New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-03-31
WANT 23D-ST. SUBWAY.
Business Men Demand Tunnel to
Relieve Traffic Conditions.

That a subway from river to river In 23d-st Is
not only desirable, but practically is necessity.
seems be the opinion Of merchants who do
business in that thoroughfare. The reasons ad-
vanced for the immediate construction of a sub
way under this street are many. Aside from the
probability of it's connection with the tunnels that
10 carry passengers to Long Island City and
Jersey City the present connections the surface
with four ferry routes the West Side-the Erie
the Lackawanna the Central Railroad of New
Jersey and the Pennsylvania Railroad-and with
two on the East Side-the Broadway. Brooklyn.
and Greenpoint. considered by many to be OF
sufficient Importance to warrant the building OF
this the first OF the proposed crosstown sub
ways.
Opinion seems to be divided 10 whether the
means of transportation should be a moving side
walk or a regular railroad like the present sub
way. The engineers are said to favor the con-
strIction of a railroad. account of the greater
ease with which through passengers can be handled
Comparing the proposed 23d-st. subway with the
plans for in 34th-st.. Louis Stern, OF stern
Brothers, said yesterday that one had only 10
watch the traffic to understand why the merchants
wanted a subway He pointed out that from lst-
ave. to 9th-ave there was daily congestion OF
traffic. 1t was hard find seat in a car on &C
count of the great number of persons coming into
the city by the ferries
'"Thirty-fo urth-st" said he sis an entirely diff
ferent proposition. 1t has only ferry-the Long
Island Railroad-on the east size. From the North
River Herald Square side and from the
East River to the Waldorf-Astoria on the other
there are few business houses of any size, and the
surface cars are not so crowded as those on 3D.
ST. 1t can be seen easily that 23d-st subway is
an absolute necessity"
Mr.. Stern said he had seen the moving sidewalks
in Paris and Chicago, and he had spoken TO MI
Orr about Them but he could not say how praI-
teal they would be in subway mistake had
been made, he thought, in not haing an express
station in the existing subway at 2Sd-st
o. G. Kalish, whose drug store Is at 23d-st and
4th-ave said he in favor of subway in 2Sd-
ST. Judging from previous experience. he thought
there might be objections account OF the possible
obstruction of the street, but he believed tnat the
experience gained by the contractors IN oullolrg te
first subway should guide them In keeping the
street clear in the next work.
Elmer A. Darling, of the propr1etorS OF the
Fifth Avenue Hotel said that &d-st. subway war
sure to be benefit. not only to the merchants DO
ing business along its line but to the whole travel
Eng community. The open dltch pIah' ho"eFeh'
should not be used.
ness has been the block between 9Th and 9th ayes
since 1882 said he was in favor of crosstoWn SUD
way in that street. 1t had been torn up so often
said he that more would not make much
difference. ~ -. no.. -. .,,s
that any kind of a subway would Improve the
traffic conditions and indirectly help the Duslness
men along its line.