of the probable expense 10
!!nl,rre1 h1 the appointments al the hVNl H0''
ing Of the poaiu'
TIE REPORT OF THE ENGINEER.
ort - the chief engineer to the board
was in part follows; "
Gentlemen: Pursuant TO your reso.uton , % ~. 70
vember Is. 1891 instruclE your viai ~ IN mans
Of construction heretofore proXislonalE % co.
o1 on me objections to a double deck plan TO-
any tb on Win estimates of cost ana to make sucn
Suggestions as he may deem pertnen' ren noT and
fhe honor 70 submit the following lvpSi, ro,1tes
ee,in1ates which apply to the underground routes
nov gS1s 10 the Professionally adopted plans
-. E,ir.tNThe cross section Is entirely 700 sihi.
for the safe and efficient working Ol sa on the
r,trood Win cars similar 10 those uSct 90 ~
IianSattan Railway. width OF MY feet ID I'm, rne
clear between sac W WA Teauirei facilities forty -four
mum ." be Zoo narrow The standard car OF me
,1bnrhan service on the Harlem river pf an
~ the \ew-York. New Haven anu H. M, 'brarS ~
80 nd an the \eW-Y York and Northern oidlA 80
No. Naw-York Central Railroad ana IN o'TeI ,i, ie
the rapid transit railway may nav rface rail
80 IT. APPEARS advisable 10 accept such c Td
the e 6e in the tunnel clear height Of 10 feet
instead OF II feet inches as per ths IP eve no
Sernnd-The Professionally adopted pIdha go '
1iSaraton 70 the question of sewers. brOac"4
has sewers for 81 percentage OF us ov must the
FoIrteenth-s With those plans ho' on" 70 raiway
eWers be reconstructed in advance OF ,hS rama w,
work and outside of Its walls Of Sus sewers along the
Gslance of the route. The t, nee Of The
street. surface The railway and sewers wouu ,cb re-
olire total width Of at least slNly.mo 49, 81 the
waui spaces along Broadway put would pring ,es
eNcaoar ennj re- large amount of UNDERMINING OF
exDensve and is accompanied with sreae fLsn the
tHrolves so many contingencies as 70 tenurIi '''e
rnsking of a reliable estimate almost 4 Nth
81, dis,nrbing the surface of the street lnVoirSs
tunneng methods that are ~ Iiipv pnTobemacai
nd the great risk to all the interests invo,vci bo
nH scs FOR EXPERIMENTS The only practical meln6 S
{v which such road can be constructor "ou'N ~
by open cut
The objections to a double deck" plan, especially
II clear height IN cach tui"e' Va
were required. are:
EYrstA much deeper excavation. keeping the
street open for longer periods and involving INC
uEaeTpdahTTS INNER tracks would not be solid
foundation and would therefore increase INC VI
distance from the street level TO the
platforms Of the lower tracks "ouid eehoid'''
7,5o construction Of n four-track road in Broad
WAY BIZ any plan Will be open to many ouJec.Ion no.
yyoslIlt equally advantageous to the city can De
accomplished. in my opinion by huipihS a Wv %1u,
ns he city Hal and 5h en- "a tSe soutH
be
desired. by two-track ROAD rom mon Ib ~ e.
- the CITY Hall. Since the express trains "0uiu
make no stops between Fourteenth-st ana ny
Hall the two-track road on ChuIch-st. "ouI ~
tbe 50 me accommodation between thos. points
10 the territory west Of Broadway that ne , iour
tracks do 10 that east OF bIoau"ay}. 80 o,i DO
ever you do not accept these suggestions nh' , u'
t t1 70 submit for Your Consideration plans
which have been designed 70 lessen the 4n]ecuon9
ent Of the local tracks, and the express tracks a.
separate railroads and the construction OF eA t,
tan the maximum Of efficiency for both ono
The railway would be constructed Dy taxing on, I,
half Of the street at time laying the soc NILS
in a trench. and then turning nan me arcH' me
ether half Of the tunnel T bs De srcb opnd be- ex
cavatcI after the latter was completed ana me
street surface restored. Below. tunnel could be
these would be driven beneath masonry previously
rnent Of The ground sufficient TO affect me aiIeei
surface. The running Of the cable railway "ouli
Having advised you that it Is not reasonably prac-
tcaDle to build four-tracf railway Wlsho.t W..
turDng the surface Of the street. make no cstlna e
fOr the work done in that manner. In thr eau-
mates ] have added large amount Tor conunfsh-
ces. which IS intended 10 cover such as may driSS
during construction. but nothing has been sIIO"ed
Tor property rights or damages 70 aOuttng property
SOME INTERESTING FIGURES
Estimate No J. BrOadwa,-TwO tracks on thc
from South Ferry 10 Nesey-si WI
fwo-track loop at cry Hall. one mile 70 De
constructed from the surface. win alIo"hh'.
@ , ~, Girlne constitution 81 80 oc
Estimate = BrOadway-Four tracks on INC
same level. Ncseysi. 20 F0ufioenih-sl, WIN
;so-track loop al city Hail !; - miles ion'-