New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-01-16

shall be completed at least three months before
the actual work Of construction shall be finished.
ne road VIII be leased to the contractor for
nifty years from the time that the Board shall
declare It ready for operation. At the expiration
OF that time the lease shall revert to the city
Wnch shaL purchase the road at a reasonable
price, wear and tear taken into consideration.
Two KINDS of trains shall be run-locaI and ex-
press. Inc local trains must be run at a rate Of
not less than fourteen miles an hour counting
the stops at stations. The rate Of speed of the
express trains must not be less than thirty
miles an hour, including stops. Trains must at
no time be run at less than ten minutes head
way No claims for injuries to passengers or
other persons shall be allowed by the city but
must be borne by the contractors Preca utions
are taken in the specifications for the heating
ana lighting Of atoms and cars and the wait
liIS rooms must De Kept clean and provided with
drinking water. The motive power must he o. &c
trlcity or compressed air, and must not vitiate
the atmosphere of the tunnel The fare must
not exceed five cents, except thar parIOr cars
may be furnished at a higher rate but not more
than one to each train. Finally. the contractor
may at the expiration Of the lease be entitled TO
another lease of twenty-five years.
WHO THE BIDDERS ARE.
Mr.. Mcdonald was born in Cork in 1874: came
to this country when fourteen years old re-
ceived a public school education. and did his
nrst work as a timekeeDer when the Boyd's
Corner reservoir was building in Putnam
County. He an inspector of masonry on
the building of the Fourth-ave tunnel and
later went Into the contracting business on his
own account receiving large contracts from
Dillon, Clyde & Co.. and was highly successful
he was interested in the High Bridge branch
OF the NeW-Jersey Central Railroad the
Georgian Bay branch OF the Canadian Pacific
RaiIfoad, the Boston and Hoosic Tunnel the
buILaIo extension Of the Delaware. I.acka wanna
and Western Railroad and also did extensive
work on the West Shore road Cornors lion
counsel Whalen is cousin OF Mr. Mcdonald
VINO Is also member Of the Democratic Club
Wnen Corporation Counsel WhaIen wrote a LET
EN- ger IN Iavor OF underground rapid transit
Eicbe-5 1879 ago, II was SAID at the time that
rSICL-aIu SIOASr nad been driving in Central
Park with John B. Mcdonald the dav bafora
MI. "haIens letter was published. Stories were
a4so current al the time to the effect that plac-
ing the work In the hands OF Tammany man
would enable the organization to control a largo
expenditure Of city money and the enonIovr1a7+
OF thousands Of men all through the rnunicfpaI
campaign Of 1901. These possfbiIirias ~ -
alleged, influenced the Tammany administra
Llon TO favor the building Of the tunnel and 70
Hsnt the Manhattan Railway Company. Yes
terday story was current that w G Whftna,,
the contract. ~ s0I
Mr. Onderdonk has carried some huge enter
prlses to completion in his time For Soma years
prior 10 1851 he was engaged as contractor for
the harbor improvements at San Francisco a
Dig 1oD running up into the millions Between
1ooo and 1879 he built 400 miles OF the Canadian
Pacific Railroad in British Columbia the con-
tract amounting to about $1S,OO0OO0 In 1886
ne engaged in the construction OF the Entire Rios
Railway IN South America After that he buiIt
nine miles of tunnel in Chicago and in 1SQ5
Canal for the Dominion Government involving
one OF the largest rock cuts in that country. He
also built a double track railway tunnel in
Hamilton. Ont. In connection with the Union
Bridge Company, of this city, in which he is
now interested, he built the Northwestern EIe-
waited Railway in Chicago, and has a contract
for four sections of the Soulange Canal in
Canada, and for half Of the great Victoria Bridge
at Montreal.
His latest big contracts are the widening of
the east channel IN this harbor and part inter
est in the Jerome Park reservoir.
General Thomas is we'll known and holds
directorates in so many big companies that they
need not be recited here. His interests touch
those OF the Whitneys, the Goulds, the Wander
bilts and the Rockefellers at several points, so
that his connection with the bid does not alone
afford any definite Clew TO who is behind il. His
words, however, as already quoted, indicate
much.
Mr. Whitridge is counsel for the China De-
velopment Company, which was one Of Calvin
s. Brice's many enterprises. and was chairman
of the Board Of Directors OF the Lake Erie and
Western Railroad Company which was alb
sorbed into the Lake Shore and Michigan South
ern system week or two ago.