The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-08-11
ORR IAUDS TUNNEL PLAN.
HIs ROSY view OF HoLE-IN-THE-
GROUND RAPID TRANSIT

posed R0nu " ouho " = MONEY HhAeE W. /
That Its Construction would Enrich the
City,s Troasury-Mr. Parsons Examined Toe
President Orr and Civil Engineer Parsons Of
tho Board Of Rapid Transit Commissioners were
the witnesses examined yesterday before the
special commission appointed by the Appellate
Division Of tho Supreme Court to determine
whether the tunnel planned by the commission
should be built without the consent OF the own
ers Of property along the route. The commits
sion met at $50 Broadway. Mr.. Boardman Of
Tracy, Plat s. Boardman appeared for the
Commissioners. and George Zabriskie conducted
tho REORGANIZATION for the opponents to tho
tunnel scheme.
Mr.. Orr said that to at himself to act as Presi-
dent Of the Board Of Rapid Transit Commits
sioners he had devoted a good deal Of time to
studying the various systems in use In this
country and abroad. He went TO Boston and
rode on n motor driven by electricity from an
overhead wire on q branch Of the New York.
New Haven . d Hartford Railroad. The branch
Is about six Iuilcs long, and tho motor Ia geared
to make thirty-Hve miles an hour. Mr.. Orr said
that he thought 1t went as fast as that; 1t went
so fast that he was glad to got of. He also
examined all the engines he saw at the
Worlds Fair in Chicago, paying particular
attention to electric and compressed air motors.
Mr.. Orr went to London and rode on the under
| ground railroad there, the tracks OF which are
eighty feet below the surface. He said that the
air In the tunnel was reasonably good, and that
the English people seemed to enjoy riding on
the road. although tho Accommodations for pas
sengers were not what they should have been.
Mr.. Orr felt depressed while he was in this tun-
mel. and was glad to get back TO the surface. The
underground steam railroad. he said. was intol-
cradle, and he would never ride on ono unless
he was compelled to. Mr.. Orr has also peeked
into the new tunnel in Boston.
Getting down to the proposed Elm street
route Mr.. Orr said that he was led to the con-
clusion that, since the Supreme Court had
knocked out the Broadway scheme, the Elm
street plan was the most available, because 1t
provided for a wcll-balanced railroad, covering
the territory we'll. and making quick runs pos
sible. He thought that when it was in operation
the people would demand its extension. and
that in time far more than $4,000. 900
would be spent on 1t and the con-
nections. He expected that Broadway would
be tunnellcd from Forty.second street to
Fourteenth, and from there to City Hall
after the people realized what a great blessing
platforms only sixteen feet below the street level.
and he thought that the capitalists. whose in
prefer the Broadway tunnel. Mr.. Orr said that
he still thought that the Broadway line would
be by far the best for the city and for all con-
cerned.
He based his bCllef that capitalists wOulu
build and operate the road. backed by the city.
on the fact that the financial conditions arc so
much better now than they have been. The
capitalists. and Mr.. Orr said that he might
express very great hopes" that ilns1cicrs
tract is being drafted by Mr.. Shepard OF the
boards counsel.
In his cross-examination Mr.. Orr said that he
thought II better for the city to assume the land
damages than to ask a contractor to sign a
issss WIN him an IN T the fase." qe Mp. or G fhi fGnt sSet
%, 900, 900 will cover these claims. To a qucs.
estimated the amount Of the land damages. Mr..
Orr answered that property owners were
ssraStIon siv'MRE IF. t 6fr ssia that to the the s sSh.
mate Of $35 100000 for the construction
cent. for Unforeseen expenses. He said that in
case tho cost ran above $35. O0O. 900 he would
thss s4 nss go. 900 Sp would QUIZ mort not complete S%s p Il the the Foad.
Mr.. Orr said that the cost of construction might
Road ee fe snsni.h ey i'f He fes she sP PRe lin eed from ni c shs
Hall to the Battery as essential.
Ai Mei r zsnF nsse F By the q d part IS e 1spoTi ri Y % ine
i us bo in T ihst it, i was Rr Giys M,S as ,6 the 'G Ss q ents OF
asked MIR. Orr il the Commissioner now intend
to admit i, TIA that r they y,, were inn mi so a h. then, and to
missioners were mistaken. holding that
Elm street line now. whereas it would have been
! because while in each case the city was TO sup
ply the money. now the bonds would sell for
) less difficulty in getting security. In 1898 it was
t understood that the widening OF Elm street
: would not be done in less than five years. He
thought tho Rapid Transit Commissioners had
! hsstened this betternept.
= Mr.. Orr said he thought that the tunnel might
q make Elm street a second Broadway. All the
work in that street, he. thought, would be done
: said id that the he's plans siHsf for the Elm street route had
not been submitted to outside engineers because
the outside men had always confirmed the esti'
2 mates OF Mr.. Parsons in the past. Several men
. he said. were in Communication with the board
= over the possible leasing, of the road, but nc
| definite offer had been made.
9 Mr., Orr said that he thought the Appellate
. Division OF the Supreme Court was, wrong in IT.
. decision on the Broadway tunnel plan. The
; court had no data to base its calculation on
. The Commissioners were represented only by
! volunteer witnesses. while the opposition TO the
road was represented by paid experts employed
n a to give evidence against the plan. For this rea
statistics that were by no means favorable te
! the tunnel.
. Mr.. Orr could not give many details of the
; plan now proposed. He was more familiar with
= all the others than with the present one: He
I msSs q 9 nsr Ssni, t nroa, c9 y th.1 sot ought ,Sa to t,
o tract at $35. o0O, 900. Mr.. Orr didn't know
GThSt population pO Sh, on f thG asw road tS.t would mon hHve b. t.
money maker. and that the city treasury would
/. s be greatly ii S esss ,Ss By lint it; Mr., Orr sE, ssid tsrth nn
town above Forty.second street on the cas-
side he would be in favor of having i
T. order that 1t might get the travel from Fifth ay
enue which now goes to the Third avenue Gle
- waited railroad. and because the city further
east is already well supplied with transit facili
4. ties. Mr. Orr said that only the total estimate
for the cost OF divisions OF the road had been laiC
, before the Commissioners. and that he knew
L. nothing OF the detailed estimates Mr.. Orr's OF
10 animation was closed.
Mr.. Parsons told the Commissioners about hi
Is experience in building transi: lines. and de
d scribed the proposed tunnel. He said 1t wa
,r much like one recently driven in Budapest, an,
ID that it was intended to build it by the cut an
70 cover system. digging a trench, building tn
ID tunnel, and then filing the hole up. Mr.. Pal
rs sons's examination will be continued.
10 two new oppositions to the tunnel. They wer
d from James Stokes and the Young Mems Chris
rs tian Association.
10 --
Q. RH0T KITH HIS OmN PICrnI