The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-05-19
WHY TUNNEL WORK rs DELAYED.
Only One sub Contract Executed-T ardy "e'
livery Of steel.

Although a month and a half has elapsed
since the bids OF the sub-oontractors Tor sec
tons of the Rapid Transit tunns were accepted
by John d. Mcdonald and the subway Ton
struction Company, only one of the onuac'
has been executed and consequently work on
only one section has begun. John {, Rodgers
the sub-contractor who has the work OF tunnel
ling under the Harlem River, was reported 10
have said that he saw no necessity for the delay
and TO have thrown out a suggestion that the
work was being obstrncted by the CONSTRUCTION
Company. Mr. Rodgers went TO Pittsburg yes
terday, but before going he told Mr. McOonaiu
that he had made no such statements Ton
tractor Mcdonald said that the task OF perfect
ing the contracts had been n much more oimcnit
one than had been expected Each contract had
10 be made with regard to the Others. and an
imnensea amount OF detail Is involved NJ
The difficulties that have arisen, saiu Mr
Mcdonald. arc such a. are imposs!pie Ior tns
general public TO realize, Only men ens" XII
in work OF this kind know the carelniness WIN
winch TINS preliminary work mas 10 pc HhueI-
taken. The matter is now u the hand. on law
yers representing the, different parties ana
they have seen the wisdom. oil golns SLOW Pc
canse OF the magnitude of the undertakings
The reason for much OF the dincuity IN
ARRANGING TIE contracts, IT was lenrheu n"s,ghto
day, is really due TO the delay in getting the
steel for the work from the Carnegie COMPANY,
Most OF the contractors, as well as the . on
strnctiOn company, believe there woulu DC
little use In digging "a hole in the ground untll
the steel Is ready 70 be- put II Contractor
Rodgers went TO pittsbure TO see he could not
hasten the delivery of steel but II j. believed py
some who profess TO know what work me
Carnegie company has on hand, thatit VIII be
five or six months before the steel for the tunnel
IL on the ground
William b Parsons, the chief engineer OF the
Rapid Transit Commission, said yesterday mat
all the sub contracts had to he coordinated
In this work. - said Mr. Parsons, we have to
See that the delay in getting steel is distributed
equally through all the contracts. 40 that work
can begun simultaneously and proceed IN me
same manner, What is true of the steel Is also
true of the other materials. although there has
been no dinlCulty IN procuring them WeaIe
this work, which Is necessarily tedious. This
distribution ot material must all be figured NJ
before the contracts are executed, Tor tho
reason that were IL not, We would not be sure OF
securing uniformity in quality and design, nor
Of the way the work would proceed
Contractor James Pilkington. who has the Job
OF lowering the Canal street sewer throughout
its entire length, rs well as the Bleecker street
sewer, has had his work somewhat delayed be-
cause OF the trouble In getting steel. 4 thou
sand feet of steel roofing for the Canal street
sewer was delivered yesterday, so that that
work, Mr.. iflkington believes, can now be com
pleted by the end Of six months The Blocker
street sewer will be lowered to the required
level in n month.
The work of constructing n tunnel underneath
the Harlem River NAV be done in a novel way
II. Rodgers 4 Miller. the contractors. decide to
adopt a plan that has been suggested to them.
The subway would he built in sections Of steel
and cement on and and then sunk Mr..
Parsons said Yesterday that the plan struck him
as feasible and a very good one.