New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-05-25

a section OF the brooklyn tunnel extension 10
build. 1t is building its Broadway section with
perhaps the minimum of inconvenience to the
public It has to under it's contract. The COM
pany is performing its work in Forty second-st.
with the maximum of inconvenience and annoy
ance 10 the business men there, thus affording
object lessons of the right and the wrong way
to build tunnels. 1t is tied down hard and fast
by specifications on its lower Broadway work.
and it is understood that these hard and fast
specifications do not govern the Forty-second-st.
work The logical deduction is that the COM
pany knows how TO do the work so to accom-
modate the people, but VIII not do it in Forty
second-st. because il does not have to.
SPACE FOR TRAFFIC HALvED.
All the street and sidewalk space in Forty
second-st. is needed for passenger and vehicuar
traffic When this space is cut down more than
90 per cent the inconvenience reaches the dis
tressing stage 1t has been so cut down by the
Degnon-McLean Contracting Company in Forty
second-st. Between Fourth and Vanderbilt ayes.
the sidewalk on the south side is Uttered with
sections Of water main. empty and filled cement
barrels. asphalt mixing plant and sections of
old metal fencing. Work that should be rushed
is going ahead slowly. A considerable area in
front of the Lincoln Bank is being used as
stone cutting yard. Huge granite flags are be-
ing redressed, preparatory TO relaying. Dress
them to a stoneyard. where they belong. Be-
tween Vanderbilt and Madison ayes. on the
south side OF the street, several granite flags
about twelve feet in length have been showed
out into the roadway. This, perhaps. would
be pardonable if the north side of the street
were left unobstructed. But the condition
the north side is almost as bad. With the
same apparently happy abandon that Mr.. Kip
Hngs baby elephant threw banana skins around
while travelling to the Limpopo River. the con-
tractors have used one of the busiest streets of
the city for big storage yard, dumping things
on both sides Of the car tracks. just where they
ought not TO lie. There are subway entrances
in this short block reaching TO the curb limit
each side. Between these subway entrances
yesterday were temporarily stored mortar mix
ing boards. wooden frames sand and other
building materials belonging to the contractors.
DILAPIDATED ASPHALT
On the southwest corner of Madison-ave. and
Forty-second-st new building is being put up.
Across the street is the Hotel Manhattan. Ma
terial for the new building naturally encroaches
upon the driveway in front. Under such circum-
stances it would seem that the little remaining
space ought to be kept in condition for use. 1t
is not. The asphalt between the tracks is all
cut up, making II impossible for heavy loads to
be drawn there with any dispatch. A hanson
lurched against brewery wagon yesterday af-
ternoon in getting through this broken up space.
with the result that the hanson was partly
wrecked. The driver got off to investigate, and
soon there was a blockade. Two women in a
victoria were hurrying to catch train and they
were in a highly nervous state until the han
som driver got out Of their way. The asphalt
should be repaired between the trolley tracks
without delay so that all that is left of the
be used.
IL front Of No. Is East Forty-second-st. a
hole has been made in the pavement apparently
for water main connection. Sixteen-foot tim
Ders have been used in building a temporary
fence around this hole. There is a similar hole
on the other side Of the street and il IS SINH
larry fenced. No work of any kind was being
done at either hole yesterday. All the traffic in
the street had to drive the trolley tracks. The
right kind Of inspection either would have closed
this work up or would have prevented the build
ing Of such large fences.
On the north side. just east OF Fifth-ave.. is
one OF the worst spots in the entire There
is heavy wooden fence built out into the high
way at this point, extending toward Fourth-ave.
The Enclosure is strewn with stone pIanking
iron. sand, soft dirt, bags OF cement, manhole
covers and cast iron pipe. Just across the street
there is pile OF electric ducts. broken stone and
granite paving blocks.
IN front Of the Columbia Bank on the south
east corner Of Fifth ave. and Forty second-st,
the cement men were having working jubilee
and in order to give themselves plenty Of room
they had fenced off the street. preventing foot
traffic on that side. The broken cement shovelled
from the sidewalk was tossed into the street
alongside barrels Of tar and other building
terials. adding TO the chaotic distress.
LIKE A sANDsTORM
But perhaps the biggest eyesore Of all is be-
tween Fifth and Sixth ayes. along the north
side Of the street Here is where the new 2O-inch
water main is being put In, and everything is
being shovelled out to make ready for IT. The
dirt is so high that it obscures from the oppo-
site side Of the street view OF the shop win
dows, and the dirt ridge was growing apace
yesterday the hole went deeper. The heavy
wind seemed to enter into the spirit OF mischief,
and ii took up the fresh dirt after its cousin,
the sun, had dried It, and whisked II around and
around, until everything looked like an Okla
homa sandstone.
Park Commissioner Palas has added his quota
TO the miserable situation. Mr.. Pallas IS the
official who sent out batch Of rules containing
one prohibiting the private citizen from renting
his window or fence, If IL fronts the park, for
advertising Objectionable to Mr.. Pallas. The
commissioner lately rented TO Harry c. Hart, 4
Tammany district leader. the privilege Of cover
ing the library fence with bunion, whiskey and
other advertisements. Commissioner Wilcox.
his predecessor. made the subway contractors
get off park property. as far as possible. Mr..
Pallas is different. He has soft spot in his
heart for contractors. All along the library
lot fence yesterday were cement barrels, broken
stone pipe. castings and two-wheeled trucks.
They made a striking foreground for the catsup
and corset advertisements on the fence above
them.
On the southwest corner Of Fifth-ave. and
| Forty second-st. Commissioner Pallas allowed
the contractors TO pile about ten two-horse
wagon loads Of half rotten panking. formerly
used in the subway. These TO be carried
away some time but It impossible for men
and women to stand at that street corner yes
terday That some OF them will be left there in
then carried one away TO cut up into short
pieces yesterday.
BUSINESS MEN BADLY HAMPERED.
The street between Sixth and Seventh aves
while bad. is not bad between Fourth and
Sixth. The business men all along the street
| have been hampered in numberless ways by the
funnel work in the last three and a half years,
ana 1t is particularly trying now that the work
] &c limos 10