New-York tribune., 1902-04-27
M'DONALD FOR QUICK WORK
SUBWAY CONTRACTOR THINKS 100000
ENlEGH TO START EAST
SIDE TUNNEL

Several members Of the Rapid Transit Com
mission. including Alexander E. Orr. Charles
Stewart Smith and John H. Starin. the
guests Of August Belmont and John B. McDon
aid yesterday. in a tour Of inspection of the
subway. The party started from Union Square
al 9 o'clock in five automobiles. and took lunch
at the Claremont. At each section Mr.. Nc
Donald had the respective sub-contractor con-
duct the visitors along the line of his particu-
lar work.
The members of the commission made spe-
cial examination of the subway in the neighbor-
hood of Thrty-eighth- the scene of the re-
cent cave-in. At Fffty-ninth-s,, where. as
shown in The Tribune yesterday. the subway
has been rooted over. the party was taken into
the excavation and shown what had been ac-
complished. The methods of construction and
the machinery used were all explained to the
commissioners. After luncheon the party con-
tinued further ncrth TO the termini Of the two
branches In The Bronx. At the end Of the tour
Mr.. Orr said
There were a few sections where | lit
tie disappointed and there the sub-contractor
was taken to task by Mr.. Mcdonald; but there
far more 10 praise than to blame. 1 was
especially pleased with the work about the
park and al the approaches 10 some OF the sta
tions"
Mr.. Orr declined to say at what places it had
been found necessary to make complaint. He
said that probably after the commissioners had
talked their trip together they might make
statement for the public. Their course
would be decided at the next meeting of the
commission.
Mr.. Mcdonald took occasion TO emphasize the
needs of an East Side tunnel. and after saying
that he expected TO have the work finished far
ahead of the time set in the contract, he added:
The Brooklyn and the East Side tunnels have
got TO be done and the sooner they are begun
the sooner they will he finished The talk about
the lack Of funds is out of place All that would
be needed TO get the work we'll under way would
be couple Of hundred thousand dollars"
Others in the party We're Perry Belmont.
George H Wright. James Jordan. E 3. Bryan
George NJ Lane, Andrew Freedman, George w.
Young Cornelius Vanderbilt. l., 3, StiliWeH,
George Gibbs. j Van Fleck, S B. Deyo. Whit
ney Warren and Chief Engineer Parsons
Mr.. Holbrook, of the firm OF Holbrook. Cabot
& Daily yesterday informed Superintendent
Stewart. Of the Bureau of Buildings. that IN
few days they would begin underpinning three
large buildings at Eighteenth-st- and Fourth
ave. The firm are sub-contractors for the rapid
transit tunnel from Great Jones-st. TO Ihirty-
teenta-st. and before the work on the station
proper will be begun the underplnnlng VIII pe
put in for the three buildings in question Ihese
the Hotel Clarendon. on the southeast cor
nor; the Hotel Bevedere, at the northwest cor
ner and the Bradley Building, at the south
west corner in which the Bureau Of Buildings
is housed It is said that the Florence. the
apartrent house at the northeast corner. VIII
not be much disturbed. but the Bureau OF Build
ings will proba bly, be stiits all summer
The Rapid Transit Commission has decided
TO adopt the amended form Of contract for the
nroDosed Brooklyn tunnel. 1t will demand that
bidders for the contract state just what facll-
tiles they have for handling passengers at each
end of the tunnel. and whether they VIII charge
only a five cent fare for transportation 10 points
on car. lines beyond the tunnel
II is expected that the bidders on the work
viii he the Long Island Railroad, the Brooklyn
RAND Transit ani John Il. Mcdonald.