New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-03-01
P. r. R. BRIDGE HOLD-UP.
"LITTLE TIN" ON GUARD.
Connecting RaiIzcay at Mercy of the
Murphy Company.

me pennsylvania Railroads scheme for con-
Meeting, at a cost of from $5,OO0O00 to S1O.-
$4,000. Brooklyn with Port Morris by building
bridge across Wards and RandalPs islands is
held up by the Board of Aldermen The pro-
posed road involves the employment of thou
sands of employees within city limits It's COM
pletton and development mean bringing Brook
lyn and Queens into direct connection with New
England points.
The franchise for the road was approved by
the Rapid Transit Commission in June of last
year, and the certificate was sent to the Board
Of Aldermen for approval. That approval and
the signature of the Mayor are the only things
necessary to set on foot the building OF a great
bridge across Hell Gate and the rapid develop
ment OF the manufacturing interests of Brook
lyn and Queens
The franchise is tied up in the Committee on
Bridges and Tunnels, of which Alderman Tim
othy P. Sullivan is the chairman. Alderman
Sullivan CLitte Tim'D is the boss Of the board
when the real boss. Charles F. Murphy. keeps
his hands off
W TO DATE THE MURPHY-GAFFNEY CON
IRACTING COMPANY HAS NOT RECEIVED ANY
ASSURANCE FROM THE PENNSYLVANIA INTER
fSsTs THAT 1T TO GET THE CONTRACT FOR
BUILDING THE ROAD.
THE CONTRACT 1T Is ESTIMATED. Will CALL
FOR EARTH AND STONE WORK COSTING FULLY
S. 00O,Gc0.
n
connecting line of two or three tracks either
above or below grade. reaching from the city
line in the Ridgewood section of Brooklyn to
Port Norris, distance of seven or eight miles,
with high embankments and costly abutments
along the waterfront, is to be built This is ex-
actly the kind of work the Murphv-Gaffney
concern is organized TO do. The papers fncor-
porating the New-Yorlz Contracting Comnany-
Fennsyivania Terminal file in the office Of the
county Clerk have the following clause:
The purposes fo~ which said CORPORA ton is 70 he
strrfI,T are S i9Io~s To construct and build all
Gepots. bridges. wharves piers and railway tracks
heretofore planned or which may be hereafter
PIaLHed LOT or IN connection with the terminal or
terminals OF the Pennsylvania New-York and Tong
haitian ev 9f SS9mP~any in the Borough Of Man
ana ana to perform all such work and furnish all such
or work incidental thereto
PERSONNEL OF HOLD,UP COMMITTEE.
The Committee on Bridges and Tunnels. which
now is Sitting tight on this franchise and
awaiting developments, is made up as follows:
DEMOCRATS
TIMOTHY P. SULLIVAN. Tammany leader of the
9th District.
FREDERICK RICHTER. No. 400 5Oth-st.
FRANK l. BOWLING, No. West 25th-st.
JOHN j. DIETZ, No. $50 East 97tF-st.
PATRICK HIGGINS, No. 1903 Leroy-st
JOHN j. BRIDGES, No 200 Nassau-st. Brooklyn.
PATRICK s. KEELY, No 70 BerFy-st.. Brooklyn.
REPUBLICAN,.
JOSEPH scHLoss. No. lit West ae.h-st
JOHN DiEMEB, No. S6 Hopkins-s!.. Brooklyn
For the purposes of convenience and as a re-
lief 70 the memory, all the names except that of
Timothy p. Sullivan be eliminated Mr.
Sullivan is the committee. He is the vice
chairman Of the Board Of Aldermen, and pre-
sides in the frequent absences of Charles V
Fornes- Mr. Sullivan presided yesterday When
he was asked by Tribune reporter why his
committee had not reported out the franchise of
the connecting railroad Mr.. Sullivan smiled good
naturedly and said:
we gave public hearing on that application
last year, and the only who appeared in its
favor the company's engineer I received
hundreds Of letters from people in the neighbor-
hood affected protesting against the building of
any such road"
Have you decided not to report on the fran
chise at alp" Mr.. Sullivan was asked.
Wen have another hearing it," said Mr..
Sullivan
The proposed route is through section
sparsely settled
Mr.. ORR DESCRIBES THE FRANCHISE.
Under date of June 81. 1904. the Rapid Tran
sit Commission sent to the aldermen the ap-
proved franchise, with a letter in which the
purposes Of the applicant company were set
forth. The letter, written by President Orr.
says in substance that the proposed route be-
gins in Brooklyn. close to the Queens line, and
near the cemetery OF the Most Holy Trinity,
and crosses over the East River by a bridge
and runs over Wards and RandalIs islands TO
a point in The Bronx, TO connection with the
New-Haver system
The company has obtained from the State
Legislature the necessary privilege to build the
road, and the War Department also has given
its consent TO the building of the proposed
bridge. The route does follow the line of
any street or avenue. and crosses all streets and
avenues above or below grade. The right of
way is wholly on private property or property
10 be acquired by II for the purpose.
The companies interested contemplate the
tablishment of a through line of transportation
Of freight and passengers between all points
reached by the Long Island Railroad and by
the New Haven road. The franchise desired is
limited to twenty-five years I'm duration, at the
end of which time the terms to be readjust
cd.
The board is of the opinion" says the letter,
that while every improved means of communI-
cation is of benefit TO the city. the fact that the
proposed new road will give to the boroughs of
Brooklyn ana Queens. and through them to the
whole of Long Island direct railroad communi-
cation with New England, is O matter of pecul-
;ar advantage TO the city as a whole and to the
two boroughs above mentioned in particular. 1t
60 10 be reneu bered that large tracts of land in
those two boroughs are vacant and well adapt
ed for manufacturing purposes. Up TO the pres
ent time the fact that they We're cut OFT from the
continent Of America by broad tidal streams has
undoubtedly operated to retard tneir develop
yneIt The plans now in contemplation WILL it
&c believed. tend to bring into use many tracts
of la nd within the city which would otherwise