New-York tribune., 1900-02-05

AfNAASADA-NoN-
Interesting developments may be expected
from the special mseting of the Rapid Transit
Commission this afternoon. 1t is likely that the
need of John B. Mcdonald for more time than
twenty days in which TO furnish his S6,000.O00
of bonds will be taken up and the advisability
OF giving it discussed. 1t is admitted that in
finding bonds for large amount any con-
tractor must Apply to almost the same people
in this city. and that every day of hawking
such proposition about by one contractor
without achieving definite results makes 1t all
the more difficult for another contractor to OBJ
tain hearing from bankers and capitalists on
the same subject. Therefore, it was said yes
terday the Board viii have 10 consider whether
IL would be acting in way to Jeopardlze the
whole rapid transit scheme by granting more
time TO Mr.. Mcdonald, unless he can show that
p few days more would result in his qualifying
without a doubt
Mr. Mcdonald had nothing to say yesterday
except 10 renerate his assertion that he
surely find the bonds in a few more days. Au-
gust Belmont. his financial agent, would throw
no light on the progress Of the formation Of a
construction company, and T. w. Whitridge.
representing the Onderd0nk syndicate, would not
say definitely what form his protest against
further grant of time would take.
As the day draws nearer when the actual con-
owners of tall buildings along the line be-
ginning to wonder whether the assurances of
the engineers that the stability of their high
structures will not be endangered in the least
may not be open to exceptions. William Bar
clay Parsons, chief engineer of the Board, as
sured a Tribune reporter last week that there
would be no exceptions. Mr.. Parsons produced
the maps and surveys made by mis- assistants to
illustrate and enforce his words. Turning first
to the General Postoffice, he showed the reporter
that the floor of the bottom vault of that build
ing is 26 feet inches below the curb line. The
foundations Of the building go much below that,
but Just how far the engineers had thought 1t
unnecessary TO ascertain. because the bottom of
the tunnel at that point will not be more than
% feet inches below the street surface. The
floor Of the sub-ceIlar of the thirty-one story
Park Row Building is S5 feet inches below the
curb, with the pile foundation reaching far be-
meath that. The tunnel floor here is 20 feet
below the surface The bottom floor of the
Potter Building is % feet down The tunnel
floor will be also % feet at that point The
Pulitzer Buildings bottom floor is 261a feet
below tne euTo @ The new 'san a R,dinp Ui eStends
down 22 feet, and the New-York Lifes two sky
scrapers. in Elm-st.. also go below the rapid
transit tunnel floor. The Brokaw Building at
Astor and Lafayette places, goes down % feet.
The tunnel floor is 20 feet below the street along
there.
This about exhausts the high buildings be-
tween City Hall Park and Astor Place. Smaller
buildings, whose foundations do not go below
the tunnel level, will have to have their walls
shored up by the contractor. If he fails to do
so, and the buildings suffer, the owners may sue
the city, which will fall back upon the con-
tractor, it said. That is reason why
his bonds are made so large.
From Astor Place 20 Fourth-ave. the tunnel
passes through private property under some
small buildings, which will condemned by
the city. bought in and torn down.
Emerging into Fourth-ave.. the first important
building is Wanameker's store. This goes down
twenty-five feet, with the foundation walls be-
low that. The tunnel floor there is about nine
teen feet down. From this point up to the
present Fourth-ave. tunnel, all the foundations
CT the heavier buildings go so far below the tun-
mel floor that the engineers say no danger al
all viii ensue from the excavation
When the Fourth-ave tunnel is reached, the
rapid transit tunnel must go below 1t, and OF
course VIII dive lower than the foundations OF
any OF the adjacent buildings. All danger is
averted here, however il is asserted by the
feet that these buildings all rest on the solid
rock, and, the tunnel not being directly under.
meath them, they safe as If II were a
mile away. The rock foundation IS uniform
from this point clear to the end Of the tunnels
II is declared so that the only danger to founda,
tions that could be expected by the most timit
IS in the region south of the Park-aye tunnel
and the danger below that point is obvated
according to the expert. by the fact that ali tn,
foundations Of high buildings along that par
OF the line go below the tunnel.