New-York tribune., 1897-01-01
A RAPID TRANSIT ROUTE.
NEW PLAN ANNOUNCED BY THE CON-
MISSIONERS

TIE COST TO BE LESS THAN sss 900 ooo--r FOUR
EFT. AND FouRTH-AvE TO FoRTY-sEc-
oHD AND UP THE WEST SIDE TO
ONE HUNDRED AND FOURTH
! sT.-THE OTHER BRANCHES.
The Rapid Transit Commissions last meet
ing or the year yesterday probably the
most important of It's meetings since the Ap-
peate Division OF the Supreme Court blocked
| the building OF an underground road in Broad
way. There were present at the meeting Alex
ander f. Orr Mayor Strong, John H. StarIn
John Clafin. George l.. Rives, Woodbury. Lang
| don and Charles Stewart Smith the Controller
| being the only member of the Commission ab-
! sent; william B. Parsons, the chief engineer:
| L. NJ. Shepard and A. y. Boardman, counsel.
| and l.. L. Delafeld, the secretary. At the end
| OF the meeting President Orr made public
new plan for rapid transit road, mostly un-
derground, to be built along this route:
| A two-track underground road from South
| Ferry along Broadway and Park Row to Cham
| bers-st.
four-track underground road from Cham
bers-st.. along Elm-st.. Fou.th-ave. Forty ysec-
| ond-st.. Broadway and the Boulevard to One
| hundred -and-fourth-st.
A twO-track road from ne-hundred and
| fourth-st running northerly along the Boule-
ward. Eleventh-ave. ElwoOd-st. and Broadway
| to point In Kingsbridge north OF the Harlem
| River. the road to be underground except across
| the Manhattan Valley and the Harlem River.
| which will be bridged by the road
two-track road from One-hundred and
fourth-st running northeasterly under private
property. One-hundred- -and-sixth-st and Cen
| tral Park to IenOx-ave and then nOrtherly
along Lenox-ave. to the north side Of the Har
| lem River. and then TO Bronx Park. the road
| to be underground. with a tunnel under the
! Harlem River. TO point east Of Third-ave., be-
yond which there will be an elevated road
Loops vii. be constructed at South Ferry and
| in city Hall Park underground.
PRESIDENT ORR'S EXPLANATION.
In explaining the reasons which led the Com
| mission to adopt the new plan tentatively. Mr..
| Orr said. in part:
| A railroad upon these lines can be constructed
for something less than S5.OOOo0o. which seems to
| be the maximum permissible expenditure. There
are several quite obvious objections to this route.
| which have been carefully considered by the Com
miss.oners but which they deem 1t impossible to
obvate at the present time under the limit ations
placed upon their action In the hrst place IL -
ford adequate facilities for the people living east
Of the line OF Fifthave. between Forty-second ana
| one e-hundred and-t tenth SITS But the main object
of any proposed railroad must be to secure really
rapid transport alton between the northerly and
| southery portions OF the city. and TO Obtain TINS
requires the running OF express trains and the con
sequent construction OF four-rack railroad; Tor
while three-track road permits the running OF eX-
press trains certain hours OF the day two-track
road in city must be run solely as local road
II follows that II two two-track railroads were
constructed north OF second-st. the one east
and the other OF Central Park. although It
side Of the Park it would entirely fail in furnishing
rapid transit to the district to the north Again M to
more costly than to build one four-track road, and
|l,e railroad north OF the'arlem in order to keep
| within the limit OF s35,coW. To build two four
| track railroads the east OF the Park and the
| other west would involve expenditure OF much
more money than is available even II a contractor
| could be found, Is required under the statute.
| who would agree to construct ana operate such
| system .. ,,.,,o,, ,,,nouod
the commissioners TO carry the route 10 the west
OF the Park In the first place they are for3idden n
matter Of doubt whether they have & au.
thoritv 10 build under Fifh-ave. They are thus
as a route II they to construct on the East
Side and. this avepue is already occupied py =
ronstrncting four additional tracks would be con-
siderable and the expense would be very great
fact that. while the transit facilities to the east
OF the Park are not fully adequate TO the neeIs ls
NJ that district they are far better than those
now provided for the people on the West Side.
The Commissioners also believe tnai wnen me ne
success .t may readily be arranged to construct a
branch souhery from wbsrc coe
alo,E necton With the main line may be effected
along entirely independent route West Est OF %
ccny ciiy Hail '
OTHER ADDITIONS EASY
II should be noticed that. while provision Is only
made for extensions north or the Harlem to the
nephborhood of Van Cortandt Park, and the en-
trance to Bronx Park. It would be quite a simple
matter TO add other lines. For example. an ele-
yated line starting from the 1Iarlem River and
running northery In the direction of Jerome-a ave.
could be built the city limits a; any time; and
ON the east and west the lines suggested by the
BOARD could he extended to Mount Vernon and
Yonkers.
In the opinion Of tho Board the ain point is to
make an intelligent htart and 1t is the firm belief
NJ the Commissioners tha: when even a section OF
the railroad shall have put In successful oper-
alton The demand for its extension VIII be Simply
Irresistible 1t is obvious that at the present time
the DEVELOPMENT of the city is retarded by the In
adequacy of its transit facilities and no person
Who has made n careful study OF the recent devel-
opment OF sub-surface railroads In othcr cities can
doubt that they offer the best possible solution OF
the serious question which now Affects the city or
New York. =, -. -. -.o,,,o.s ., tho
BOARD have considerable doubt rs to the wisdom
OF laying out route on Broadway sourn OF 'n s
causes which 1t is unnecessary to enumerate but, M
having laid out complete route IL Is a,ways ~ poi
II 1t IS deemed advisable
PUBLIC HEARINGS ON THE PLAN.
President Orr said that public hearings would
be given as soon practicable on the proposed
new plan and that the details OF these hearings
would be arranged at the meeting OF the Com
mission next Thursday. The latest plan makes
no provision for rapid transit in the part OF the
CITY directly east OF Central Park. but MIR. Orr
said that a branch 10 connect the four-track
road at Forty -second-st. with the two-track
road nj Ienox-ave and One hundred and sixth
st. could he built at any time after the compile
ton Of the main lines
FERDINAND WARD WANTS HIS son.