New-York tribune., 1901-09-06
TO ASK l.. |. TUNNEL RIGHT.
PRESIDENT BALDWIN WILL DO THIS AT
NEXT MEETING OF r. T. BOARD
TERMINAL AT SEVENTH-AVE.
AND FORTY-FIFTH-ST

William H. Baldwin. tr. president of the Long
Island Railroad Company. said yesterday after
noon at his Office. No. 12S Broadway. 10 a
Tribune reporter that he would apply to the
Rapid Transit Commissioners at thoir next
meeting for the right 10 build the proposed
Long Island Railroad tunnel under the East
River and its proposed underground road in
Manhattan. After a meeting OF the directors OF
the Long Island and Extension Railroad Com
pany, which was held in the last week of June
an announcement was made that a tunnel be-
ginning at the Long Island Railroads station
in Long Island City would be built under the
East River Mr.. Baldwin then said that the
Manhattan terminal Of the tunnel would be in
Thirty-thrd-st.. near Broadway 1t was later
learned that property for the station in Manhat-
tan had been bought, and that the tunnel would
extend TO Seventh-ave and Forty-ffth-st
The route for which Mr.. Baldwin will ask
franchise begins at point on the Long Island
Railroad in Thompson-ave.. Long Island City.
1t extends to Borden-ave. and runs along Bor-
den-ave. to the East River. Under the East
River the tunnel will run in a diagonal line from
Borden-ave. TO Thirty-third-st Manhattan. then
straight to Thirty-thrd-st and Seventh-ave
and thence 1t runs north up Seventh-ave. to
Forty-ffth-st. The plan of the route was filed
in the New-York County Clerks office. several
the stations of the tunnel road will be
At Thirty-thrd and Fourth-ave. the Long
Island tunnel will run many feet beneath the
Rapid Transit underground road II is gener-
ally thought that a station will be built there
connecting the two roads, or at Forty-ffth-st.
and Broadway where the roads will practically
meet again.
The plan Of the route OF the Long Island
tunnel has been carefully studied by real estate
men and many other persons since 1t was placed
on file What has perplexed the majority of
persons who have examined the plan is that
the terminal of the Long Island tunnel is to be
at Forty-flfth-st. and Seventh-ave Some of
these persons argue that if the tunnel were to
be built solely for the convenience of the pas
sengers of the Long Island Railroad the ter
minal would be at Thirty st and Fourth
ave, and a station would be built there to
connect with the rapid transit road. But why
should the tunnel be extended to Forty -ffth-st
and Seventh-ave.. they ask, If the tunnel is not
to form a connecting link with the Pennsylvania
Railroad at some future day? They think that
the route proves conclusively that 1t is the in
tention of the Pennsylvania road to build a
tunnel under the North River with terminal
at Forty -fifth-st. and Seventh-ave.
Two years ago a plan filed in the County
Clerks office for a tunnel to be built from the
Long Island station In Long Island City to
Forty -second-st., Manhattan, and thence through
ana Nlnth-aVe. to Forty-lrst-
St. and along Forty -frst-st. to the Hudson
River. Mr.. Baldwin has not said anything
about this old plan for a long time. There have
been reports for some time that persons inter-
ested IN the Pennsylvania Railroad have been
quietly buying real estate at Twenty-seventh-
st. and Eleventh-ave, or near there. These re-
ports however, have been denied by various
officials of the Pennsylvania Railroad 1t was
also said at time that the Manhattan end
of the North River bridge, TO be built by men
with the Pennsylvania Railroad, would
be at about Twenty-third-st.
A real estate man who financially inter-
ested in the purchase of large tract of land in
New Jersey, which was bought several months
ago by the Pennsylvania Railroad, told Trib-
une reporter at that time that he had learned
that II the intention of the Pennsylvania
Railroad TO build a bridge with a Manhattan
terminal at about Forty-second-st. This may
throw some light on the plan of the Long Island
Railroad tunnel.