New-York tribune., 1900-01-19

Tammany upon the thoroughness OF construe-
tion work to be done on the tunnel would have
been pleased yesterday to see the following no
tice displayed conspicuouely, where all appli-
cants might it. in the office of William Bar
clay Parsons. the chief engineer Of the Board:
To engineers and others applying. for places in
connection with the rapid transit work:
All positions In the engineers staff of the Rapid
by the civil Service Commission. No arrangements
or provisions of any kind have been MADE Tor me M
several weeks. w. B. PARSONS.
At Mr.. Parsons's Office some interesting de-
tails OF the road were explained. The road will
be thirteen and one-half miles long. from City
Hall TO either OF the two northern termini. Two
million nine hundred and ninety thousand and
sixteen cubic yards of earth and rock will have
10 be excavated for the tunnel II this material
were spread over Central Park il would cover
its entire surface more than two feet deep.
There viii be five express stations and forty
three local stations Local tracks will never
cross express tracks at grade. They will pass
over and under one another. Most Of the ex-
cayation viii be done by open trench work from
above. There viii be exceptions to this where
the rapid transit tunnel passes under the
Fourth-aye. tunnel where it goes under the
Harlem River. and under part Of Washington
Heights. Under that part of Broadway formerly
called the Boulevard the tunnel will be lighted
and ventilated at frequent intervals by openings
IN its roof surrounded by ratings. as in the
case OF Park-ave. now. These openings will not
be large enough TO obstruct foot traffic in the
central promenade on the Boulevard.
TO HARLEM IN FIFTEEN MINUTES.
The tunnel will contain four tracks as far as
e-hundred-and-th -third-st. From that point the
tunnel branches and each branch will contain
two tracks For that reason trains will not run
otO DIRE md
ST.. but will at local train speed from that
point north. This viii not prevent passengers
from reaching Harlem from the City Hall in ff
teen minutes 1t is promised. The contract pro-
vides that express trains shall be run at a speed
OF not less than thirty miles an hour, including
stops. but the contractor promises forty miles
an hour. The contract says that local trains
shall not be run at less than fourteen miles an
hour, but the contractor promises eighteen. The
fare shall be five cents, but the contractor may
run one parlor car on each train for which a
higher fare can be charged. The contractor
may also provide one smoking car to each train
Russell Sage did a little croaking yesterday
about the tunnel road He said:
You VIII never get, me into dark hole ,it in the
ground TO ride and there are plenty more like me
The tunnel scheme will be failure. Who wants
see nothing but dark walls outside, when they can
for the same money ride above the surface IN the
This tax about running more trains and faster
Manhattan is all bosh. They can't do it, And the
will a at Pc SO svT se e1e as aSe ae aT ev
oevelop flaws. and an accident in a dark tunnel
would be a catastrophe such as could not occur
the elevated.
The new road will never take a cent from the
Manhattan. / believe that will go increas-
ing our business as we have always done We will
not fear the rivalry Of underground rival at
any rate.
Consider the Inconvenience to the people that
viii result from the prosecution Of the work of
digging the tunnel, too They going to tear
up the streets for miles and miles and block
sidewalks for several years. I know that the con-
tract provides that the traffic shall not be inter
fered with. but at the best there Will be great
holes,
too. after the tunnel has been finished, and these
cannot be made so that they will be anything but
ugly things
No. sir; not afraid that the new road will
have bad effect on Manhattan stock l have
signing Of the contract The only reason why the
price of the stock has taken drop is that
firnid people, who always frightened if they
see their own shadow. have sold out After the
tunnel has been opened the people will have
chance TO judge which is the better and then you
5ust watch the way that Manhattan will rise. 1t
viii be worth more than it was before the recent