The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-08-23
NEW YoRKs TUNNELS.
''Tubes" That Are Now Being Built or
Projected i'm that Neishborhood.

Projected i'm that Neiehborhood.
New York Letter in Philadelphia Press.
Nothing that Mr.. corbin then announced
as summary OF the reports OF his engin-
GERS has been found impracticable. but the
science of tunnel building has advanced
so rapidly that many things the engineers
Of 1890 would have regarded as impra -
cable or possibly would not have thous,t
of at all are now being easily done. in the
construction OF the tunnel speedily to be
completed that is to stretch from the Bat
terry at the lower end of Manhattan island
under the East river TO Brooklyn, reaching
the surface at a point about a mile inland.
The first tunnel constructed under the
East river was regarded a foolhardy
venture and IL did i'm fact ruin those who
dared to undertake IL. But IL demonstrated
the feasibility of tunnel construction
through that rocky bed. and IL is now in use
not for passenger transportation, but for
the carriage of mains bringing gas and
electric power from Long island TO New
York city.
This was built in a little over two years.
time 1t is expected that the tunnel now in
course of construction under the East river
very near its conjunction with the Hudson.
thus forming the true harbor OF New York.
will be completed within two years from
the time of beginning the work. In fact.
the more difficult part has already been ac-
complished. That was the approach to the
rivers bed on either side. The tunnel un-
der the river itself is 20 be cut through the
solid rock and modern machinery is so well
perfected that this work can be done safely
rapidly and, relatively speaking. inexpen-
sively.
That is to be only one of the submarine
passenger systems for which the city viii
be asked TO extend its credit: One. at least.
and possibly two are speedily TO be con-
structed between the present tunnel ana
Blackwelfs island, and these are TO be so
skii ,f;. CONNECTED &c with the RAPID.
1T possible. through utilization of routes at
either terminal, for passengers TO be trans
ported from the Harlem river to the center
of Brooklyn borough and back again with
out leaving their seats These tunnels are
also TO be so operated that they may make
easy connection with the terminals of the
two new bridges, one almost completed, the
other soon to be begun, which are TO con-
meet Brooklyn with New York by means
of the suspension bridge system
Many persons have wondered why, In per-
fecting an adequate passenger transporta-
ton system for the enlarged New York.
TO be utilized to the extent OF one hundred
millions for connection with the borough or
Brooklyn and the borough of the Bronx.
Why not also provide adequate transporta-
ton to Jersey City, many ask. The answer
to that is that the city's authority only ex-
tends partially under the Hudson river,
and, therefore, what may be done through
the aid of city credit in the way of per-
fecting transportation across or under the
East river must, with respect TO New Jer-
sey, be done by private capital
| tent than that secured through the aid OF
| the city of New York, perfecting tunnel
| communication with the Jersey coast.
Already workmen are engaged In the pre-
| liminary shaft work necessary before the
| true tunel contemplated by the Pennsyl-
vania corporation can be begun. The en-
| gineers are confident that the Pennsylva-
| MIA system. which Is that of artificial
| tunnel, a tubular bridge built through the
| mud and resting upon piers, may be COM
| pleted within three years.
| Twenty years ago private capital with
| which at one time Senator Jones, or Ne
| vada, was associated undertook TO con-
| struct a tunnel under the Hudson IL was
| completed until ii was brought within the
jurisdiction of New York State Hard
/ times, the exhaustion of the capital, the
! loss of faith i'm the project and possibly
some internal friction caused a suspension
| Of work. Now, far beneath the Hudson
| workmen are progressing rapidly, cutting
| through the bluffs which are characteristic
| Of the approaches 10 the New York shore,
| that 1T is expected that they will emerge
| within year, having completed true
| tunnel.
Therefore within five years we are sure
| to have at least four submarine tunnels.
| and possibly five, representing In the ag-
1 gregate an expenditure of not far from
500, 900 ,000 for which the city will furnish
| about $4,000 900, and in addition TO that
| much OF the subsurface of Manhattan
| island also tunneled that there can be
adequate transportation, urban and sub
urban.