New-York tribune., 1900-03-15
EAST RIVER TUNNEL PLANS
hackers OF THE NEW PETITION
ASK THE RAPID TRANSIT COM
MISSIONS HELP

The men who are identified with the New
York Brooklyn and Jersey City Rapid Transit
Company announce that they thoroughly in
earnest in their desire to build tunnel under
the East River, and state that their plans and
financial arrangements have practically been
completed. The company applied on Tuesday TO
the Municipal Assembly for franchise and
will have hearing on April Is. 1t would seem
that the proposed tunnel is to form part Of a
system the rest of which has already been
designed by the New-York and Brooklyn Trans
portation Company. Although differing in name
the two companies are to all ntents and pur-
poses one and the same, and are controlled by
the some directors. The tunnel company
yesterday forwarded a letter to Alexander E.
Orr. president of the Rapid Transit Commission
asking for the cooperation of the Board and
stating that its plans in no way inimical to
the tunnel contemplated by the Long Island
Railroad
In part this letter read:
On behalf Of the New-York. Brooklyn and Jer-
sey City Rapid Transit Company l have the honor
transmit herewith a map showing the route OF
tunnel railroad AT the crossings under Broad
Of your co1nmissioners projected tunnels under
Broadway passing over ours. If your engineer
Broadway he desires for your projected tunnels we
will arrange our tunnel graaes aeeoroi8!y. f Pei
crossings may have your permission Tor JOINT
observe that route occupies part of that re-
Gently abandoned by the Long Island Terminal
Company. We desire to state that while our route
furnishes the people of Brooklyn with very greatly
desired facilities it in sense Injuries the Long
Island Railway COMPANY because ,;S Ine tiIai mn
Railroad and Tunnel Company has applled Tor a
island depot with Brooklyn Plaza Zone of our ter
rninals). thereby affording accommodation for
tan by our tunnels the Bridge; and, again, the
terry and Brooklyn, in your bill now before the
Legislature at Albany If run to and under At
lantic-ave. the Long Island depot, would pre-
sent the best tunnel route for the Long Island
Ra%ay both 52m tbat dn rsMeT 70 deliver it's
passengers either to your Broadway extension tun-
or by means of a tunnel under the North River to
Jersey City.
George Wilson. a former Assemblyman of
Brooklyn, who is the president and chief en-
gineer of the new company said yesterday, after
describing the route which has already been
published in The Tribune: THE road will be
run by electricity and the fare for single jour
ney between any two points will be five cents
We shall tunnel by the Greathead system, at
maximum depth of eighty-fve feet. and when
completed the tunnels will resemble the new
Central Underground Railway Of London. We
have already entered into an agreement with the
Secretary Of War that in passing under the
East River there shall be at every point at least
sixty feet between the roof of our tunnel and the
surface of the water. AS matter of fact, we
shall tunnel at depth Of eighty feet from the
river level At all stations shall have not
only starways. but powerful elevators, capable
of carrying a hundred passengers at one time
II is expected to have at Canal and Elm SITS. and
at Broadway, between Cortlandt and Liberty
sts stations used in common by our railway
and those of the Rapid Transit Commission, our
tunnel passing beneath theirs. Our financial ar
rangements have already been completed A
syndicate of bankers has formed a company,
which will build the entire system of tunnels,
taking shares and bonds in payment. Who they
are cannot divulge at present, but will say
that they are distinct from the Belmont group.
] have estimated that the cost Of construction
will be between 81, 600, 900 and S5,0O0.OO0 mile
and as our system will have a length of six
miles the total cost viii be between S2fOoo,OOo
and $50, 900, ,000."