New-York tribune., 1900-04-16
NOW FOR SUB-CONTRACTS.
SOME SUCCESSFUL RAPID TRANSIT BID
DERS MAY BE ANNOUNCED TO-DAY.
REPORT OF EXPERTS ON PROPOSED TUN-
MEL EXTENSION TO BROOKLYN
is EXPECTED SOON.

John B. Mcdonald will. 1t Is expected. announce
to-day the of most of the successful sub
contractors who have bid for the construction work
upon the various sections into which the rapid
transit subway has been divided. The work of
tabulating the bids completed on Saturday.
Some sub-contractors bid for more than one sec
ton and 1t Is reported that TO OF them has
been awarded contracts to the extent OF 100000.
James Pikngton. who secured the first sub-con-
tracts those of lowering the Beeckerst. and Canal
st. sewers. has. It Is said, bid for similar work
further uptown at prices which make it certain
that of the work Will fall into his hands
He is an expert In that particular line.
1t is not thought that Mr.. Mcdonald will announce
all the sub-contracts to-day, however. because of
the opposition of property owners along upper
Broadway, who want the plans changed so that the
shade trees along the centre of that thoroughfare
shall not be disturbed. An effort will be made To
meet these views by laying two tunnels there In
stead of one, If it can be done without increasing
the expense OF the undertaking too much, and until
definite conclusion Is reached 1t IS thought that
Mr. Mcdonald will not close any sub-contract for
that section of the road. William Barclay Parsons.
chief engineer of the Rapid Transit Board. is
quoted, however. saying that the cost of any
change in the plans at this late day which would
save the trees would be too great to make the
scheme feasible. The plans have been for long
time before the public and II the objectng property
owners had delayed raising their objections
until after the contract had been let something
might have been done for them. IL said. In any
case, the trees will be replaced by young after
the tunnel is completed and the damage to property
will only be temporary
While these topics are engaging the attention of
Manhattan residents principally. the question of
paramount interest to Brooklynites and Staten
Islanders is the forthcoming report of the experts
who have been recently engaged in surveying
routes for extension of the subway Brooklyn
by tunnel. Controller Coler it Is announced,
poets this report be made at the next meeting of
the Board or the succeeding at the furthest.
1t is said the experts convinced that a route
which would be all rock tunneliing could be ad
vantageously used between Whitehail-st., Manhat
tan and Fifty ninth-st. Atlantic-ave. Brooklyn.
All rock tunnellng Is easy work for engineers, be-
cause Its cost can be SO accurately computed IN
advance. 1t is estimated that the cost of tunnel
under the East River that point would not
ceed SOOO,COO, and that would provide double
track bore, but this does include the cost of
extending the Manhattan subway from the City
Hall to the rivers brink Whitehal-st.
Now that the Legislature has formally cleared
away ali doubt that the Rapid Transit Boards
authority extends all boroughs of the city.
many plans for complete subway system
being thought out. The Controller. 1t is under
stood, advocates in general way an extension of
the East River tunnel from Fifty ninth-st., Brook
lyn, under Hamilton and Fourth to Ninety
second-st From that point ne would have II dip
under the harbor again and reappear on Staten
Island. This would make complete the chain link
ing together every borough of the city except
But there is no intention Of leaving Queens out
Ill the cold In these plans TWO extensions or the
system have been projected for the especial benefit
of Queens. One of these runs from Fifty-seventh-
ST. Manhattan. under BackweiIs Island and GER
tain streets of Long Island City to Jackson ave,
where it would connect with the Long Island hai-
road This, it is said, would s5000.GJ0. The
second proposed link with Queens starts from
One-hundred- and d-twenty- y-ffth-st, Manhattan. and
runs under Randalrs Island to Astoria. This would
another S500J,0 ,000
These would bind Queens TO Manhattan by a
double link, but il would not do let Queens get
two and Brooklyn only tunnel, the project
orS have given Brooklyn two tunnels besides
the one from Whitehall-st. One Of these crosses
the East River from Fourteentl-st., Mania ttan to
North Ninth-st.. Brooklyn, and the other from
Grand-st.. Manhattan. to Kent-ave Brooklyn.
When these six tunnels between II anhattan and
the other 5oroughs are completed. together with
their several connections with the main line their
cost will have exceeded the sS5 expended
on the Manhattan subway alone, but the tunnel
enthusiasts declare that the completion of the
inter borough system in such nner would
be only equitable and fair to all the taxpayers of
New-York and would at the time increase the
earning capacity of the Manhattan subway four
foil