New-York tribune., 1900-03-26
REAL WORK ON TUNNEL
JAMES PILKINGTON WILL BEGIN IT TO-
DAY BY LOWERING A SEWER.
INTEREST IN THE TABLET IN CITY HALL
PARK AND IN THE BIG UNDERTAKE
ING sTRIKINGLY SHOWN.

James Pikington. sub-contractor for John b Nc
Donald, armed with a permit from the Rapid
Transit Board TO open the street, will begin the
real work OF constructing the underground railway
tunnel o'clock this morning. This will consist
of lowering the Bleecker-st. sewer from Greene TO
Elm that 1t will under the tracks of
the new road at a depth of twenty-one feet. 1t is
only fourteen feet below the surface and is
right in the way. Persons who failed to secure
chunks of asphalt and handfuls of soil from the
excavation made in City Hall Park on Saturday by
the Mayor and Rapid Transit Commissioners. and
who also failed TO witness that interesting SYM
bolical ceremony, may perhaps, If they get to
Greene and Bleecker SITS. on time, see what is
really the first genuine spadeful of earth from the
undertaking thrown out by some lusty Italian.
who will make speech beforehand, and will
not dump soil into his hat want to pre-
serve it as souvenir Fifty workmen will be en-
plcyed. There viii be ceremony. Mr.. McDon-
aid will not be there.
Mr. KEATING TURNS ON HIS HEEL
When the Commissioner of Highways, James
Heating was asked yesterday by a Tribune
porter if he would make any attempt to stop Mr.
Pikington from opening the street on the ground
that he has obtained permit from the Com
missioner of Highways, Mr.. Heating curtly refused
say yes 1t be subject
with him. When asked what Nicholas r. O'Connor
the whom he recently appointed to be chief
inspector Of street opening and repaving in con-
nection with the building of the underground road
would do TO earn his salary. that the Rapid
Transit Board had shown its intention to ignore the
Commissioner of Highways and ali his underlngs,
Mr. Kesting broke off the conversation abruptly
and turned away. a close friend Of his said for
him. however that he would break openly with
the Board. the whole city is too eager for rapid
transit brook any attempts at interference or
delay from any quarter
Mr.. Mcdonald could not be found at his home
yesterday. but he said Saturday that he was
sure Mr.. Heating would not oppose the permits Of
the Rapid Transit Board. Mr.. Mcdonald also de-
clared that other sub-contract in connection
with the work had been let up to Saturday night
There seems little doubt however. that the names
Of the successful sub-contractors will be an
nounced it is known that many of the biggest
contractors in the country have quietly arrived in
this city recently. from far West even as San
Francisco. and figuring on the different sec
tions Of the tunnel proper.
QUICK WORK BUILDING A SEWER.
Mr.. Pnkington was seen yesterday at the Harlem
River Rowing Club. He said he would probably
obtain sub-conracts for other sewer and pipe work
along the route of the tunnel after the Blocker
81. job is completed. because that will not take
him long there being only about nine hundred
lineal feet of lower in that spot His great
experience in this line of work makes him es-
Donald He has already bid several is other
record on quick work of this kind when he CON
structed 1900 feet of sewer for the Metropolitan
one-hundred- and-thirty y-ffth-st to Forty fourth
st. in about two months. for sl27o0o The Bleeck,
er-st Job is a trlfle compared 10 that and VIII
cost less than $4,000.
REyERENT CROWDS AT THE TABLET
If one of the Nations heroes had been buried
under the memorial tablet which let into the
asphalt pavement of the City Hall Plaza Sat-
urday il would probably not have been visited by
larger crowd than passed before IT yesterday in
solemn procession from early morning until dark.
II is estimated by the police who had hard work
al day TO keep the procession moving along, that
fully fifteen thousand men, and children
looked at that tablet Most OF them sol
about ii If il really a grave, and one
old woman evidently got the idea firmly fixed in
her head that II for she tried 10 kneel before
&, but prevented by a policeman. A railing
was constructed around the tablet with park
benches, and policemen guarded it all day and
:ight. and will continue 10 do for time, for
fear some irresponsible souvenir hunter might try
TO cut letter off IL with chsei After the rail-
ing is removed, the first who is allowed to
step on II may perhaps find market for his shoe
in Bowery museum.
So great was the crowd. and so curious to see all
Han, TO please them, opened the front and back
doors Of the building. and, stretching ropes across
the sfairways inside so that could ascend
TO the second story allowed a steady procession
OF pleased sghtseers TO pass through the lower
hallway of that historic edifoe for many hours
So long did the waiting line become at the rear
door at one time that the tail OF it extended away
Out into the park. and the woman who had waited
long in the line as IL moved slowly toward it's goal
surprised the deOrkeeper by asking where the
ticket window She thought she was I'm
crowd waiting 10 the Brooklyn Bridge and
became angry when her mistake explained to
her.
The decorations Of the park were still In place
yesterday. and many amateur photogra pliers took
snap shots at them.