The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-08-17
A DANGERS.
PlsSENG ERs JIE ELY TO BB
DROWNED LIKE RATS.

tn0 erUan -ENnmhnntion OF EnG1ne0f EAr-
sons Touching His Underground Rapid Trnn.
cit Pians-FIoods Not the Least OF Them.
The Supreme Court Commission, which Ia TO
report as to whether tho proposed underground
railroad in this city should DO built or not, sat
again yesterday afternoon at the rooms of the
Rapid Transit Railroad Commission in the Home
Life building, and George Zabriskie, who APP
pears for the principal opponents Of the scheme.
continued his cross-examination Of Chief Engi-
neer William Barclay Parsons. One OF the in.
teresting facts brought out is that tho building
Of the tunnel would require the building or re-
building OF about thirteen miles Of sewers in
our streets.
Mr.. Parsons produced a largo number of
drawings showing the number and character of
tho underground structures which tho tunnel
builders would DO likely to encounter. and
studies which ho has made as to how the sewers
along tho routes of the proposed road and those
In the cross streets which would be cut in two
by the underground road might be recon-
structed. Ho said he had discovered that there
werc more than thirty blocks along Fourth ave-
nue. which had no main sewer. and that many
largo buildings there were dependent for drain
age upon small pipes run down side streets to
sewers.
Mr.. Zabriskie began his c~ross.exnmination by
inquiring into the manner in which Mr.. Par
sons proposed to drain tho tunnel itself, and
during the whole of the session he had at his
elbow Civil Engineer J. J. X. Croes. who IS
apparently to be his expert in attacking the
feasibility of Mr.. Parsons's plans and the correct
ness of his estimates of cost. MIR. Parsons said
that in places he would put drains under the
tunnel TO carry Off water that might accumu-
late around it, but that in most cases he
should expect the concrete bottom of the
tunnel itself to serve as a drain to
take Off any water that might find its way into
the tunnel. as. for example. by the bursting Of
water main where these might he carried
through the stations. The water in such cases,
he said, would run TO the bottom, OF the grades
in the tunnel and then either DO let into sewers.
or. If tho tunnel wcrc below mean high-water
mark, IL would drain into wells and DO pumped
from these by automatic pumps. There were
two places. he said, where wells would certainly
be required. Ono was in the section near Canal
street and the other in the tunnel under the
Harlem River.
To some OF the listeners this suggested an un.
pleasant possibility. Suppose that a big water
main in the tunnel were to burst and flood one
of these low sections when trains were passing
through that part Of the tunnel. what would
happen TO the passengers il the trains were
carry OFT the water as fast as the main poured it
out I Would not the PASSENGERS be drowned like
regarding, this possibility, but perhaps MIR. Ia:
briskic will inquire into i later. Mr.. Parsons
testified that the tunnel will encounter 4s.inch
water mains on Forty.sccond street and at Fifth
avenue and Forty second street. and that, 1t
would pass under n whole nest OF these big
pipes at 10Th street; that 1t would encounter a
3G.inrh main Mt Fourteenth street and Union
square and n great many pipes OF 2O-inch diam
eter or less along its route. Pipes of one foot or
less IN Ciamctcr he said, could be carried through
The, stations suspended from the ceiling beams,
while The bigger ones would have to be carried
through Under the psssenger platforms. II the
be q we'll ~ the Battery Park. MIR. Parsons
might ue endangered by the breaking OF any OF
The water pipes which were to go through the
an iivisIon l., from the Post Office to Forty
sGsond street. which was the especial subject OF
said the sewers would not need 10 pass through
the stations. Fourth avenue. he said, forms a
his route. and The cross.toWn sewers could be
broken az lhe stations and the sewage run from
he said. could also be broken ut the stations
and sloPed north and south from them and
loops thus formed. The greater part Of Mr..
Zabriskie,s inquiry. YESTERDAY was evidently
Ing: through! his own Witnesses. Sir. Parsons,s
estimates OF the COS, of the tunnel. For this
plain, in detail, how he had made up each
% me &c, i GiYIs;or Of mis- Is, estimates on the
i'arsonS's table called for $4,000 cubic Yards
e. earth or rock 70 be eycayH,ed and then re;
finally disposed 81 elsewhere. 10000 cubic
nary briciworE fs.575 ions so of sie yaF Wor o. , sT1i,
brickwork for stations; cut stone for foot pieces
tunnel roof. and much asphalt waterprooans
for the tunnel.
Mr.. Parsons declared that in estimating the
amount Of the excavation and refilling he had
made full allowances Tor going outside the line
OF the tunnel. both for ordinary building and TO
get At pipes and sewers. according to the actual
conditions as he had dcveiorsd them by surveys.
that which occupied the place OF the tunnel
and stations, themselves. and his concrete
the actual quantities that would be required.
ms differs from his former form of estimate.
otitems under the head OF oxcavating" by
adding TO that item an arbitrary excess both in
The walls and floor of the tunnel. Mr.. Parsons
said, would be OF concrete and eighteen inches
standing water in the .H soil. At such !" places inr@pE Ee
wonid increase the thickness OF the lower part
that OF the floor to three or three and a halffcet.
According GA supplementary estimate he would
estimate and replace 1t with concrete for the jack
arches OF the roof and in some other places. He
concrete of the tunnel by making the moulds
that 1t was formed against smooth. and oiling
!nem. such a surface would receive paint and
hold It without scaling. Mr.: Parsons also de-
nels under the Fourth avenue horse-car tunnel
from Thirty.second to Forty-second streets
cars. Under this tunnel he proposcs to build
his tunnel in three cross sections; The central
h~orse.car tunnel and carry two SETS Of tracks,
and on each side OF this he would build narrow
support the tracks in lhe Fourth avenue tunnel
ON cross beams. and then work down between
and under the tracks by blasting. Under the
walls OF the tunnel he would at first leave the
rock, ana then when he got down to the level of
the bottom of his own tunnel he would blow
holes in this rock and. replace it gradually with
arches of brick work. IAfter that he would make
cross headings into the sites for his side tunnels
and then work north and south, blasting ont tho
rock for these.
Nothing was said as to the prospect OF blow
ing up the passengers in the Fourth avenue
horse cars during these operations. nor OF tum-
bling down the roof. but 1t seems fair to assume
that New Workers would not pick out that route
rs n favorite one during the prosecution of this
work.
The hearing will be continued to-day at 1890
p. NJ.