New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-07-17
A UNION SQUARE TUNNEL.
,,rsrDENT vREELAND MAKES A sTRlk-
ING PROPOSITION.
s.ys HE STANDS READY TO DIG HOLE OR
,,-rry A SLOWER CABLE AT THE CURVE


80 SAWS HE STANDS READY TO DIG HULL y"
,,-rxA SLOWER CABLE AT THE CURVE
OTHER PLANS IN RESERVE.
,..asn, II H. Vreeand. of the Metropolitan
r-.o,,on Company. astonished the Aldermen OF inc
..on councils Railroad Committee yesterday
=, a nroposition to run tunnel under ihion
s.,srs as the most scientific and feasible method
~ so,rs away with the dangerous curves at Four
,hs, Mr. Vreeland said that the tunnel woulo
". non and that the railroad company was
-, % build at once and incur the expense Inc
,.,lns he said would not inJure the square OF
a.,ract from its beauty.
-,a aldermen's Committee on Railroads hao a
,.,,,nr Yesterday for considering the question Oh
"s.,,,c The dangerous speed OF the Broadway cahie
- on the Union Square and Fnty-thiru-st
YES and Pre- ident Nreeland was present to req
-. .he company He explained the difficulties
. ,,o vay Of running slowly at Fcurteenth-st ana
-. means the company proposed TO adopt for pre-
,,,,s accident End loss Of life. The difncuity. ne
IA was not one Of mechanical construction out
49, population OF traffic. II was not possible 10
49,, I'm on the curve because the cable could not
=. ss,zed again by the grip. and horses must be
,ses an arrangement which WOULD retard the
speed.
prosiient Vreeland submitted two propositions 10
-. committee one that the company put on
lou, cable at Fourteenth-st TO run at a rate OF
,,r miles an hour. 1t would cost the company. he
.sd $4,000 and half of the sum would be saved
,aar IN the wear and tear of the main cable at
n !e~ His second plan was for the tunnel
snoken Of constructed under Union Square ara IN a
spvssb, line from Fourteenth-st. to Seventeenth-st
This would cost $4,000. -
ne ~, Vreeland went on TO say: I'VE stand ready
"as,,nsnd ali the money necessary to meet any
70 enns,ion that the authorities of this city impose
mon US ! will go further and say that we naNe
.n~srd improving system. and at our own sug-
ssston TOO We have placed al the sal qua us
s., human ingenuity could devise under existing
c,oa,ions to conserve the public interests ou' we
ssnd ready TO 60 further. ,oo
M vreeand then took up the proposed changes
Nd explained them fully. When the cable Was
s,sr,ed in 1903 ne said there We're put in operation
slack manila rope ana When .ne r o,' HghtIv
sv The grip and permitted the car to round II at
any Of speed the grpman saw NJ 70 n spP tSe
, mh Of he cable became greater because Of The
sdded number of cars. The strain on the ca ,
d9wh wv ax,ngfon1ave line Now, where formerly
tx rars wer. operated. there are 80 cars. 49,
- so,.b % F'ourteenth-st was 1000 pounds 20
ne so,Iare inch The cars run at twenty SECONDS
hesdNay AYES ;n nn boar south Of ThiTeihs
m ready put n slow abe at ane Vonr
~, ssnnne or share the responsibility fo'
W. He and crv that will be raised consequence
j. he slow cable Is put in Il means slower ,,,a
Wig Fourteenth-st over the ms, cspee, coid be
Sr- ~ ~ conseGuen;ly it would mean that ]
should have 70 take off al least = per cent VI wv
,,,esent number Of cars In operation - III
Nj vreeand SAID that the Pr9ppSfa and seen
.eenth IS compelling wider detour Of the mrs. cdo
and permitting It's resumption by lne he ssd
sS5ve and be.ow these points Inc reco'us, ne
shoued mai in no case OF accidents TO indlNdudl
- 80 F;ftv-th,i and Fourteenth 81 curves had 'he
Tb r,y,nosit,on 20 sraighten The road from rour
eenth-st to eVenteenth-st and run r'uy
S,nsra PARK by way % tunnel MI Nret ~,
tH1-b, vo,Ild raise a howl OF protest agalns' 'n'
-nT,,rv' ca he would not discuss II al Iens'h.,
lie aised rnat the company had seNefa4 al.ei ia
80 ,-ooositions under consideration one W. ,t'
cbange II motive power on Broadway rom 90 ~
aa--or-essed air the OF compressed ar OH W
> ~ line and the diversion or srea
49, If he Broadway traffic by reason o. lne claie
a., Madson-ave 10 the latter line ne C0,ilPi
III rotors are now nearing completion, ny. Iee
az .rnd aid and within few weeks several OF 'hei
IT, hearing was closed with the underst ahuime
~. Nv Vree and would submit a brief 10 the coin