New-York tribune., 1897-08-11
NEWS OF BROOKLYN.
WHAT MR.. BLACKFORD SAW
WHITE IN LONDON HE GAVE CLOSE AT
TENTION TO THE UNDERGROUND
RAILROADS.

HIS FAITH IN TUNNELS bri"Hh> E" ~
AND BROOKLYN STRONGER THAN EVER
RECENT IMPROVEMENTS IN TuN-
NEI. CONSTRUCTION.
Eupcne G. Rlackford. president Of the Atlantic
Avenue Commission. returned from Europe last
week. but Immediately went out of town to
snend a few days at Poland Springs. Me.
He was in Brooklyn again yesterday, and In the
afternoon was found by a representative OF Inc
Tribune at his Office in Fulton Market New
York He consented to talk about his obserVa-
tions abroad especially in reference to under
ground railroads. a subject to which he deVo'eo
particular attention in London.
Before he left home early in June, II was MI.
Backfords expectation that he would traVei
rs far as Budapest and inspect the underground
railroad operated there. After examining the
work that is being done in London, however.
ne became convinced that there would be little
Of Importance to learn in Budapest. since the
matter Of greatest moment. in his Judgment,
was TO learn as much as possible regarding the
handling Of large crowds. and on that point he
could obtain more information in London than
anywhere else.
What Mr. Blackford had to say may be pre-
missed by the remark that his faith in tunnel
under the East River not only confirmed
and strengthened by what he saw on the other
side Of the ocean, but that he is more convinced
than ever that tunnels will be the great means
in the near future OF carrying people between
the two principal portions of the Greater New
York
"The thing that especially interested me In
London" said Mr.. Blackford was the work
that is being done on the Central London Rail-
way which s being built between the Bank
and the Noting Hill region. There are also to
be branches to the Liverpool-st station, to the
Waterloo Station, going under the river, and
branch under the river to connect at Borough
Station with the City and South London Rail
way There Is also to be a line built by this
company from Piccadly Circus to South Ken
sington All these roads are deep tunnels. going
far enough below the surface of the ground not
TO interfere with anything on the surface, and
they represent the latest and most improved
plans in tunnel construction.
THE FIRST DEEP-TUNNEL RAILWAY.
"The City and South London road was built
about six years ago. According to the original
design, 1t to be cable-road. but when II
was completed 1t was equipped with electric
motors instead While it is far ahead of the
underground roads in London operated by
steam. which are simply vile on account Of the
smoke and gases and the poor ventilation, L
cannot say that 1t is exactly pleasant or agree
able to ride on. The cars are Of the usual Eng
Iish type which is unsatisfactory to Americans.
The recent progress in tunnel-budng and the
improvements made in the Of electricity al
a motive power are so great that tunnel puiit
at the present time would be far superior 10
the City and South London.
This road is six and a quarter miles in length
The cars are lighted by electricity and the ven
tilaton is apparently good, the tunnel being en-
trey free from gases and unpleasant ooors
STILL 1t cannot be said to be an exactly up-to-date
tunnel and railroad l went down in one OF the
elevators in the station near the Monument ana
rode to the terminus Of the road on the south
side Of the Thames. where I assembled to the sur
face in an elevator. These elevators VIII carry
seventy five persons each. and they are arranged
with folding iron gate on one side, so that the
entire side can be thrown open for passengers
20 enter and 20 out. They are not at all like an
ordinary elevator, where people have TO pass out
one at a time. 1t plain from my observa-
ton that the passengers leaving tram couio
enter the elevators faster than they could walk
"The Central London Railway will be thor
oughly up TO date in every particular Woik On
II was begun in July 1896, and the road Is ex-
pected to be finished by the end OF lo9S, SO tna'
it will be two years and a half in BUILDING. Inc
vicinity Of the Bank where this roao rs 10 stat l.
is one of the busiest places on the glooe. IN the
little square there, a space perhaps twenty fee'
square is inclosed by boards ana mere all the
earth and refuse are brought to the SURFACE ano
Carted away without interfering with the Nas'
amount of traffic carried on there. AT TINS sta
tion it is the intention to have fve great ere
yators and Il Is calculated that they VIII Dc
capable OF handling about forty mliiioh Peopi'
a year That is Just about the number OF peo-
Dle carried on the Brooklyn Bridge In a year
ard TO my mind 1t solves the question or hand
ling the large number Of passengers who VIII DC
carried In the tunnel that Is to be oullt IN con
nection with our Atantic-ave. Improvement
The tunnel at Cortlandt-st will be about sew
enty-fye feet below the surface ana the one Il
the Brooklyn City Hall 40 feet below, II re
member correctly. At the Bank in London ths
tunnel is "a feet below the surface. and one o
the stations on the Central road Will be 3S zee
down With a station 100 feet below the sur
face II Is possible with one OF these elevators u
deliver passengers on the ground in torty sec
onds This is not matter OF guesSWorh VI al al
estimate. but has Deen pIact-Caiiy oe'A40ii''O
In London"
THE ATLANTIC AVENUE COMMISSION
Regarding the work of the Atlantic Avenue
Commission Mr. Blackford said that It woulc
depend TO a considerable extent on he progress
made by the Long Island Railroad in rerIect
ing the plans for its tunnel. The company /:
now engaged in making additon1l borihes' II
order to determine the exact nature OF the sol
through which the tunnel will be built, so ina
accurate estimates Of the cost may be mace
He expected that the Commlssion would be epi'
to begin practical work in the course OF lie"
weeks
Revertng to the subject Of tunnels in Londoi,
ne smoke OF his experience in walking throrSi
the Blackwall Tunnel, which was opened bA
the Prince of Wales a few months ago. IN
Riackwan Tunnel" said Mr. Backford "is fo
pedestrians and vehcular traffic alone; no ran
road is TO run through 1t. In - CONSTRUCTION
the latest ideas in tunnel-building were en-
nIoved The entire length is about two mile!
and half: the approaches are long. so as to sc
easy grades. To walk through this tunnel Il
about as pleasant as TO stroll along Br9adWal
on an afternoon The tunnel is lined with lgnt
colored glazed brick. is clean and airy, and Il
perfectly lighted with electricity. Compare'
with the surface OF the ground, II is little cnlii!
down there There is drawback. however 7
The acoustic properties Of the tunnel are sucl
that the reverberatons Of any noise are deafen
IT,. IL. l. L. rA a.At tll -. "