New-York tribune., 1902-08-04
TO BUILD ESLER'S TUNNEL
ENGLISHMEN MAY CONSTRUCT A LINE
BETWEEN MANHATTAN AND
BROOKLYN.

bhOohL1N
Frederick B. Esler said yesterday afternoon
at his home, No. 16 West Thirty-seventh-st..
that the plans for building the proposed tunnel
of the New-York and Brooklyn Railroad from
Ann-st. and Park Row, Manhattan to Furman-
st. Brooklyn. had been perfected He said that
not only had a contract to build the road been
signed, but that according to the terms Of the
contract the road must be built by July l. 1904,
and that its style of architecture and its con-
struction would be almost similar to the London
Central Underground road. better known the
"TUppeny tube the fare is two pence. The
running time between Manhattan and Brooklyn
will he about two and one-half minutes The
tunnel will not be operated in conjunction with
any other road. will it extend much further
east than Furman-st. unless those who desire
an extension of the road furnish the means for
successfully carrying out alterations of the
plans
THE report that Charles Sinclair Drummond
had signed a contract for the construction Of the
road is true said Mr. EsIer Mr.. Drummond
is said to have sailed the Cunard liner Cam
pania from England for this country yesterday.
together with Joseph H. Hoadley. President Of
the International Power Company.
Il am the President of the New-York and
Brooklyn Railroad Company. The bonds and
stocks of the company were sold to English
syndicate about year and a half ago. The sale
was conditional one. the English syndicate
agreeing to take the bonds and stocks only when
the tunnel was built. In that syndicate were the
Earl of Kintore Earl Grey. Sir Charles Rivers
Wilson and Washington Hume. This syndicate
practically stood underwriters of the COM
pany's securities
Il went to Europe in June for the purpose of
completing negotiations which had been begun
some time before my arrival there for organ
izng construction company to undertake and
to complete the work of building the proposed
tunnel. The object of my visit accomplished
by the creation of the Construction Company
of which Charles Sinclair Drummond is
President. According to printed report the
tunnel Is to have double track and the contract
for building the tunnel has been sublet to James
Stewart, of the Westinghouse Electric Company,
whose rapid work in carrying through contracts
has astonished England. I know absolutely
nothing about any subletting of the contract for
building the tunnel I think this report like the
one regarding the double track is incorrect,
though there is a slight possibility that 1t may
be true. OF course Mr.. Drummond could sublet
the work of building the tunnel
Mr. Drummond is one of the active men in
the underwriting syndicate which is known as
the New-Yorl and Brooklyn Syndicate Limited.
with Offices at No. 80 ViCtoria-st.. London. He
also the executive officer or TWO OF three OF te
largest corporations interested in the construc-
ton and the operation of transportation lines in
England The principal of these corpora
tions is the British Electric Traction Company,
which owns something like eighty systems Of
street passenger electric railways in England
and in different parts of the world. Another Is
the Pioneer Company of England. corpora
ton having contracts from the English Govern
ment for the carriage Of mails by means Of auto
vehicles Since he became interested in the
New-York and Brooklyn Syndicate, Limited. ne
accepted the presidency Of the Manhattan
Transit Company of New York. which was or
ganized for doing a business similar to that Of
the Pioneer Company of London When was
in London the contract for the construction Of
the tunnel was signed by Mr. Drummond for
the syndicate of which he is chairman and
signed 1t on behalf of the New-York and Brook
lvn Railroad Company.
THE approxinate cost of the tunnel will he
Sc 600 600 The company will not have tun-
mel Of the double track type. There VIII be TWO
tunnels running parallel. In each tube or tun-
neI will be a single track. To build the Man
haitian terminal will require a very long space,
ca that there VIII be an easy incline from the
surface Of the street to the tracks of the road,
and am of the opinion that the terminal sta
tion on each side Of the river should have at
least three exits. For carrying passengers 10 OF
from Manhattan the company is going TO ask
three cents for each ride. If that price is con
sidered too high the fare for single trip VIII
be less. our aim being to get the people to travel
on the road at all hours OF the night and day.
and to keep the cars constantly full
THE tubes will run beneath the bed of the
river. and at one point 1t will be % feet below
the water level That point will be the greatest
depth Of the tunnel below the water level. The
diameter of the tubes will be II feet 70 lnches'
and the cars will fit snugly in the tubes
There cannot now be any hitch in the oullo-
ing of the tunnel. Some people seem TO oe OF
the opinion that have not got the right 10
huiId the tunnel. We got the power years ago
to do So On August s. 1896 Mayor Strong
signed resolution of the Board of Aldermen
giving assent the building Of the road ana
the Railroad Commission of the State gave It's
consent on December % Of the same year The
resolution signed by Mayor Strong sets forth
what we are 10 pay to the city annually we
are to pav 21a per cent of the gross receipts
Since Mr.. Eser obtained his FRANCHISE, IN
Navor Strong's time, there has been addltlonal
legislation, which places control OF transporta-
tIon matters in the hands Of the Rapid transit
BOARD How that body will regard Mr. Esler'S
oroiect could not be learned, as most OF the
commissioners were out of the city yesterday