The sun., 1903-08-16
100000 PEOPLE EVERY NIGHT.
NUMBER or THEATRE GOERS
WHOD SUFFER FROM A DITCH
II Broadway Were Opened by tho subway
nlLliers-The Reno Method Of Tunnel
Driving Business Men for = Deep
Boring From 49d -. to south Ferry.


AL Hayman. who is chairman of the
Committee of so to fight a ditch in Broadway
estimated that the theatres and cafes on
Broadway at tho height of the season deal
with 100000 persons every night. These
figures give definite idea Of the use made
at night of that part Of Broadway which
Engineer William Barclay Parsons and the
Interboroush company propose to cut open
for an indefinite period, probably three
years.
There are twenty-three theatres in the
territory that would be affected by an open
ditch and these would be moro injured by
having the street torn up at night than
they would be If it were out Of condition
for general use in the daytime.
III the Rapid Transit Commission cannot
give us a deep tunnel let it put its subway
in Seventh avenue" said Mr. Hayman.
"The attitude Of the Interurban company
seems to be that il controls the situation
and that if it should decide on the Seventh
avenue route We, on Broadway would all be
in tears. We could all we'll afford to have the
route changed to Seventh avenue or have
the branch abandoned altogether rather
than have our business embarrassed as it
has been and as it will be by any system
of construction which involves tearing up
the street.
An engineer employed by the contracting
Arm which il nov sinking shafts to begin
work on the branch in lower Broadway
from Ann street to Bowling Green seemed
bit petulant yesterday. when asked if
-. rlNl L,, lo
operations.
Il don't know said he, People are so
easily disturbed nowadays that wouldn't
venture to say how they'll be affected by
the work in lower Broadway"
When Engineer Parsons is making his
careful inquiry by direction Of the Rapid
Transit Commission to ascertain If the sub
way cannot he built in a manner which will
hring z less distress to the property owners
along the line, he may recall the system
Of tunnel building which was laid before
the commission by Jesse W. Reno, an en-
xineer of $50 West Thirty-third street BY
this system the surface of the street ia not
disturbed A shield system il used, the
same as in the river tunnel work now going
on.
1t was used in building the Backwsll
tunnel in London. In using this system
the tunnel need not be built at a great
depth below the surface, but 40 near that
the station platforms will be within eighteen
feet OF the street. A tunnel built OF steel
and cement is constructed as the shield
waited under the shield is carried back to
the mouth Of the tunnel instead of being
carted through the streets or raised by
shafts and handled where II can send its
dust over such thoronghfare as Broad
way.
used without Interfering with the water
street.
The proposed deep tunnel down Broad
vay from Forty second street to South
Ferry will meet with the approval Of
majority Of the merchants and property
owners who have signed the protest to the
Mayor against ditchng Broadway.
As A new link in the underground rapid
transit aystem IL would attract a good
mart of the volume which traverses this
part of New York by day and by night,
and would effactually settle the controversy
between the business men on one hand and
the marlborough company and Engineer
Parsons on the other hand, as to how the
s,,h-s,Irface road should he constructed
in Broadway.
James A. Raymond, president of A. A.
yantine & Co. who signed the Broadway
protest, said yesterday;
"If the line must 60 down Broadway it
should he built by tunneling not by ditching
Other tunnels have been built in this way,
and see no reason for digging trench in
this case. II the work is to be done as the
Rapid Transit Commission now proposes,
the line should be built down Seventh
avenue"
When Engineer Parsons gets home the
Rapid Transit Commission may ask him
TO report on the engineering features Of
the plan for a deep tunnel down to South
Ferry and the connections that may be
made from such tunnel with the existing
subway lines
The Brooklyn merchants are going to
hold a meeting at the Brooklyn Club on
Monday afternoon TO organize to save
Fulton street from the ditchers.