New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-01-30
INTERURBAN SUBWAY.
1t Would Connect LosCer Vest and
Upper East Sides.

While the plans of the Interurban Street Rail-
way Company to compete with the Interoorough
IN supplying rapid transit facilities have not
been made known fully TO the Rapid Transit
Commission William Barclay Parsons, chief
engineer OF the commission. said yesterday to q
Tribune reporter that he had been In conference
with Interurban officials and knew that they
wanted an opportunity to bid for an independent
subway. A representative of the Interurban
gave the information yesterday that the COM
panys engineers are already at work on plans
for such an Independent subway. and that these
plans probably will be laid before the Rapid
Transit Commission in the near future.
Generally speaking the Interurban's plan is to
have a subway which will supply the needs OF
two great districts in Manhattan which were
left out Of the scheme for the present subway
These districts are the lower West Side and the
upper East Side. In connecting these two great
districts by a subway the Interurban would
seek also to connect the great Pennsylvania
Railroad terminal. which is to be built at Thirty
second-st., with the Grand Central Station, in
Forty-second-st
The Tribune many months ago gave express
sion to the demands of the people OF the East
Side for rapid transit subway. and these de-
mands have been recognized in the plans OF the
Belmont Mcdonald syndicate for a subway ex-
tension from Forty-second-st through Lexing-
ton-ave to the Harlem River. The Interborough
people are Informed that the Interuroan would
like to make such an East Side subway part Of
an Independent subway and at the Office Of the
Belmont Mcdonald syndicate yesterday the fol-
lowing statement was made:
The Interurban proposal TO run a line 10 the
Harlem River would not give the people rapid
transit. It would simply enable the lnteruroan
people to lessen the crush on the surface lines
The object OF rapid transit Is to take the people
speedily to the outlying districts.
The view Of the Interurban officials is that the
East Side subway would be made most effective
by connecting it with subway for the lower
West Side and having this independent subway
so connected with the Interurban surface lines
that passengers could go to any part OF Man
haitian for a single fare. riding part OF the way
in the subway on express trains and part of the
way on surface cars. The Interurban route for
a subway. while yet undecided, probably would
be something like Greenwich-st. and Ninth-ave.
from the Battery to HE Pennsylvania terminal
at Thirty-second-st.. then by any available route
to the Grand Central Station and up Lexington
ave to the Harlem River.
The advantage of connecting the Pennsyl-
vania and Central terminals in Manhattan is
said by Interurban officials to be apparent. be-
cause such a connection would take care of all
the people who passed from one OF the great
people say this would be vastly superior to Mr..
McDonald's plan to connect the Pennsylvania
terminal with Broadway by moving platform.
The new proposition OF the ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
syndicate to build an extension to the present
subway down Broadway from Forty-second-st.
to Twenty-third-st.. and then down Fifth-ave.
and West Broadway. is regarded by the Inter-
urban people intended to keep the Rapid
Transit Commission from laying out a route for
an Independent subway such the Interurban
would like to bid for. Whether this new prOpo-
slton viii raise another storm of protest from
Broadway property owners such made Mr..
Belmont express willingness TO withdraw the
first proposition. and whether or not the Fifth
ave. property owners viii join in the protest, as
did the property owners in Seventh-ave. when
there talk of diverting the subway into
SeVenth-ave., remains to be seen II will be
membered that the protest against open
ditch in Broadway. but Mr.. Belmont says that
the work in lower Broadway on the subway ex-
tension 10 Brooklyn shows that the subway can
Mr.. Parsons said yesterday that he did not be-
cause any danger to the steeple OF Trinity
Church. The foundations OF the steeple. II has
been ascertained by borings, rest on sand and
the subway viii go lower than the foundations.
The greatest must be taken TO construct
the subway IN front of Trinity Church not
TO weaken the foundations Of the steeple Mr..
Parsons said yesterday that, now that the facts
about the foundations ascertained, special
plans for the construction Of the subway there
will have to be made