Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1901-12-30

posed. A tunnel under the East. River is
proposed.
cit is proposed to lay a tubular wrought
iron tunnel having clear height OF "a
feet, leaving 40 feet of water in the center
of the tideway'
Richard Foley was the designer Of the
tunnel. Among the incorporators Of the
company were Silas c. Herring, Edwin
Ferguson, J. r. Floyd, j. A. Fithian, o.
Sloan Holden, w. c. Higgins, Simon Cult
erman william Garrett, John j. Walsh,
George A. Osgood and William A. Smith.
EditoriaIly The World said of this pro-
ject: "a tunnel is what is required to
insure quick and safe communication be-
tween New York and Brooklyn. What
we desire is safe, silent submarine con-
veyance that will not put our shipping TO
any inconvenience. We trust that there
will be no tagging in this tunnel enter
prise, but that it will be pushed Forward
with energy"
The first important link to connect the
island with Brooklyn was the Brooklyn
bridge, which by fits success has only ex-
aggerated the difficulty and made more
apparent the need for more bridges and
more connections. The people have finally
learned that bridges are successful
means Of connecting the two islands, and
now the second and third bridges are ur-
der way and will tend to provide for
those people who wish to cross the river
for the purpose Of local transit In the
two cities. The problem Of crossing the
river for the purpose of reaching Long
Island and by through train services TO
reach the outlying points beyond Long
Island City and Brooklyn has never been
settled until now. Up TO the present time
the imagination of the people has not
permitted It to think that a tunnel would
be an entirely satisfactory and practical
means of connection.
- A.. - -N--14A 49, rNrfnA
the rapid transit commission advocated
its plans for the rapid transit subway
throughout New York, the public has
gradually been educated to see that the
only means Of rapid transit in the city
will be by means Of underground tunnels
and railroads. The change Of sentiment
within the last two or three years has
been most marked. Distinguished men
who five years ago believed that the rapid
transit subway in New York would be
nothing but a failure, hole in the
ground" now see that the only problem
is to have enough subways and not to exc
pect too much from the first one. In
other words, the means of handling such
an enormous population as that conferred
in and about Manhattan Island needs
great deal of imagination, and unless
more imagination Is used than has been in
the past the facilities for transit will con-
tinue to remain inadequate, as in the past
The tendency for Manhattan to concen-
trate more and more its business popula-
ton, with its high buildings and the enor-
nous population which goes to Manhat-
tan only for work, makes 1t more impera-
tive each day for additional means of con-
nection between the island and the out
lying districts. The tendency also for the
residents of Manhattan each year to live
a longer time in the country and to use
the city house or apartment for the winter
months creates an additional demand for
genuine rapid transit to the beautiful SUBJ
urbs lying about New York. In short, the
two rivers which create the harbor and
make New York possible to be the hrst
city in the world must be obliterated as
far as they become an obstruction to the
easy passage of people to and from Man
haitian Island.
A large number of new conditions make
IL possible to solve this difficulty by the
modern tunnel. Among them the use OF
electricity for transit purposes has only
been known for the last dozen years.
During that period the science Of the
use of electricity has made 1t possible
TO handle any system of transit by that
power
The benefits which will accrue to Man
haitian with the completion of the Penn
sylvania and Long Island railroad tunnel
are apparent. have mentioned the prime
advantages already in brieI.
Il R09HCGG
with the west with western cities. Chic
ago. Philadelphia and so on, without
change OF cars, into the heart OF New
York at Thirty-third street.
Any number of TUNNELS can be built
across the North and East rivers. There
can be no monopoly in tunnel building,
and 1 see no limit to the connections
which may be made on either side OF
Manhattan. The Hudson river may be
tunnneled for miles up the west shore by
railroads running into New York-pro-
vided they spend the money required to
get in.
Now as to the BENEFITS which will ac-
crue to Long Island.
Every farmers land on the Island is
worth more today by many dollars than
II was a week ago-all owing to the pro-
jected tunnel.
Miles and miles of open land on Long
Island will now be built up with suburban
for all classes of people.
The cost of maintaining small factories
on Manhattan, owing to increased land
values due to overcrowded population,
has become almost prohibitive.
Brooklyn today offers advantages to the
manufacturer which makes the cost Of
manufacturing as cheap in that city as
In any city or country town In the United