New-York tribune., 1903-01-16
NOT FOR PUBLIC FIRST,
.Subzcay, When Completed, Not to
Carry Passengers for a Time.
MoorED STATION PLANS LAID OVER.

John B. Mcdonald. at a meeting of the Rapid
Transit Commission yesterday. made long ar
gument against the building of the station at
observation-disclosures and Central Park
West, as authorized last week by the commits
sion. He declared that the work of the entire
road would be delayed eight months and per-
haps a year If the station built.
There win be Harlem in fifteen minutes"
he said addressing the Mayor. ''If you intend
TO build station at One-hundred- and -fourth-st
we will have 10 stop all work on that section"
William Barclay Parsons. chief engineer. said
that even though the commission insisted on the
building of the station such work could not GO
on until April next. at which time. he was sure
the work the section referred to would b.
finished.
Il would like TO tell the commission" Mr..
Parsons said. that work on the entire road
will be completed by November next. I mean
that 1t will be ready for operation by that time
If the station is built at One-hundred-and-
fourth-st- We cannot finish the work by the end
of the year"
Mayor Low asked him when the work at City
Hall would be finished, and he said by August l.
Mr.. Mcdonald was asked by the Mayor as 70
the time wher the tunnel under the Harlem
River. the power house and stables would
be finished Mr.. Mcdonald replied. by next
autumn"
Controller Grout wanted to know If the road
would be ready for the public as com
pleted and surprised when Mr.. Parsons
told him il would not
In Boston," Mr.. Parsons said. trains were
run for months before the general public was
allowed to ride in them This was absolutely
necessary. If we don't have proper training be-
fore we open the road to the public the result
will be disastrous"
p +ba
cided to put the plan for the One-hundred-and-
fourth-st. station on the table until next April
Mayor Low told the commission what he had
seen on visit. a few days ago. to all the fin
ished sections OF the subway The Mayor satd-
was greatly delighted with what I saw The
character of the work was such as could be
desired / am certain when the road is COM
pleted 1t will be adequate. As to the stations,
was delighted to find them lighter than I ever
anticipated They were a sort of revelation.
was of the opinion that electric lights would be
necessary day and night, but since have seen
several Of them l have changed that opinion.
In all of the stations I visited could read the
smallest print of a newspaper.
1t was gratifying to see how far the work has
progressed The tunnel is rapidly approaching
a stage when tracks can be laid In some places
L even found that plastering work had been
under wav. My first impression Of the tunnel
was similar to the / formed when I first
visited the Brooklyn Bridge with Chief Engineer
Martin when it was nearing completion. was
fairly astonshed at the splendid scale which
the whole thing had been projected. I was SINH
fairly impressed with what I saw in the tunnel.
and think when the work is finished the people
of New-YOrk will be doubly proud Of this
enterprise and addition TO it's great public
works.
committee from the House and Real Es-
tate Owners Association and one from the East
Side Citizens and Taxpayers Association called
on Chief Engineer Parsons yesterday to ask
about a petition handed in early in December
for rapid transit tunnel in First-ave- Assistant
Engineer Rice Informed the committees that the
plan being considered.