The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1901-12-26
"FOUlR
DAYS TO
EUROPE"
WITHIN
SIGHT

some other means may be employed
for ventilating the great tunnels.
Great stress is laid upon the probable
rapid development OF the Pennsylvania
railroads suburban traffic as the result
or SIS tunnel extensions from New ger-
sey and Long Island, especially the lat
ter; but even II the island could be
covered with new towns and villages
within reasonable. period this fact
would not apparently warrant the vast
initial outlay OF perhaps $5O. 900 900 and
prospective possible expenditure of
s25O,0OO,OOO. No, there Is vastly more be-
hind this scheme than on it's face ap-
pears. Not alone is the DEVELOPMENT of
Long Island and the New Jersey mead
ows contemplated and the upbuilding
OF local and transcontinentaI traffic
with Greater New York, but the pro-
moters OF the scheme have projected IL
on scale commensurate with the de-
velopment this country i'm the future.
II is we'll known that the Pennsylvania
company controls the Long Island rail-
road and that one OF the termlni OF the
latter is at Montauk Point. on the east
ern end OF that island. Near Montauk
Is a beautiful sheet OF water known as
Fort Pond bay. IL is only 1l6 miles
from New York city and is spacious
enough and deep enough, IL is said.
10 float the largest steamers OF our
mercantile marine. This harbor. then.
is the real terminus of the tunnel
scheme, for IL is intended to make the
Long Island railway system, merely
link In vast chain that shall prac-
tically reach from the Pacific 10 and
across the Atlantic and closely unite
western America with Europe Huge
steamers will be built and placed in
commission for both freight and pas
senger uaffic. and il is estimated that
the new passenger expresses will be
able TO make the voyage TO Queens
town, Ireland, in four days
This is the scheme in its entirety. and
IL is one worthy the brains and enter
prise of the greatest twentieth century
promoters. But. while allowing its
present projectors their share of credit
for this enterprise. il is but right to call
attention 10 the man in whose brain il
had its birth The man who made all
this possible and grasped the scheme in
all its immenslty, so far as was com
patible with the scientific and indus
trial developments OF his time. was
Born in New Hampshire in 1927. Aus
tin Corbin removed TO New York city
in 1865. There he became prominent
hnancier. one OF his first operations
I'm real estate was the purchase OF
about two miles of sand beach and 500
acres of barren lands on Coney Island
and the development OF the Manhattan
Beach properties. both of which have
since become famous and popular as
summer resorts. Ssgacious and far
seeing as he was. he next began the ae-
QUESTION OF the railways on Long Is
| land. BY consolidation he brought
them TO a comparatively high state OF
efficiency before he took hold Of the
vast Reading system, which also he re-
suscitated and placed on a basis of
profit. One scheme led to another, for
railway absorption is cumulative op-
GRAFTON If successfully carried out. like
many other affairs in life, and for sew
eral years before his untimely death by
carriage accident i'm 1895 Austin Cor
bin had In contemplation the establish
ment OF a transatlantic steamship line
between the eastern terminus OF his
Long Island railway at Fort Pond bay
and Milford Haven in Wales. His plan
was TO have fleet Of eight 10000 ton
steel steamships capable of making
twenty-four miles an hour between the
points mentioned and thus shortening
the trip TO Europe by about a day
The ships were 10 be the finest I'm the
world. and II was estimated that the
first four would cost not less than s12. -
O00, 600. They were 10 be express steam
ers, for the carrying of passengers.
mails and light freight only, and were
| 10 make round trip i'm two weeks.
/ There was then but the one brldge-the
| Brooklyn-between New York and Long
| Island, though the new East River
| bridge, now building, was in contem-
| plation. Mr.. Corbin had also projected
| q tunnel 10 unite Staten Island and
Long Island, and in this manner di-
| vert the southern and western traffic
SO. after all. the new Pennsylvania
! plan is but an elaboration of his own
| Owing 10 the improved facilities af.
foroed by the rapid development o,
! electric transit and TO the control OF
the two systems OF railroad by prac.
| tically one great corporation. the
! scheme can now be carried out on :
| vaster scale than was originally con.
templated. perhaps. but i'm its genera
. I
tin Corbin. the Long Island railroat
king.
SO far as Fort Pond bay is Concerned
it's harbor is sixty feet deep. a mil,
and three-quarters long and three
quarters Of mile wide II only need.
the building of breakwater. viii
docks and terminal warehouses :,
make It one OF the finest ports on IN.
Atlantic coast.
Mr.. Corbin's shibboleth was Across
the Atlantic in five days" The hes
known time then had been made n,
the Lucsnia--5 days 10 hours from
land TO land. The Paris had reduce
transatlantic time 60 days % hours
minutes i'm 1882 so the proposition wa,
well within the possibilities. Sine,
that time IL is conceded that the uni
has probably been reached in the siz,
Of ships intended Tor speed. as in IN.
Deutschland. which has made the hes
record up 20 date and has not nearI,
succeeded In reducing II to five DAYS
To make the Atlantic passage i'm fou
days from Montauk Point TO som,
place in Ireland viii necessitate proha
..f