New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-01-29
FOR A FIFTH-AVE. SUBWAY
ucDONILD WOULD DIG 1T.
He also Suggests Building One in
LedingtOn-GUe.

L6dtHS COH-uCC.
,.r Mcdonald. the subway contractor. in
,.,,er addressed 10 August Belmont. and sub
s.,,,sd Yesterday TO the Rapid Transit Commits
-, practically serves notice that the Inter
,..,,gb Rapid Transit Company will soon apply
=. franchise for extension from Forty
...ons-st. down Broadway to Twenty-third-
. .bsnoe down Fifth-ave. and West broadway
:. ,rsenwicb-st and 10 the Battery, con-
..,,ng there with the Interborough's Brooklyn
extension
7Ds ooupany, Mr.. Mcdonald writes, is plan
"a, for the building of express tracks for the
e..o,aave elevated line, and apparently Is
,.,,,ug rea dy to bid for a new East Side subway
IS soon as an opportunity presents itself. This is
,hs subway planned for Lexington7ave.. which
wss advocated by The Tribune and was de-
..ardaa bv many citizens of the East Side.
Mr. Belmont. in sending TO President Orr
comics of correspondence between William Bare
80. parsons and himself and John B. Mcdonald,
wrote
nj. p,5 rransi, Subway Construction Com
anTe a. - meeting al which Mr. McDonalds letter
was submitted. after fls discussion; , S
h Sra herewith submitted you as embodylng
lie IDEAS ana the desires OF this conlpah!'
Mr. McDonald's letter to MI. Belmont follows:
n.,,e received your letter of January ls and am
sd tn that the hapu AAhiio4t
ri, S,,bv,av construction Company on the SUD
itct oI exehT,os @ pesonss plan You will recall that
al meeting OF the board OF directors ol ing +o
transit subway Construction company on oepD.I ~
80 "a when your letter the commission OF tne
sarle Date was read ana aPproVea anu H. F7sDid
transit Commission. was not in favor at an ,eI II
abandoning the Broadway extension: , anu 9 f he
extension Of the road as then proposed elshsr 80 -
h-av by of South fiftD-
a. a. o,sacting there with our Brooklyn extension
or detecting and going down some other route.
although I think Of none equally as soou. 49,.
Your letter did not withdraw the application, but
stated 10 the Rapid Transit Commission that it
would be perfectly satisfactory TO the haPia ran
sit Subway Construction Company II II apanooIeo
the Broadway route This. as far as understand;
the commission has not done. nor mas II chahssu 20
i;s attitude of approval Of the suggestion h-aae IN
Nr Parsons's report OF extension from Forty
eeeond-s down. / therefore urge strongly that the
Ip addition to this. as was contemplated by us,
II this done, subway connection can pc punt
10 the Pennsylvania station from Thirt!-'h 'hlra3st, ~
for the operation of either shuttle trains or mOVhs
platforms. and strongly urge that request De
the next extension In Importance and one which
the Rapid Transit Subway Construction Company
should request from the commission, Is oile . - -
sTructlon OF a three-track tunnel from rorV-Set-
fem River through Third-ave. to One-hundred, and
and elevated lines in The Bronx
The Rapid Transit Commission. through it's chief
engineer authorized the construction OF the East
Side portion Of the P2rk-ave tunnel t%entiyIohe 9
Zee; east OF the line originally proposed with a
view of making the extension which hereby rec
omsnd This would aniy SnS to he proper opera
tion OF the road and relief of the travelling public
aS 6at@6 %0ea the pTaeea estabiishent of two line:
OF underground road knit together by crossto"I
As to the method of carrying on me work OF ,o me
proposed extensions eur es sss deeIoped methods
S,bfcb couvinoe US that the co1struction of two
track or three-track tunnel can be carried forward
without serious Inconvenience 10 the public.
As our company is now at work upon plan for
adding one or two tracks 10 the Second ave. ele-
vatod line thus establishing express service on the
faye Tscommended in the way of additions to the
subway would seem 10 my mind 10 furnish the
and which can be constructed within a reasonable
time and with a minimum expenditure.
The communications, with map accompany
ing them, were referred TO the Committee on
Extensions appointed some months ago when
Chief Engineer Parsons drafted a scheme of
subway extension at the request Of the COM
mission The extensions referred to in Mr.. Nc
Donald's letter are only a small part of the i'm
rrovements and extensions planned by Mr. Par
sors The committee consists Of Messrs. Orr.
StaTin and Controller Grout.
The announcement made yesterday was the
first intimation that the Interborough company
had designs or lower Fifth-ave. The property
owners are expected 20 make strong opposition
10 tne CONSTRUCTION OF a subway lueIt, IL l4le
plans call for CIT and cover work such as de-
moralized Fourth-ave Fifth-ava. was kept torn
up during The greater part of the administration
OF Mayor Strong. The late General c. II. T.
Coils. then Commissioner Of Public Works. laid
n the avenue two immense water mains which
50 through washington Square supplying water
10 the downtown district OF Manhattan. Over
the great mains General Coils laid one Of the
most expensive pavements In the world. When
the avenue restored to duty 2 public
thoroughfare, property owners declared that
they would never permit it to be torn up again
ioT any purpose II they could help il.
Chief Engineer Parsons said last night that
he knew well the cost OF the Fifth-ave. pave
nent and the depth 10 which the large water
mains go. but he said he could not possibly talk
ABOUT plans for subway IN the avenue be
cause no flans had been worked out Il am
Wiling TO say this, however" he added, that
Whatever subway extensions are planned and
carried out. there win be no such disturbance
u ,sfhe in the streets avenues was per-
united In Fourth-ave."