Waterbury Democrat., 1903-02-28

\ MESS the signs and portents
 prove misleading, there is every
 reason for believing that the
 city of New York now the lar-
 gest municipality in the United States, will eventually become the most populous and the finest in the world. Possessing as it does great natural ad- vantages by reason of it's unexampled z location between two rivers and with a deep water harbor accessible at all seasons, New York has yet been ham, pered by the very character of it's en- vironment. It is narrow, as measured across from the North to the East riv- CT. and its area is insufficient for the expansion of it's commerce and the con- sequent demand for sites for office buildings, public structures and houses for residential purposes.
 Recognizing the inadequacy of Man hattan's facilities for transit and ter minal purposes, the endeavors of its public spirited citizens have been con- centrated of late toward overcoming the natural disadvantages under which the city labors, as well as toward the upbuilding of a metropolis in keeping with the vast national growth of recent years. Gradually, link by link, the great chain has been forged that will eventually inclose Manhattan in mesh of steel-railways tunnels bridg es-that will make for the absolute transformation of the city and will call for the expenditure of many millions. The strangest feature of this project is that 1t has not been worked out in it's entirety by preconceived arrangement, but through independent corporations and forces, which are nevertheless har-
 
 terment. At the present writing, ar arrangements are being perfected for the expenditure in the near future of more than $4O0,000,00O for improvements that will effect revolution in transit facili- ties as well as in the permanent archi- lecture of the city. New York has long been known as the home of the modern skyscrapers, most of which, however have been. erected in the lower or busi- ness portion of the city nearer the Bat tery and harbor than the uptown resi- dential district. There has been such crowding of skyscrapers into this re- stricted area, in fact, that facetious writers and artists have frequently de- pfcted Manhattan as overweighted at its southern end and liable to tip up almost any day.
 Taking up in detail the various proj- ects for the betterment of New York. the first in importance is the scheme of the Pennsylvania Railroad company for connecting Manhattan and it's environs with the rest of the country, from which 1t has been so long isolated by it's inclosing waterways. This scheme was promulgated only little more than a year ago, but is already we'll advanced in it's conception and develop ment, and promises to become an ac- tuality within a few years. By this project the heart of New York city is reached through a double steel tubular tunnel beneath the waters of the Hud- son river and by another tunnel be- heath the East river connected with Long Island, New England and pos- sibly transatlantic lines of steamers for England and Europe. The estimat- ed outlay on this vast scheme is $50- 100000, which sum is to be spent upon the tunnel and it's approaches practical 1y in and around the city, and will add that much directly to Manhattans en- richment. What it will mean indirectly by removing the barriers hitherto ex- isting between New York and the coun- try at large it is hardly possible to overesffmate.