The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1895-06-25
10 FINISH TIE TUNNEL
Efforts Being Made to Raise
More Moneysfer the Big
Hudson River Bore.

There is a big hole under the North
River. Some day 1t will be a tunnel
connecting this city n New York. The
New York end Is at the foot of Morton
street. close to the French line pier,
and the Jersey City end Is at the foot
of Fifteenth street, near the Delaware,
Lackawanna and Western Railroad de-
pot.
No work has been done in four years,
but the owners of the hole are now
trying to raise money in London ana
hope to complete their tunnel before a
bridge can be built over the North
River. They propose a new mortgage
which will take priority over the former
mortgage, but one of the largest hold
ers of bonds objects, and until his con-
sent can be obtained the loan cannot
be made. Of tunnelling only l,25o feet
remains to be lone out of a toal length
of $3.50 feet. The New Jersey mole ex-
tends $500 feet, and that from the New
York end $50 feet. Lack of funds caused
work to stop in 1891. Since then a
w%atchman, employed by the unpaid con-
tractors. has a the hole all to MIN
self. He does not need to watch very
closely, having no fear of trespassers
in that region, and lives comfortably IN
a little house at the New YORK END
surrounded by a high board fence.
TWENTY YEARS UNDER A
During the twenty years that the pro-
ject has been under way it has mao
so varied a career of delays and mis-
fortunes that promoters are surprised
at its remarkable vitality. The expia-
nation lies in the fact. they say, that
the principal asset is a hole which no
body can steal. and the market value
Of holes has not materially changed
during the last decade; - 49,
An inspection yesterday reyeaieo ins
fact that the tunnel has hHed with
water to the level of the rivers surface.
w. r.. Hutton. who was CHIEF engineer
at the time of greatest activity, saip
yesterday that six months more Of WORK
would lave brought the tunnels two
ends together, and afforded a clear pas
sage from New York to New Jersey
under the river. :, +he tnn-
nj 1.-The mal preseplia sele Of the he w sais. II aw he 'V we
quit work we expected that the water
would enter, SO all al the mne pspes w reouir d
Thu tunnel, I believe. is intact. II tneTs
was a break anywher the water wouid
have come in with a rusn; i put III severn r. un
The water came in almost drop by drop,
percolating through the old masonry srany
part and some hiter whgicb eh was started
luG ScGOilq oAiiASl
parallel with the first. but never pushed
any oRsITeeISNATo5R OF THE sCHEME.
81 think the tunneling could be COM
plefed for about $500, 600. Then wo cu
nails which. Of course, would be a great
depot. something like the Broad street
station in Philadelphia, to be located as
near Broadway as deemed practicable;
The railroad tracks. however. would
never come to the surface: put a hne
structure could be built overhead.
The tunnel scheme originated with Dc
witt Clinton 3 s : who VI ref fHoeeed aha
work started in 1874. Before the initial
shaft reached working depth litigation
stopped work for five yNsarss, p tb + the
next five years nearly 1000 Teet or TIM
nelling was done. The death Of I. w.
Park. the principal nsla a baackas ys IN 1e lSss' m n1ope
were spent in looking for capital. An
English syndicate was ind INDUCED fdo to ya put ut
more. So far 5000, 600 has been poured
into the hole.