New-York tribune., 1900-04-02
TUNNEL BIDS IN TO-DAY.
SUCCESSFUL sUB-CoNTRACTORs MAY
SOON BE KNOWN.
TRIBUNE READERS EXPECTED MIR. BEL
MONT WOULD ORGANIZE THE
OPERATING COMPANY.

OPERATING COMPANY.
This is the last day for sub-contractors to put in
their bids TO John B. Mcdonald for excavating Sec
tons of the rapid transit tunnel Many in al
ready. They will all be opened to-day, but the
nouncement of their acceptance rejection is not
expected at once.
August Belmont's announcement, published yes
terday that he was organizing operating COM
pany to run the underground rapid transit railway
as soon is completed by the construction COM
peny of which he is president did not surprise TO
any great extent the readers OF The Tribune On
January 3o the day which it announced for
the first time that John B. Mcdonald the sue
cessful bidder the contract. had found hacker
in Mr.. Belmont. this paper pointed out the extreme
probability that Long Island Railroad interests
would be closely allied with the new road. Again
February 20. when the announcement or the
names of the directors in the newly organized Rap
Id Transit Subway Construction Company was first
made, The Tribune drew attention to the fact that
four Of these directors also directors OF the
Long Island Railroad. For the third time, on
March last. when the Long Island road suddenly
withdrew its long standing application for a fran
chise to tunnel under the East River, this paper
showed that the abandonment Of the Long Islands
tunnel would be the natural and the wsest thing
to if Long Island Railroad interests going
to operate the road which the city itself pro-
posed extend by tunnel Of its construction
to Brooklyn.
On the other hand, when Albert 3. Boardman.
. February "a, made the gratuitouS announcement
that the law of gravitaton will land the new road
in the hands of the Metropolitan Street Railway
Company" and when few days later Controller
Coler quoted saying positively that the
Metropolitan people would operate the tunnel road
after it built The Tribune published March
interview with keen observer of traction
affairs in this city. in which he said:
If that CHE withdrawal of the tunnel franchise)
does indicate that the Long Island Railroad In
terests intend operate the tunnel railway for the
life OF McDonald's fifty year franchise, at least.
then am very much mistaken. Don't let yourself
be fooled b. the remarks thrown out from time 10
time by friends of August Belmont that the road is
destined TO fall into the hands Of the Metropolitan
Railroad. August Belmont controls its destiny
for fifty years and the construction company
road after it is built. There is more money for
them in using it to build UP Long Islands popula-
tion and Long Island suburban property than Tor
any one else.
A man who stands close to w c. Whitney said
to Tribune reporter yesterday:
You can say for the Metropolitan people that we
announced on saturday that he was forming a
COMPANY 10 operate the road I Nearly r al tn the 9Ts
( there is no profit at five cents head We VIII be
/ long haul passengers way from us. When we
carry man in cars from Harlem TO City Han
for five cents we calculate that ne owes US nearLy
half OF one cent. BY that mean that II has cost @
proportion Of the salary OF the conductor ana
motorman, etc almost 5ls cents to 1a1d no MI MIN b az
for us and when the passengers get out OF Lne s
tunnel they will IN large numbers take % sh0rt ices ICES
, rightly informed when II said that August Belmont
tunnel road after they have built it. and when it
has been extended to Brooklyn II will prove most
feeder Brooklyn traction interests Doln
10 the Long Island road and to the Brooklyn Rapid
IId ra{{uvaV nteres+s and whose cars are al
ready overburdened with long haul passengers
It is said that the new operating company will be
backed by August and Perry Belmont and by
! Standard Oil Long Island Railroad and Brooklyn
Rapid Transit 10 a large extent. and that
one of the principal in il will be w. H. Bald
! win jr. president of the Long Island Railroad
That Mr. Belmont is losing no time is shown by
| the engagement of z. P. Bryan, of st. Louis. at
salary of $4,000 year as general manager. His
immediate duty will be to advise the construction
company on all questions which will bear upon the
future operation of the road. He will begin his
duties bout Nav / and will probably draw 1000
in salary before carwheel turns in the tunnel
Mr.. Bryan began his railroad career with the
Belmont is chairman of the Board of Directors. In
1891 he was appointed Superintendent of the com
panys terminals in Louisville and later was trans
ferred to St LOUIS For the last four years with
the ST. Louis Terminal road he has made an ex-
ceent record.
ROUNDS MAY MANAGE THIRD AVENUE
F. D. Rounds the present superintendent of the
Metropolitan Street Railway system. according to a
report which gained publicity yesterday, is TO be
/ appointed general manager of the Third Avenue
road II is said that the actual management OF the
| line will placed in his charge at once, and that
the road will therefore be Immediately put on a
/ working basis as part of the Metropolitan system
AS a result, it also reported, of a conference
between H H Vreeland William c. Whitney and
| Hugh ]. Grant Mr Grants receivership may be
| terminated in week or ten days Neither, Mr; h
| Whitney. Mr.. Grant nor Mr.. Vreeland could De
/ reached yesterday. -,
| Another report was circulated yesterday TO the
effect that the Metropolitan company would 90
awaX with the present seating arrangements OF the
big Third Avenue The seats are placed cross
/ ways with an aisle between them. II is known
! that of the road have been complain
| ing of the discomfOrts Of the cars from the time
they were introduced the Third Avenue system.
II has been urged that the seats are too narrow 20
/ accommodate people OF average size, ana diso
the aiseS narrow that In the rusIi
hours when occupied even with a single row & OF
standing Messengers ii is impossible 70 reach tne
| door without great difficulty and much squeezing.
Another reason why IL is said the Met[opo!llIamIi an
| company will abolish the cross seats is tnat tney
are Instantaneous from financial point OIL E!tW
| for the reason that they take up room ,S wIlSti
| standing passengers might occupy, auuAHS IAei0'S
| TO the reve of the company
ro c1nrrp4CK RRY4N-S NOMINATION.