New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-12-20
GREATHEAD TUNNEL PLAN.
LITTLE LIKELIHOOD THAT 1T WILL BE
ADOPTED IN THIS CITY.
RAPID TRANSIT COMMISSIONERS SAY THEY ARE
WILLING TO CONSIDER IT on ITS MERITS
PRESIDENT ORR EXAMINED THE ROAD
IN LONDON LAST YEAR AND WAS

PRESIDENT ORR EXAMINED THE ROAD
IN LONDON LAST YEAR AND WAS
NOT FAvORABLY IMPRESSED.
A good many New-lorkers have wondered why
the Rapid Transit Commissioners did not take more
kindly to the deep-tunnel idea which has been
found acceptable In London. where after a trial
of several years. it is about to be extended The
question considered by the Commission as
first constituted. along with all other suggestions
offered for a solution of the transit problem. but
was quickly set aside In favor of tunnel mme-
diatey beneath the surface of the ground. After
the plan of such a tunnel under Broadway was
thrown out by the courts. and the Commissioners
were at their wits end to what course to pur-
sue. the question of d tunnel the Greathead sys-
tenn again suggested itself but again set aside.
The recent announcement from London of the
adoption of plans for building a new road in ac-
cordance with the ideas Of the late Mr.. Greathead
has once more directed attention to the possibility
OF the adoption OF that system in this city.
cally the entrance OF three new members into
the Rapid Transit Commission creates the oppor-
tunity for the consideration of the problem in all
its phases before a decision is arrived at.
EXTENDING The SYSTEM IN LONDON.
The first Greathead road was built under the
Thames River in London haf-dozen years
ago. The entrance to the tunnel rather tunnels
Is close the Monument and not far from London
BRIDGE ana the ROAD runs Tor Il distance OF ABOUT
three miles If goes directly under the bed of the
river There are two distinct tunnels. which are
side by side times. while again is sixteen
feet or more over the other. Trains going in
direction move in tunnel. and take the other
on the return trip The tunnels seventy or
eighty feet below the surface and there are large
elevators at the stations
The new extension about to be built Is intended
10 run from Cannon-st to Hammersmith. There
will be two parallel tunnels. sixty feet below the
surface ach twenty-one feet in diameter and en-
cased in iron scgments. Trains of seven cars are
to be run. with seats for 1876 passengers and, In
accordance with the custom In the "cffete mon
arches" no passengers will be carried who can
not be accommodated with seats. The sum OF ST.
has been subscribed to build the road. and II
is estimated that the work OF construction will
occupy four years. The principal stations VIII be
az Ludgatc IIill the Law Courts Trafalgar Square.
Leicester Square. the Haymarket. HYDE Fark
Corner and the Albert Hall.
The advantages claimed for the Greathead sys-
TEN are that such tunnel can be built without
any interference with buildings on the surface or
with underground pipes of any Sort that IL can
go in any direction and at any depth. only needing
to cross street lines at the stations; that by means
of large and swift elevators passengers can be
carried up or down with little loss OF time; that as
electricity IS employed as the motive power and TOT
lighting purposes the air IS not vitiatcd and that.
as the trains move through tho tunnels. they
serve as llStOlS ana KEEP tie an pun.
PRESIDENT ORR's VIEWS.
To ascertain the present feeling Of the Rapid
Transit Commission on this question, several Of
the members called on day or two ago
The first to be seen Alexander f. Orr, the
president who was found in his Office in the
Produce Exchange. In "A sense. Mr.. Orr may be
said 20 lead a divided life his home Is In Brooklyn
and he takes an active interest In its affairs, and
At tho same time he Is one Of the leading men Of
efio,N Mr.
that ne had inspected the Greathead road under
the Thames when he in London last year
lie took a number Of rides IT, and looked into
the system with care. in order to determine wheih-
er il could be adopted with advantage In TINS
city His conclusion was that it would not meet
the demands for rapid transit in New-Yorh said
,Tf we were a corporation deciding on plan II
many interests and questions TO be considered oy
the Commission. one Of the things we have 10
curing a bidder who will build system of un-
derground roads and accept the eas. on 'ne cu.l,
amount of travel 10 IL lrobaply necessary 10 nav
the railroads near the surface as possible ana
also as close TO the main lines Of travel as they
can be- placed That was the reason why we chose
broadway That plan having been thrown our IN
route. Three Of the Commissioners are new mem
bors Of them having mot WIN US only once AZ
vet | have no doubt that the Gr,athead plan VIII
Dee taken into consideration ty the CoInmlsslon.
and OF course. cannot anticipate the decision
THE ROAD UNDER TIE THAMES A RAJ
HOLE
speaking for myself may say that. after ex-
aiming the road IN London with considerable care,
I was not favorably impressed with IT, There was
"A certain dampncss 70 the air down eighty feet
below ground and I also found the air saturated
with tobacco smoke which very dsagreeaoie.
Then again as the cars almost fill the tunnel.
couldn't help f,olns that was in rathole every
time | boarded one of the trains. ! spoke 10
T., and md hat rh,yb
the same uncomfortable feeling. II there should
Doe accident there is no possible way Of escap-
ing from the tunnel. The | found poorly
would he EASY TO improve on Tie system in use
Il am Of the opinion that NEWCOMERS would be
unwilling 10 20 down so far below the surface. espe
cially for short rides. As you know II is the plan
here 10 have local trains and express trains: the
city Hall and the Grand Central Station in about
nyc minutes. and carry Passengers all the way to
difficulty in attaining that speed with electricity
! have ridden on an eIectriS engine n al Nantashe,
Beach g.ared 10 run thirty-hve miles an hour. ana
was told that thcy had one eeared for forty-ive
miles The commissioners are willing TO consider
any reasonable plan that may he offered for the
solution OF the question before them. 1t acted
the Grcathead system n few years ago. but that
docs not prevent the present members from taking
It up again"
MIR RIvEs NON-COMMITTAL.
George l.. Rives formerly Assistant Secretary of
State is ono Of tho recently elected members OF the
Rapid Transit Commission. When asked about the
likelihood of favorable action on the Greathcad
tunnel system he refused TO commit himself
further than to say that in his opinion the Com
missioners were bound 70 consider with open minds
any plan for the solving OF the rapid transit prob
lem that might be offered
Il have not been IN London since the railroad
under the Thames built" he said. 'and ! know
nothing about 1t from personal examination. Nor
have ] anything 10 say about its feasibility have
no doubt that the Commissioners will inquire fairly
into It's merits. but have no opinion To express
to the.r probable action or as TO when a decision
may be reached. The fact that five of the present
members OF the Commission were members of the
Commission when this matter passed on before
Is something from which any one IS at liberty to
draw such inference he chooses"
The suggestion made that the adoption OF
the Greathead system would be likely TO have a
bearing on the route TO be selected for under
ground roads. To this Mr.. Rives replied that 1t
might he so His manner led TO the inference hat