The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-08-03
The Underground Policy

The chief engineer of the subway is re-
ported to be satisfied that a method
that has worked so we'll in the rest of the
city ought to be followed on Broadway
but it is added both he and Mr.. MCDoN-
AID, the contractor. are open to con-
viction.
The inference would seem to be that
il is necessary for the citizens of New
York to convince these gentlemen that
there is any fault to find with the method
of construction of the present subway.
As neither of them has any authority to
decide the matter, what difference does
it make whether they are open to con-
viction 'or have shut their minds against
conviction? The engineer is an employee
of the Rapid Transit Commission and he
can proceed only with the approval of
that body Mr.. MCDONALD is simply
the contractor for the work. The COM
mission is responsible TO the citizens of
New York, and the engineer and contrac-
tor are responsible to the commission.
As a technical engineering question
there is no room for dispute as to the
practicability of changing the method
of construction from trench to a verit-
able tunnel, for it has been demonstrated
How the digging Of the present subway
has worked the citizens of New York
know as we'll as does the engineer under
whose supervision it is proceeding. They
hn O.
two or three years to get evidence enough
to form an emphatic opinion on that
subject, without other help.
The Evening Post makes very peril
nent suggestion when it refers to the
possibility Of more than temporary in
jury to trade along thoroughfares which
have suffered especially from obstruc-
tons caused by digging the trench. The
actual losses to merchants in those
streets it does not exaggerate when it
calls them tremendous, and it is justi-
fed in saying that so delicate are the
relations of trade the injury done may
be continuous because OF the diversion
Of trade to unobstructed thoroughfares.
This Is so serious a matter, the aggrega-
gate of loss due to the present method of
construction is 40 enormous, that, as our
evenir & contemporary concludes, no
more subways should be dug until this
question of the method of their con-
struction has been gone into more care
| fully and thoroughly.
AS to the question of the route to be
taken by the proposed extension of the
subway, there is no doubt that that
through Broadway to Union Square would
be convenient for the public: and
there is no objection to it, so far as we
have heard, from the business and other
interests along its course 1t is in the
centre, where an underground road might
well be. The only protest, and il is a
protest in which everybody along the
route joins, is against the damage which
would be brought Ia the whole region by
digging ditch through it. Exactly
what would happen if the plan adopted
in building the original subway was pnr-
sued lis understood by everybody who
has had his eyes open for years past
The great seat of gayety and of retail
trade in New York would be defaoed and
loaded with Instructions, with the proba-
bility that the injury done to it would
last far beyond the mere period during
which the Rigging at the surface was
going on.
1t is obvious that the Rapid Transit