The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-12-24
SPEED WITH TUNNEL PLANS.
PENNSYLVANIA WILL ASK FOR
BIDS VERY EARLY ~ 1908.
To cut the Work into 1t Least Three SEQ
t1ons and Leave II 10 the Bidder
to Oner the Freezing or the Pneu.
matte Process-Pians for Terminal.

0Ons ana Leave II 10 the BI00efS
TO Oner the Freezing or the Pneu.
matte Pr0cess-Pians for Terminal.
Samuel Rea, fourth vice-president OF the
Pennsylvania Railroad, paid flying visit
to New York yesterday to consult with the
engineers Of tho Pennsylvania tunnel and
the architects Of the buildings which the
company will erect at its terminal. Mr..
Rea ate breakfast in Philadelphia, read his
mail and hurried to New York. He kept
ton appointments previously made for him
b his secretary and was bacS in Philadel-
phia last night in time for late dinner
To engineers and architects Mr.. Rea said
that the higher officers OF the Pennsylvania
looked on the CSC. 900 900 Improvement as Of
great urgency and wanted no time wasted.
although they desired that nothing m ,terial
should be sacrificed TO haste.
To the engineers Mr.. Rea gave instruo-
tions that the road wanted decisions as to
methods reached so that the Pennsylvania
might have its specifications ready by the
end Of January and be in position to invite
tenders from bidders very early In the new
year.
meeting Of the commission OF engineers
appointed by the Pennsylvania in 1902 to
consider plans for the tunnel will DO called
before the end Of the year to see II they can
agree on certain general propositions on
which the specifications will rest.
Because Of thu immensity Of the contract
the Pennsylvania has decided 10 cut the
work up into at least three pieces and let IL
in separate contracts.
The engineers commission consists OF the
following members: Col c. w Raymond,
chief engineer Of the United States in charge
Of work in New York harbor; Charles NJ.
Jacobs. engineer Of the proposed North
of the proposed East River tunnel Bridge
Commissioner Lindenthal. who is one Of
the consulting engineers Of the Pennsyl-
vania; George Gibbs. mechanical expert,
TO whom the power house and electric
installment problems are given. and Chief
Engineer Brown Of the Pennsylvania system.
These engineering experts will agree on
these general propositions:
First-T e size. length. grade and depth
below e bed OF the river OF the holes which
must be nrde under S2th n who,
will be r ccd in these holes.
Tiird-T e supporting construct lon OF the
Fourt' It time limit to which the con-
ira ctors mt s. conform.
A high official OF the Pennsylvania said
Yesterday that President Cassatt had prac-
tically decided TO let the bidders dominate
the process to bn used In driving the tun-
mel. The specifications would describe
the size of the tunnel, but the contractor
could offer to do 1t by the shield-driving
method or the freezing process. "a he pre- |
ferrrd. One reason, he said, why tho com
pany would not insist on the use Of the |
freezing process was that all IN patents
controlling that system In this country |
b d been taken out by Charles Sooysmith. |
So little work OF this character has been |
done in America that no one else apparently. !
has undertaken To get the rights to these
advanced methods. While the Pennsyl-
experiment they would be glad to avail
themselves Of it II prscti able because OF
the greater speed and cheapness Of the
system II II can be operated as Mr.. Sooy-
smith says II can he
Undoubtedly. it was said, some OF the
bidders would secure the right to Use Mr.. |
devices and make them the
hasis of their bids so the Pennsylvania
did not need TO worry about that.
The supports for the tunnel structure are
the largest problem now undecided by
the engineering experts. The plan OF
struction. lion piers at set dis ances will
curry the weight Of the tunnel to bedrock.
Engineer Sooysmith's plan is for continu-
ois support Of piles, But here again patent
rights Interfere with the writing Of the
With liz III pa,sn,pMS
has covered the method of driving piles
to an even depth. Another patent Just
issued by the Washington Patent Office
covers the driving of tunnel ever bed
Of piles. either by shield or by the free,-
ing process. Either the contractors must
take Mr.. Sooysmith in their calculations if
The Jacobs plan is abandoned. or the speci-
dcations must he written very broadly.
ttsei hn,l surrounded by concrete
and probably lined with brick will COM
pose the tunnel itself. 1t will have an
internal diameter of nineteen feet.
Borings MADE by the Pennsylvania
engineers at close intervals across the
North River indicate that the cont FACTORS
will not meet with the same obstacles
which the New York and jersey Railroad
tunnel Is now corning with. At the point
where the Penns y vania tunnels will croes
the bedrock dote not rise at il does 400
feet out from the Manhattan shore In the
New York and Jersey tunnel. No harder
material than silt will have to be bored,
the Pennsylvania engineers say.
Mr. Rea was not prep red yesterday to
reveal any further details Of the plans for
the railroad station at Thirty-ti TO
Thirty-thiId street. McKim. Mead 4
White have exhibited the preliminary
sketches TO President Cassatt and the other
officers Of the road. but no plans have been
accepted. The hotel which Is to be part |
Of tins terminal may be- changed by the
officials and larger scheme OF utility and
improvement, AZ was outlined in THE Sun
last SATURDAY., may be adopted. One Of the
best forecasters Of New York's growth |
said last night
Such mammoth terminal a. THE I
Sun told about would be great thing for ,
New York. but 1t would be a greater thing !
for the Pennsylvania. Take the man !
who comes into New York over that road !
and wants 10 go to hotel. He has no |
prejudice. Right where he gets on the
train " a hotel equipped as well as any in !
New York Ee has only to send his bag
upstairs. No cab fare TO pay. No weather |
to endure. He takes the travel stains of !
and has his dinner, lie thinks Of going
10 a theatre. There il one under the same |
roof, Perhaps it's warm night and no
prefers entertainment out Of doors. There's
roof garden above him. Bars, cefe
Turkish baths, entertainments-all right at
his hand. lie can transact his business,
IL no likes, without leaving the hotel. lie
can. " he wishes spend all his time prac-
tically IN the railway station. 1t will re-
move the objection which some people
have 10 coming to New York, entering by
ferry and tiresome elevated or surface
travel II would be fine for New York,
most profitable for the Pennsylvanla. No
private enterprise has the same oppor-
tun'tv, for II cannot get the ground space
which the Pennsylvania has had to secure
TOR its tunnel purposes"