New-York tribune., 1902-05-07

system is only of half a dozen tunnels
Which will have to be built between Manhattan
and Brooklyn. Similar tunnel connections
should be made with South Brooklyn Green
point and many other parts of Brooklyn. BY
such a system of tunnels the boroughs would
he brought in close contact, one with the other,
and their millions Of inhabitants would be pro-
vided with rapid transit facilities without the
dangers consequent upon the congestion of
traffic. so alarmingly illustrated each day at the
terminals of the Brooklyn Bridge Because Of
the nature Of things, bridge traffic leads to con-
sestlon at its terminals for the reason that
prloge carries greater number of tracks than
tunnel and necessarily receives and dis
charges much greater number Of passengers
at point.
In my mind 1t would be a wiser policy to
abandon the Manhattan Bridge, even though at
some cost, than to go ahead with such
traVagant undertaking. One way would be TO
discontinue the issue of bonds for further con-
tracts, and let the contractor finish with the
foundation Of the Brooklyn tower. This, to-
gether with the land shore, could be used
for recreation pier, if for nothing else. be
improved and resOld. Better a small initial loss
than the eventual waste of millions"
Perez NJ. Stewart. Superintendent of Build
fngs. said that with the money necessary to
build the Manhattan Bridge it would be posi-
BILE to build three tunnels between Manhattan
and Brooklyn and tunnel between Brooklyn
and Staten Island. Then he added
The Tribune has performed a great public
service in calling attention at this time to the
tremendous expense which the Manhattan
Bridge will eventually entail. When the plans
Ior the bridge were first presented to the city's
authorities the estimates of the cost of
struction and Of land were put ridculousy low
so as not to arouse much opposition. But mo-
ments study OF the ground plan of the bridge
as printed in The Tribune to-day, with more
than a mile of approaches. which cut through
the streets and blocks diagonaly is enough to
convince one of the immense amount of money
which will be practically thrown away in the
completion of this undertaking.
II do not doubt that the cost of the bridge
Will aggregate over S20,000,0O0. How much bet
ter then, would ii be to the money for tun-
nels. With this sum it would be possible to
oulld two or three tunnels to Brooklyn, and also
AFFORD TO Staten Island tunnel connection with
Brooklyn. By this means the different parts of
the greater city would be closely locked
together, and, as tunnels can be built in far less
time than bridges. the benefits of such a system
Of interborough transit would begin to add to
the prosperity Of the city before such struct-
ure as the Manhattan Bridge was half complete.
1T has been said, 1 believe, that after all.
bridges do not cost much more than tunnels for
Ihe reason that a bridge can carry six or eight
sets or tracks, whereas tunnel. unless it be a
double tube, can carry only a single pair of
rails. Such an argument can be easily contro-
verted. One fact is that the capacity of bridge
is not so much determined by the number Of
tracks as the number of people il can carry
The present bridge, with only four tracks, is so
congested at its Manhattan terminal that il has
become dangerous TO travel over 1t. Imagine,
then, what would be the result If eight tracks,
the number which the Manhattan Bridge is ex-
pected to carry, crowded their passengers all
together at terminal. On the other hand the
Manhattan Bridge, because of its tremendous
cost, would incur greater expense than four, or
even five, double tunnels, which would If any
thing, carry two more sets Of tracks than a sin
gle bridge. Moreover the dangers of congestion
Of traffic would be eliminated because the
passengers of each tunnel would board its trains
at different and widely separated points"