The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-08-09
21la-5umn7e1 Safe Of Jzzgh~S>uae &oce>xe.

that Mr.. Parsons has in store for them,
unless he is forced to change his plans.
Said one theatrical proprietor to another
yesterday: How would you like to have
a 10 by 10 shaft rising from the sidewalk
in front OF your theatre entrance, capped
by an overhead dump casting dust, and
perhaps stones, down on your matinee
patrons?"
How will the dry goods houses like to
have them in front Of their doors and their
show windows?" asked the her manager.
One Broadway property owner, who had
just come back from Chicago, said it was
strange il a section Of tho heart OF New
York couldn't have the same pro- ect ion
that Chicago is giving to all its property
owners in the building of its sixty miles
of telephone tunnels. There the working
shafts are not allowed either in the street
or on the sidewalks. New York, he said.
might well take Chicago for an example.
The Illinois Telephone and Telegraph
Company has undertaken to build net
work Of conduit tunnels under the streets
of the business section 10 carry all its wires.
The trunk tunnels are IL feet inches wide
and IA feet high. and the lateral tunnels
are ga feet wide and feet high, The
work of construction vas carried on from
eight shafts located in Placements rented
for this purpose. No openings were made
in streets or in sidewalks. The underground
work was carried on from the shafts run
from the easements, and the e1cavated
material was removed into the easements,
hosted to the second floor of the buildings
al i,tn ha
tunnel was constructed by three shifts
of workmen working eight hours each.
All the dirt was hauled away at night. The
streets saved to the people for business
by this method were far less important
than is Broadway between Forty-second
and Fourteenth streets to the city OF New
York. Yet under the present plans Of the
Chief Engineer Of the Rapid Transit Com
mission the best that Broadway can hope
for Ia a wooden bridge by day--if the con-
tractor keeps his word-shafts in the side
walk and the dirt handled in the air, where
the winds may blow it at will on the Broad
way shopper and theatregoer
II the Broadway man doesn't like the
shaft in front OF his theatre or his store If
the bridged street drives his customers
away. or Chief Engineer Parsons gives
Kermit to the contractor to open a cut
ain such a manner and in such place as the
engineer in writing may permit" he has
no redress in the courts.
The Rapid Transit act protects the city
and the contractor from claims for damages
unless they arise from the negligent per-
Torrance of the work. II the contractor
should decree to open shaft at the en-
trance Of the Herald Square Theatre and
play goers couldn't squeeze in, the owners
couldn't get damages if it should be expert
evidence that the shaft there was necessary.
Suits against the subway c0ntracto rs
have been uniformly unsuccessful except
In the case of the Everett House, where il
was shown that work not necessary to he
lone at that spot was performed. to the
ietriment of the property. said Richard
J. Donovan OF the Broadway Business
Mems no-ditch organization "The con-
rac ors can fill the Broadway shopkeepers
ioOrways with paving 81 ones, AZ they did in
Fort v second street, and as long M they
work no damage by negligence, the injured
merchant has no chance, There ought to
De relief through the Legislature, and if
here il to be a ditch in Broadway the |
i.e legislature may he asked TO help. That IL
why Broadway means TO fight, and this is I
he time to fight
THE contract must he made 30 that |
shall be assured of uninterrupted |
raffic by the terms OF the contract and by 1