New-York tribune., 1899-05-19
MYSTERIOUS TUNNEL SCHENES
sURMIsEs AS TO THE PLANS OF TWO COM
PANIEs RECENTLY ORGANIZED

SURMIsEs AS TO THE PLANS OF TWO COM
PANIEs RECENTLY ORGANIZED.
More or less mystery attaches 10 two OF the three
tunnel companies recently organized here. and
many surmises as 10 the identity and ultimate plans
OF the men behind the schemes were heard yester-
day in Wall Street. The Brooklyn. New-York and
Jersey City Terminal Railway Company. as Is well
known, proposes 10 construct tunnel which shall
enable the Long Island Railroad Company to put
operation rapid transit service from this bor-
ough to Jamaica and beyond. Concerning the New
York and Brooklyn Railway Company Frederick B.
Esler its counsel. said yesterday that the corpora
ton had obtained a State charter in 1896 and had
that time secured the necessary consents from
the Mayor and Aldermen OF New-York City. But as
the city had been enlarged since then and new
charter had been given 1t. the company thought 1t
best to secure the consent Of the present city
ernment. in order 10 be on the safe side and had
therefore made application to the Municipal AS
sembly for such consent.
Mr. Esler added that Emerson McMillin Co.
would probably finance the tunnel construction and
that meeting would be held to-day at the Office
OF that firm at which time a director would be
elected to succeed Colonel John y. Partridge who
had resigned from the Board on becoming State
Superintendent OF Public Works. Mr.. Esler declined
TO give the OF the capitalists reported to be
backing his company or 70 disclose the route
planned for It's tunnel. He declared that he knew
Railway Company. which was incorporated at AL
bsny on Wednesday with the nominal capital OF
$4,000.
Nor could anybody else be found yesterday who
knew-or who would tell-anything about the latest
OF the tunnel projects. The Manhattan Tunnel
Railway Company, according TO its articles OF IN
corporation is 10 build a tunnel about a mile IN
length extending from point below cana i,st, or
the West Side OF this borough. 10 the middle OF
the North River II being the further Intention 10
continue the line into NewJersey, with terminus
in Jersey City. There were rumors that this enter
prise was backed by the Whitney syndicate which
would operate In the tunnel an electric railway,
connecting at its Manhattan terminus with some OF
the fines OF the Metropolitan Street Railway Com
pany . ... -.or,
Rit more credence was given 70 another report
that the Manhattan Railway Tunnel Company rep
resented interests close the present city govern
meut and that the motive power or the ralWsy
line 10 be operated in It's tunnel was not unnhsiy 70
be compressed air. This tunnel Is 20 nave its Man
haitian terminus as has been said. below Cahsl-
ST =" and tho New-York and Brooklyn HalIWay
COMPANY Is 10 have It's terminus IN tnls oorouSn
somewhere in the same territory. This peins tne
fact II was suggested yesterday, II would not ue
surprising to some people II the eastern terinthuss
OF the former tunnel and the western terminus ot
the latter should happen 70 be located al Ine saie
spot In that case uninterrupted communication
between Long Island and the mainland would easily
become an accomplished fact-communicaton not
only with New Jersey. but also with New ork
State the combined east and west tunnels oeins
in,ersected by the great north and south tunnel
whIch Tammany Is discussing the feasibility or
Constructing in Manhattan Island.