New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-09-22
TUNNELS UNDER THE HUDSON.

For people who have occasion TO cross the
North River daily the plans of the Interstate
Railway Tunnel Company, announced. yeSter-
day, will possess profound interest Irafhc De
tween this city and its New-Jersey suburbs has
always been hampered by the necessity for
patronizng ferryboats, a requirement Wnlch
involves both delay and inconvenience. TO
overcome this drawback either tunnels or
bridges are needed. Tunnels being the cheaper
Of the two there has been much talk in recent
wears about the construction Of one or more
conduits under the Hudson To some extent
the promise thus afforded has been Elusive.
Though work has actually been in progress on
a pair of tunnels far enough downstream to
terminate in the business part of the metropo-
lis, the headway made with them has been
slow combination between such corpora
tons as the Metropolitan and Public Service
companies must in the very nature of things,
mean rapid work. Each corporation operates
hundreds of miles Of road, and both foresee a
great gain in patronage as result of direct
communication between the two systems,
The scheme as now outlined includes features
which commend it strongly to favor. A tunnel
without suitable connections would be more
useful than the Williamsburg Bridge when 1t
was completed Until railways which were
carrying large numbers of passengers extended
their tracks to the ends of that structure
line of rails across it meant little nothing.
Even to-day, almost two years after the dedi-
catory ceremony, the bridge is performing a
very limited service. The interstate tunneI, on
the other hand, will have connections of i'm
mense value. 1t will be much more than
convenience to the people of Jersey City and
such incoming suburban passengers of the Erie
and other steam roads want to use it. From
Newark there will be q high speed road which
will bring that big city within fifteen or twenty
minutes OF the New-Yorl1 City Hall, and
Newark, in turn, is the centre from which sew
eral long and enormously busy trolley lines
ramify. Agap, at this end of the tunnel it is
proposed to push an extension to the vicinity
of the Brooklyn Bridge, thus establishing COM
munlcation with the Brooklyn Rapid Transit
and the Interborough systems we'll as with
the Metropolitans network of lines.
Three years will probably be required for the
completion of this splendid enterprise. By that
time important changes will have been effected
in other directions. The New-Y York CentraFs
electric service. which is expected to begin next
summer or autumn, will give to the region lying
north of the metropolis heightened charms for
purposes of residence. The improvement of
the terminal facilities at the bridge now we'll
under way, viii increase the advantage which
the Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company already
enjoys in being able to run through trains to
Park Row during the greater part of the day.
The new traction methods of the Long Island
road will not count for much until it is possible
10 come across the East River without leaving
the cars The interstate tunnel, like the Penn
sylvania tunnel, which is to extend from New
York TO Hoboben, certainly ought to be finished
within three years. Regarding the second of
these submarine highways, it should be OBJ
served that it is hardly likely TO prove In any
sense a rival to that of the interstate compang.
They will be nearly quite two miles apart.
and the Pennsylvania processes TO have some
what different objects in view from the Public
Service and Metropolitan companies. One tun-
mel will simply supplement the other and even