The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-08-07
COMMITTEE TO FIGHT DITCH.
FIFTY WELL-KNOVN BROA DWAY
BUSINESS MEN CHOSEN.
They'll 500 the Mayor and Back UP the
Petition That All tine Threatened
Interests Are Sixnlng-Chler Engl-
neer ParsOns's NOn.COmmittal Views.


Broadway, and non-oommittal state
ment from the marlborough Rapid Transit
Company issued yesterday, did not cause
the merchants OF Broadway to let up q
particle in the fight against the ditchina
# Broadway from Forty-second street tc
Union square for the proposed subway
extension.
request to have Mr.. Parsonss state
n"nt, as published, read at the afternoon
meeting OF the Broadway men was ignored
OH the ground that it had no bearing on
the one and only issue-"No dit CHI"
The meeting approved the protest to
The Mayor, drawn up by the executive
committee on Wednesday,, and published
in yesterdays sun.
AL Hayman, who presided, said that he
wanted to tell the story of a little morning
walk he took yesterday on Forty-second
street from the Grand Central Station to
Broadway
"Eetween the railroad station and Sixth
avenue, only three blocks" he said Il
counted 81 vacant stores, marked to let. '
On one place about to be abandoned was
the sign-'Closinc out-tired of waiting
fer the end of the subway work
hat shows ny Just what our fate will
he on Broadway, ii they dig ditch here.
Mr.. Hayman then suggested the appoint
rnent Of committee OF fifty to go to the
Mayor. the Rapid Transit Commissioners
and to August Belmont, president of the
marlborough company, and petition them
10 run a tunnel under Broadway instead
of digging a ditch.
Jesse J. Straus, representing Nathan
Straus, made a motion that such COM
mittee be appointed. John ID. Hunter.
representing all the Broadway florists,
said that he would second that motion if
Mr.. Straus would substitute the word
protest" for petition" The change was
made and tho motion carried unanimously.
The committee, which represents all of
the forms of business and entertainment
which have made Broadway famous, is
as follows,
=, Nathan straus. W, r. H.; Martin, Edward
Frank W. Sanger. Il. s, Pole. Charles T. Jones
ST%SplPs4 % a Hsy HSn Van 1 SSf"
McHugh. Charles Frohmqn. Frank aTlford.
=. X. Moore. Alexander shaw, sam Shubert,
Bur,nham. Charles ThorIey. Henry lIicks.
Albert sm&l John i hi4yle5 Joseph NJ
Johnson. James " Miner, J: Albert Besthoii
Patrick F. Murphy. Charles ". Schumann.
Metropolis, President Charles i, Sprague OF
the Union Dime Savings Bank. President
Bank Nice-President Simonson Of the Second
National Bank. Alexander Mcdonald, Arthur
A. Stewart, f. A. Darling and John Ives
There are fifty-one names, but the num-
Der who may serve need not necessarily be
limited by the name Of the committee.
The committee is authorized to employ
counsel
One Of the canvassers OF the business
men reported yesterday that he had got the
signatures OF all the tenants except one
between Forty-second and Thirty-fourth
streets, on both sides of Broadway.
To-day a real estate firm will furnish the
name OF every estate, company and individ-
ual owning Broadway property between
Forty-second street and Union square, so
that the signatures Of the owners NAV be
added to those Of the tenants.
Chief Engineer Parsons said yesterday
that the business men of Broadway were
fitting at a windmill and that they were
protesting prematurely against something
which had never been contemplated
No one has ever had any intention of
disturbing the traffic along upper Broad
way. In order that the branch subway
might be built" Mr.. Parsons said. But
he wouldn't say that the subway in upper
Broadway is to be a deep tunnel MIR.
Parsons was possibly limiting at the plan hs
has In mind when he said in reply TO ques-
tions:
"No; ! will not say that the scheme of
boarding over the roadway will be put
into operation should the branch subway
be built down Broadway. Still, that can
be done without interfering with traffic
more than the laying OF gas or water,
main does. There are business places
along Broadway that close at o'clock
the next morning. Should the plank
ing be opened during the night it would
not interfere with their business"
Mr.. Parsons added that the extension
might be in Seventh avenue and not in
Broadway at ALL and that no definite plan
had been adopted
After the route considered the best for
all purposes has been chosen we will be
able to determine how the work shall he
done" he added. "The choice will not
be made until some time in the fall. In
the mean time I cannot make any state
ment rs to how the work will be carried
on. But will say that should the subway
ference with traffic"
Tho official statement of the Inter borough
Rapid Transit Company was as remote
from that mo ditch" issue as wes the chief
engineers interview.
Two sentences in the comparv'a state
ment, which no doubt will strike the Broad
way men as most significant, are these:
There are questions connected with pas
and sewer pipes. NC. which would make
the work extremely hazardous in n deep
tu M rand transit .v.tor can b. .srr.d
properly with deep tunnel.
From midnight 10 in the morning tho
contractors can do whatever surface work Ia
necessary but the street must be restored
without fail before in the morning.
The marlborough company advises the
people on Broadway from Forty-second
street to Union Square to follow the ex-
ample OF the business men on lower Broad
way, who at first protested against the
subway extensions south from the Post
Office, but who have now been assured
that the work will be done without any
injury to their business.
The company further said,
The idea which has spread among the prop
erty owners on Broadway from Forty second
street to Union Square that the thoroughfare
was to be torn up the street and traffic blocked
and business impeded il the city decides TO
construct the proposed rapid transit extern
sion IL absurd Engineers who have studied
the section contend that there Is no need
TO have an open ditch and that the work can
be done so that traffic will not be DELAYED
business will not be hindered and that the
surface OF the street can be maintained along
the line Of the proposed extension.
That such plan will be prepared Is an absO-
lutte certainty That the rights of the prop
erty owners will be safeguarded in every