The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-05-10

other narrow ones built many years agt
before the city took official cognizancc o.
such invasions of its underground property
Undoubtedly there are some chambers
which the city authorities don't know about
for which no rent is paid. because years
ago there was no ordinance regarding build
ing operations underground as there is
| now
Nowadays the city has to give its con.
sent for the construction of any tunnel
or tho laying Of any private pipe line oul :
side Of the building line Of the property
and recently a uniform system of com
| putting he rental to be paid for space thus
taken underground has been adopted by
all such money is paid. In all cases now
for every foot taken underground 5. per
cent. Of the assessed valuation of the land
on the surface is charged. Already the
| city receives over $4,000 in rent for tunnels
and pipe lines. exclusive of vaults under
| meath sidewalks, and it's revenue from
| such sources is bound to increase every
year.
One OF thes, tunnels is that connecting
| the Wananlnker store with an annex on
! The lower si'e of Ninth street. For this n
ycorly ren, If 81 900 is paid TO the, city.
This tunnel is sixty feet long and almost
light feet high, II was made by tun-
melting beneath the surface and the street
WIS not opened. Strange to say. II was
not until il had been built and operated
for year that the city authorities knew
anvil hing about II and "Xac'cd rent for 1t.
One reason for this was that no such tunnel
had been consi ructod in many years, and
those who built il had never heard that
, the city demanded rent for such pa ssa ge-
w7ys.
Years ago A. 7. Stewart built small
tunnel TO connect certain parts of his prop
"rty, and the present owners of the. propert y
believed they had the right 10 build another.
, Tho tunnel took several months to build
. 81 nj ie cnpSiTprpfl n fine mon of lnHor.
ground work. II has been declared to be
the prcscHt plan of those in charge of the
property to build another largo store OPP
pnslte :he present one and connect this
with many tunnels, even larger than that
now In operation.
Underneath Plat street, in the Swamp.
is another sm ,llnr tunnel. which connects
the Woodbridge building with property
used for storage purposes on tho south side
Of Plat street. This tunnel is made of
walk erect through ii. II is feet wide and
1 feet below the surface. It Is about
twenty-five feet long. The rent paid for it
i. 500. The Muull Lir" lnsure nee Com
panX has one Of these tunnels and has made
application for another. TO connect its
main building with building it owns
opl.o. tie on Liberty street. The dis
toNce i about twenty-five feet: but. be-
cause Of a big sewer l" feet below the STIR:
iac,, these tunnel, will be Is feet below.
.th''hSh Wv VI 'Ii-h .'ohiH P'iNs dIiu tuS
like are to run. The other is to he used as
passigcway,
\ big brewery no on the East Side has a
tunnel leading from is main building TO it's
ice plant. This tunnel is big enough for
four men 10 walk abreast in. II was built
years ago and wao one of the first of the
kind ever const r,lcted.
Exceeding these tunnels In magnitude.
however, are several lately projected,
TO which the Board OF Aldermen has
officially given its consent. Chief OF these
in size is the subterranean passa geway
planned to connect the new Macy store
with n building to be used for storage pur-
poses and as an annex on the north side OF
Thirty-fifth street.
This tunnel, besides being much longer,
is to he more elaborate than the others, In
that II IL to be winding one. This 10 made