The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1899-07-18
NEW YORK IS !.
TUNNEL MAD.
Its Maguates Are Constructing Iun-
neIs in All Directions Leading Out
of Manhattan island.

first tunnel scheme was projected-so
many years ago that the Oldest inhapl-
tants would have difficulty In rememper-
ing the date-and since that time there
have been dozens Of such projects isuhch.
ed upon the financial world. some OF
these have existed only upon paper "hlie
others have progressed 70 most inter
esting condition Of incompletion, Dut III
each case the interest that mas oeeu
aroused In the proposed Improvement mas
been permitted TO languish and die anu
FOR score or more of years the cii@en'
OF New York have thought less OF the
tunnel schemes than Of the possibility
OF some time being able TO reach f-u-
rome by means of aerial navigation.
suddenly. however there has come a
change in the public pulse and no" no
thing but tunnels and underground iran
sit is being talked OF.
During the few weeks that have elaps-
ed since the revival Of these long buried
projects nearly score OF plans nave
been drawn and all have tended to the
same end. II these are all carried out the
citizen Of New York who rides above
ground will be regarded somewhat in the
light Of a relic of old conditions who Is
too slow to keep up with the times. The
completion Of an the plans will mean that
we are 20 have at least two tunnels 10
Jersey city. two or more 70 Brooklyn one
To staten Island TO say nothing Of those
that are TO extend TO less important
points and the great system OF under
ground subways through which the street
car traffic of the city is TO pass If the
dreams OF the transportation magnates
are 20 be realized.
RAPID TRANSIT TUNNEL.
h.. hmm
project is that which Is proposed as a
means of obtaining rapid transit for the
city. Years and years ago similar
plan was conceived and a tunnel was
started under Broadway. This big sub
way was carried for a considerable dis
lance and the work was then stopped.
Last winter the burning of one of the
business blocks opened up one OF the
old entrances and then only some OF the
old citizens remembered that such tun-
mel had once been projected and they
were able to recall the fact that vast
sums of money had been dumped INTO
this hole i'm the ground.
Up 10 the present time the tunnel
schemes of New York have been chiefly
conspicuous for the ease with which
they have consumed the capital Of those
who have interested themselves in them.
The old Hudson River tunnel Is without
doubt the costlest hole I'm the ground IN
the world At the present time II is a
long. deep excavation. filled almost 10 the
top with water To the eve OF the casual
observer who was not up i'm tunnel lore
il does not look as If it was worth
the trouble Of pumping It out and yet
this is an that is left to show for more
than 100000, and the loss Of twenty
b, Nas carly in the seventies that Col.
Dewitt Clinton Haskins conceived the
scheme Of constructing q tunnel under
the Hudson River. He had made money
I'm the Union Pacific railroad and and his
reputation as an engineer enabled him 10
interest such men as Senator Jones OF
Nevada and millionaire Park in his 9ro-
leCt. Together they subscribed 2oW,VD
10 carry out the plans and when the
money had been spent they stopped work.
During this period however the tunnel
sprung a leak and twenty-one men were
drowned like rats I'm a trap. At the time
when the work on the tunnel was brought
10 "a standstill the hole gas not half com
pleted
The prospects for the completion Of
the other tunnel schemes are almost
equally as bright for when such men as
Rothschid. Rockefeller Whitney. Wide
ner. Elkins. Flower. and Brady figure in
"a syndicate formed for specific purpose
he would be a rash prophet who would
dare 10 predict the failure Of the project.
For some time past these men whose
names are almost synonymous for money
have been accommodating street railway
interests i'm all parts Of the country Just
what they have succeeded in accom-
plishng I'm and around New York is still
somewhat Of a mystery, but there IS na
doubt but that the time will soon come
when the railway interests Of Manhattan
and Brooklyn Will unite I'm one great
street railroad trust. To better accom-
plish the aims of these magnates the
tunnels are TO be built-nOt one, but sew
eral for the traffic plans that they have
outlined constitute one Of the most 81
gantlc TRANSFORMATION schemes ever con-
ceived In the brain of man. Subways
are TO be laid from one end Of New York
city to the other. tunnels are 10 cross the
rivers I'm almost every direction. connect
ing with practically every available point.
In fact the now distinct and separate Sec
tons OF the Greater New York are 10 be
united in every sense of the word.
PUBLIC BENEFIT
The citizens Of New York will profit by
the carrying out Of these schemes even
If they do place many additional mil
lions in the pockets of those whose UNI
limited wealth Will make such improve
ments possible Brooklyn and New York
will be connected as never before. Flu
ture traffic between the two boroughs
will be undisturbed by the elements.
Long Island city will be brought so near
10 Manhattan that the distance between
the two places will be practically incon-
ceivable.
Staten Island. whose residents are now
compelled to depend upon the uncertain
ferry boats will be flashed through tun-
nels to their homes before they have
had time 10 read the weather predictions
in the daily paper In fact, if all these
plans are carried out distance will be
obliterated so far as the New Yorker IS
concerned and with the wealth OF two
worlds behind the scheme success Is
possible With the millions Of the Rookie
fellers and the Whitneys the Flowers
and the Wideners many things are pos
sible, but when To that is added the
millions Of the Rothschilds. to say Moth
ing of-f1e many men Of millions in Eu-
rope who would gladly contribute to
any enterprise In which they are inter
ested. absolutely nothing in the cOnstruc-
ton line IS impossible
Is IT any wonder that, under these CIR
cumstances, New York has gone tunnel
mad?