The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-11-18
THE SPEEDWAY IS OPENED.
ONE FART IN USE YESTERDAY, THE
OTHER TO mr. READr SOON.

Vhe Cost was ny the Euperts ut
o., 600. ooO-u u Expected Go Reach &c.
coo, o0O-On Thnt haste tho Ttnpid fran
sit Tunnel would Cost sl5B. 600. o Z
Tho completed portion OF the new Harlem
River Speedway was opened yesterday. No
ceremonies attended tho opening. The part
which WIS opened is two miles long and extends
from High Bridge on tho south TO Dyckman
street on tho north. Its greatest width Is $50
feet. The roadway has an average width OF %
feet. Tho rcst is apportloned to walks along
either side.
Tho original plans did not call for tho walk
along tho riverside. The riding and driving
interests thought that ono walk was SUFFICIENT.
The general public thought differently, and set
up a demand for n walk along cithor side OF the
roadway. Tho Park Board yielded to tho de-
mand. and the horsemen and horsewomen 1t is
said. wero not altogether pleased.
Tho Speedway follows tho course of the river,
and IA graded to tide level. Tho roadbed was
laid down under the supervision Of Capt. c. II.
Mcdonald, an authority on tho building
Of trotting tracks and roads for the
speeding ,of horses. Upon a Telford foun-
dation four inches Of broken trap rock were
laid, graded so that tho edges of tho road.
bed would BIO two inches lower than tho crown.
Upon the trap rock four lncbos OF cinders. rolled
and packed on tho Same plan, were laid, and
upon this was placed a top dressing OF sand,
loan, and clay. 1t is said that after the road
has boon narrowed and worked for a time II will
be tho most perfect of the kind in America.
Tho grade for tho entire length OF the com.
pleted portion Ia as ncar level as 1t was possible
TO get It. From High Bridge to a little beyond
Washington Bridge there are q few up and
down stretches, but the inclines and de-
clines are very gradual. Beyond WASHINGTON
Bridge for nearly a mile there is a perfectly
Lowell stretch. then follows a slight bond to tho
vest To1.So and iorm few v hundred b r.nrSed yards s S sms the ihS
portion of the speedway to be completed at the
southern end will be ready for use. it Is eS.
Entrance to the part now open is reached by
2 temporary road from Amsterdam avenue
Of this Temporary Sy' road stands 7 the old Carnan
homestead, overlooking the Harlem. which tho
Park Board intends to turn into a road house.
through a gateway at Dyckman street.
The cost Of this speedway is Of particular in;
with the building of an underground railroad.
1t will be remembered that the Rapid Transit
Copmissioners have said tho cost Of the
$4,000 900, The difference between the. est.
mated cost of the speedway and the actual cost
curaoy and unreiiability OF engineers esti,
mates for public works.
y vas es,imated hat 9th the SSppoedway com;
Of tho first milo was $999,O75. Then it was
stated that tho probable total cost would be
about 81. DOC, 900. This limit, was raised and
now BE. 600 900 is named as the final cost. If
this factor proves, in the future. rs variable as
1t has in the past, there is no telling what the
road will cost.
It has been seen that some Of tho most
important estimates were. fallacious. For
instance. 1t was estimated that it would
take eighteen months to complete the
road. The actual time thus far consumed
has been four years and the work
Is not yet done. Obstacles to the work were
encountered which no engineer could foresee,
which shows the need of leaving q wide margin
to the II aximum estimates for all great public
works.
The Rapid Transit Commissioners and their
young engineer. Mr.. Parsons, are absolutely
sure that the underground road cannot cost
more than 1886, 1000, 900. This road is to
DO something over fifteen miles long.
and the work is through rock and
under river beds for much of the distance. The
Speedway is only about two miles long. The
work has all boon on the surface. and yet. with
only q part of 1t completed. 1t has cost five times
rs much as the original estimate.
At the same rate, and were the work no more
difficult and costly to perform, the underground
road would cost $175 900. 900. and instead Of
boing completed in the estimated time. of five
years. it would take about nine years to build 1t.