New-York tribune., 1903-07-31
MERCHANTS UP IN ARllS.I POWER PLANT Eq17IYED
Protest against Repetition of Sub
zcay Building AnnOyanceS.


No more open cuts! No further prolonged
blockading Of streets and money losses to shop
keepers and householders!
This seems to be the ralIying slogan among
the merchants. hotel men and taxpayers in
Broadway between Forty-second-st. and the
Battery with reference to the building of the
proposed new subway. The indications now are
that the Rapid Transit Commission, catching
the unmstakable drift of public temper, will
order the building of the new subway by meth
DDS far different from those governing the work
on the present undertaking.
Chief Engineer William Barclay Parsons said
Yesterday that the building of the Broadway
section Of the Brooklyn extension would afford
an opportunity to the commission to try new
methods
It is extremely doubtful if a long suffering
public will tolerate another siege of yawning
chasms in great thoroughfares such as they
have been obliged to put up with in the last
three years. The argument advanced by engi-
neers that subway close to the surface Of
the street as the present one cannot be built as
a deep tunnel is constructed does not seem to
have sufficient legs to stand on.
Scores Of shopkeepers. hotel proprietors and
property owners have been put to enormous ex-
pense and almost inconceivable inconvenience
by the sub-contractors of the present tunnel.
After watching just what has happened. the
merchants along projected new routes are in
no mood TO submit to more Of such annoyances.
Chief Engineer William Barclay Parsons in
dicated in a talk with a Tribune reporter yes
terday that the new tunnels to be built by the
city will be constructed with much less annoy
snce to the public
We built the four track section of the pres
ent subway between Mai-st. and Ann-st with
out breaking up the surface Of the street except
to cut a trench on one side" said Mr.. Parsons
yesterday In building the Brooklyn extension
down Broadway from the Postoflce. 1t is
planned 10 plank over the street as fast as It is
excavated, in much the same manner as was
done at Twenty third-st. and Fourth-ave. Seven
hundred cars pass that intersection every hour
and yet traffic has not been interrupted. The
contract for the Broadway section says that it
must be done without interfering with traffic.
Why cannot the so-caled shield system Of
driving deep tunnels, as used in London, be used
here?" Mt. Parsons was asked.
The earth cutting under London is far diff
ferent from here" said he. Besides, the Rapid
Transit Commission adopted a policy Of build
ing our subways close to the surface of the
street as possible AS a result the top Of the
subway is only five or six feet below the street.
This does away with laborious climbing by the
passengers. Inasmuch as the plans for the pro-
posed new subway between Forty-second-st
and the Battery have not been submitted or
fully discussed by the commission. I cannot talk
about the subject at all. There Is no use argu-
Ing about something that may not exist. Be
fore any agitation about what the new tunnel
shouid De IKE IS carried further, We should wait
and see hat is going TO be done The cor,r,is-
sion cannot possibly award any contract for +I,e
new tunnel before next spring. The route is No,
even laid out. The Paris tunnels are close -
the surface OF the street. and the contractors
tore things up worse there than we have bara
We have photographs Of the Rue di Rivou Il,
TIE heart OF the city, showing that the excava.
tion extended clear across the street leavinq
little or no room for sidewalks. While the s1b
way being built in Boston the streets Vye~e
all torn up. some OF them worse than thev are
here. a deep tunnel would take one-half longe,
10 build. I think the cost would be about the
same d cut and cover tunnel
John =. Mcdonald says that the construction
Of pipe galleries in the lower Broadway section
50 SIS TO do away with the necessity Of tearjne
up the streets for every new pipe that goe,
down, will fully compensate for any temporar,
inconvenience that people are put TO in tn,
building. When MI Mcdonald asked if I
would not be better to build the tunnels deepeI
and DO away with open cutting, he said:
1t is for the commission to decide what the,
want. OF course il is inConvenient for III,
streets to be torn up as they nave been Ru
after the tunnel Is built. If 1t is built right it
added utility will more than make up for an,
undergo during the construction period"
Controller Grout was the only member Of III,
Rapid Transit Commission that could be reacbe,
yesterday.
a deep tuanel instead Of one near the sur
face, such are building is purely an
engineering problem said Mr. Grout 9TH
policy up TO now has been TO build the tunnaI
close 10 The surface Of the street. and the en
glreers have held that Il required an omen cut
ting. Perhaps this work could be done with ;
ltue pains. without open excavation. If il can
The commission ought TO look into the matte
before any more contracts are let. Nothing ha.
been decided on as yet with reference to tn
new subway. 2Ir. Parsonss tentative Dlap
were referred 70 a subcommittee Al that tim
me oi.-r route under discussion was the on
down broadway 1 an prepared 10 hear argu
inetts iu favor Of Seventh-aVe.. and have n
coubt The other commissioners are similarl,
disposed. There VIII be fun public hearings OF
the plans"