The sun., 1903-11-12
DITCH FOR MOVING PLATFORM
REALLY 1T WOULD BE HARMLESS
SAY THE PROJECTORS.
Go Said the Rapid Transit Ditchers-One
plan for Narrow Nassau street Is to
Put . False Top on II and Cut Away
Below-Piain Ditch Maybe Elsewhere.

plan for NarrOW NASSAU Street - 10
Put . False Top on II and Cut Away
Below-Plsin Ditch Maybe Elsewhere.
The promoters OF the scheme for the
moving platform which Is to connect the
nav williamsburg bridge with the Bat
,srv saw, as did the Rapid Transit contrac-
tors, the chief engineer Of the Rapid Transit
commission and every other promoter Of
the dtching which has afflicted this town,
that they propose to build the subway to
contain their platform with as little incon-
yenience to the public as possible.
They say, also, as did the ditchers in other
narts Of town, that it Is most undesirable
las well as more expensive) to cut their
subway 80 deep that it would not interfere
With the street surface. because people don't
like to climb up and down stairs to get to
underground railways. and elevators can't
handle crowds And then they take up
the old argument of the other ditchers, that
In building an underground railway some
body has to be "inconvenienced. and 1t
Is better for comparatively small proper
ton of the city's business interests to suffer
for year or two for the ultimate benefit Of
the public at large than to infict the long
weary stair climbing upon the public through
many more years, OF 10 go Wllnout tne
Improvement altogether.
The answer to all this has been made
many times by many eminent engineers
that all subways must have stairs, and that
engineers outside of those interested in
building cheap subways for the greater
profit of the corporations operating them
agree that it is perfectly feasible to build
subway which is easy OF access without
resorting to ditching methods. But, then,
II would cost little more.
No franchise has yet been granted to the
moving platform company. In fact the
company itself has not yet been incor-
poraed. But everything is In readiness
for the incorporation. and all the machinery
is in order for the granting of the franchise
BY the Rapid Transit Commission. A
committee Of the commission has already
given tentative approval to the scheme
and the lawyers and engineers on both
sides are now engaged in drawing up a
franchise and construction contract Be-
fore the franchises can become oper ative
they must be approved by the Board Of
Aldermen and the Mayor and the consents
OF majority of the property owners along
the route must be obtained
II the property owners won't consent,
the promoters can appeal to the Appel
late Division of the Supreme Court for
leave to build the road without these con-
sents and the court has power-if it chooses
to exercise ito override the wishes Of
the property owners and to order the road
built without consents In the case OF
the proposed ditching Of upper Broadway,
the Belmont syndicate didn't think it worth
while to try it's luck with the court:
Whether or not a new ditch will be cut
downtown, therefore, will ultimately be
sup to" the Mayor, the Alderman and the
property owners or the court. The Rapid
Transit Commission, which is coming to
be regarded as mere echo of its engineer,
is not expected to have any scruples about
ditching anywhere.
The route for the moving platform,
which already has been decided upon, is
down the widened Delaney street to tho
Bowery, and thence under Chatham square,
Worth street, Park street, Centre street,
Park row. Nassau and Broad streets n.
loop around the Battery, In Del anS,y
street the construction problem Is simple
The subway can bc cut under the property
widening of the street.
Down the Bowery and for the rest of the
route it is different matter. The easiest
way for the builders, and also the cheapest,
would be a construction by the open ditch
n thod which made Forty second street
highway Of bankruptcy and Fourth avenue
and Elm street a horror 1t is generally
underst ood that the promoters will really
greater part of the route if the city and the
property holders will let them. One OF the
arguments they advance is that the streets
are SO wide that it really won't hurt any
body. If an open ditch is not permitted,
then ditch with a cover construction is
likely To be proposed-anythinS, in fact,
b,t tunnel.
For Nassau street. which is so narrow
that the plain ditch construction would put
il out of business altogether, it is under
hat ba nrOhahly will
propose to build false street of planks
fourteen inches above the present surface;
then to GU; the street away below that,
To remove material and put in the steel
framework shafts might be sunk in the side
streets, or the company might even lease
or buy building or two, tear them down
and nse the sites for shafts to remove the
excavated material.
But they have to get their franchise first,
and the property owners will have to have
an opportunitv to say whethe or not they
will be willing to have their street raised
foot and half orso, and hop up and down
temporary steps to get into their stores and
Offices. The folks along the Bowery and
the ankers and brokers down in Broad
street will have n chance also to express
their views on the harmlessness of ditch
ing the citys streets, with or without a
plank cover. "
George A. Maryland, the chief engineer
of the moving platform company, told
Sun reporter yesterday that no definite
plans had been made yet for the construc-
ton of the platform subway. The lawyers
were even now discussing how to build
1t with the least possible Inconvenience to
the public.
near TO the surface as possible" said Mr..
Maryland, land for the pnbics own con.
venience. But we intend also to do 1t
with as little disturbances OF existing con-
ditons compatible with making the i'm
provement. Why. We even intend to CON
suit, as far as possible. with the property
owners along the route as to how best TO
meet their wishes in doing the work.
Subway cutting in Broadway isn't to
be compared with such work in Nassau
street The conditions are, different.
There are no car tracks, and though there
is a heavy pedestrian traffic, the trucking
is comparatively light. Along Broad street
and Park row and the wider streets really
see no objection to the open construc-
ton, seeing that there will be room, for
a driveway on one side or possibly both,
'Blt really, nothing has been decided
on yet except the route. All the rest has
still to be settled