New-York tribune., 1903-08-15
A SHED OVER BROADWAY.
cTJRW4Y NEAR ST. PAUL'S.
Merchants AboUe Union Square
4dzise SeUenth-aUe. Route.

rha Oeenon- Mclean Contracting Company
,,es+Ardav morning early began its contract FOR
+,nnerling lower Broadway for the Brooklyn ex-
.eneion of the subway system by building a
t-sn,eUork for a shaft head structure in front
% G. Paul's Chapel at Broadway and Fulton
:. similar structure will be placed in front
- the National Park Bank. and shed will be
,,,;,+ clear across Broadway. The contractors
did their work quietly and swiftly during the
night hours and quit work before the daily rush
mn and down Broadway began. The agitation
IN the papers Of late against the "cut and cover
method Of building tunnels apparently has con-
WINGED the contractors that the public VIII not
tolerate another siege" such has prevailed
during the last two years.
The supports for the framework placed IN
front of St Paurs yesterday are thirty foot
beams twelve inches square. These Will sup
mort a structure that will enable the contractors
70 hoist earth and rock from the tunnel ana
dump it on the platform. on which will be tenn
porarily stored tools and materials needeu III
the underground work. The tunnel headings oe-
low the street will be reached by two sha1ts
sunk on the west side of Broadway, one at the
north end of the structure and the other al 'He
south end. The openings in the Sidewalks IoI
these shafts will be about 6 by 90 feet. and board
fences will surround them. The shed put up
yesterday will permit twenty-siX feet OF hedu-
room over the car tracks, and the passageWayS
on the sidewalk in front of St Paurs VIII be
about six feet wide.
The next shafts south Of the one begun yes
terdav will be in front of Trinity churchyard.
Engineering difficulties are anticipated in taking
care Of the water mains and gas pipes but the
contractors have had as difficult work along
Park Row and at Canal and Elm sts. as they
likely IN meet in lower Broadway
AS a result of the opposition to the ditch sys-
TEN of building a subway in Broadway, COM
1nittee is now being organized for the purpose
of opposing any excavation whatever in Broad
way between Union Square and Long acre
Square, whether it be for subway or tunnel.
This committee thinks that SeVenth-aVe. Is
the route best suited for constructing the un-
derground road and least disturbing to bust
ness Among those taking this view OF the
situation are Lord * Taylor, a. A Vantine &
CO. and McGibbon & Co., and it is said that
Arnold. Constable Co. are also opposed to
Broadway subway Edward Hatch. Of Lord &
Taylor, said yesterday:
The largest merchants. think, are opposed
10 any rapid transit line in Broadway. They
favor Seventh-ave. Most of them agree that
line from Forty-second-st. to Union Square
would be no advantage to Broadway trade and
no advantageous addition to the rapid transit
system. II anything a tunnel is wanted. 1t
IS inconceivable that any large number Of Gus
toners would care to reach the stores by an
underground road. Most Of the customers are
women, and they prefer to walk from place to
place and glance in the windows. The Fourth
ave. subway serves for long distance travel
The Broadway people are satisfied with pres
ent arrangements. Once let contractors get
possession. and you can't tell where they will
stop. They have a way of changing their plans
Look at Park-aVe. After the line was laid out
the subway was moved twenty feet nearer the
stoop line than the plans called for The people
knew nothing about it till their houses began
10 slide Keep the subway workers off Broad
way. SeVenth-ave is the better route for a
rapid transit line