New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-09-09
WHALEN's COSTLY DELAY.
RAPID TRANSIT TUNNEL MAI EHi<''''
GOING Up WHILE HE is Avail

,rpr COMMISSIONS NEXT MEETING WILL
RI rR,1r1Ess WITHOUT CORPORATION
cor-SsE1is PROMISED LITTER.
The learned whalen. Tammanys C0Fpo'a' v.'
Counsel who developed such suouo" ~
,be rapjd transit road after ne re0eN'O
MONA 10 appear before the Maze' 49,
went 70 Boston yesterday TO MAKE DIS "e s"'N
careful inspection" of the subway III una ~
II WAS said at his Office that ne prooaoS "oUlU
-, r@+,,rr 70 New-York until Monday and that
Nc might also make an inspection OF 'ne i'0''
,rpnnel The underground road In this city WI"
5, 80 ,,ta the Hoosac Tunnel than Ike the
- s,,hvvsv Mr. Whalen will write the re-
lie ~ his observations in a letter to the hapiu
TT, Commission There is no DOUBT. OF
- chat a cursory examination OF this
,,a,,htv matter by Mr.. Whalen Will prove or
,,,rense value 70 the city and he VIII be abe
20 ,,,.a the Commissioners many valuable point
ers which their own engineers have not Deen
,hle 70 arrive at after years OF close STUDY OF
the subject u,a
In the mean time all progress with the RAPID
transit prelininaries Will be at standstil un'i
Mr. Whalens promised letter Is sent 10 the
1,a,id Transit Commissioners approving 'he
,..rtract as a whole and containing those sus
a.siions for slight changes therein which ne mas
made and which the Commissioners nave p'oi"-
.a., 80 accent These are that laborers on the
.,,r,ol no Maid AT the rate Of So a day. and that
.be condemnation proceedings for property along
+be route he left in the hands OF Mt " iaien
and his assistants. 1t was reported yes'eIuaS'
however that Mr.. Whalen would not be hKey
~ send that letter until he has consulted ABOUT
q with Theodore Connoly. the assistant Cor
,oration Counsel. who is in Europe and Is not
eynected TO return for week or two
The regular meeting OF the Commissioners
takes Mace on Thursday next but without MI
1Vh9len's letter Is not likely 10 amount TO mucH
Controller Coler said yesterday that he woniu
,robablv have the engineers Of his department
look into the question Of the cost Of the tunnel
.,,ce Tho nojut has been raised that Whalen's
6e,a,- viii rrove q costly one. because the COST
cf structural steel and most other building ma
,erial has increased SO greatly in recent months
,;eoYs. l. Rives one Of the Commissioners,
.neakirg ON this point took occasion TO repeat
.1-esterdav an argument which The Tribune mas
often called attention TO, and thal i uhat u
docs NOT matter 10 the city so much what inc
+ll,noI costs so long as the sum does not go De
v,ud the periniSsiVC maximum. lnasmuch as
IN city viii eventually get back the Whole Cost
whatever IT may be- This IS due 10 ,ne p,u-
>is,or that the amount Of the rental OF the tun-
,,el raflUav shall hc based on the COST OF the
construction. and that IN addition, percentage
Of the revenues shall 20 into A SINKING iu1u
calculated AT the expiration OF d 'l'!
lease ~ rquidate the entire Indebtedness OF the
civ Oh account Of the tunnel
A1r Rives added that he did not snare me
fear that the Increased cost Of building maternal
-Von1d ~aise the cost Of the tunnel beyond the
maximum sum allowed by the law S'OW"uVo
because the estimate made by the engineers OF
the Board and regarded as conservative placed
the cost Of constitution al only S5VV"V""'
while according To- ris recollection the highest
estimate of the most hostile Of the engineers
who testified before the supreme Court Com
hole of he Y-TfH
+a,l1rav was $50 Oon OOO The margin Of S19.-
600 600 or S20OOoUOo. Mr.. Rives thought. ought
10 be quite sufficient 20 provide for any IN
creased cost due to the causes mentioned.