New-York tribune., 1906-06-01
ANOTHER SUBWAY Scare.
Business Mem Look 4skance at Sur
Ceuing IN BrOddzcdy.

Business men along upper Broadway are agl-
tated over the daily presence OF a gang OF sur
veyors who are drawing lines and marking the
sidewalks with ominous hieroglyphics 4nIornla-
tion from the men al work in the neighoorhood
Of 18th and Goth streets indicates an activity on
the part of subway constructors. who, 1t is said.
wish to build the branch road from 14th 70 42d
street under Broadway
Three years ago when the subject was brought
I'D. the merchants and property owners put UP
such a strong opposition 70 the spur that Mayor
Low. needing their petition. had the building or
the tunnel abandoned. at least for the time be-
ing The actions Of the surveyors have again
set these citizens thinking. and there is already
storm of protest in the neighborhood for fear
Of a repetition of 42d streets condition OF nItn
and ruined business.
Edward S Hatch. Of the firm Of Lord & Tay-
lor at 2Oth street and Broadway. said yesterday;
Apart from the fact that a subway Is not
needed in Broadway between 42d and 14th
streets the excavating for one ~ this point
would result as disastrously for US and some
others in these blocks as an earthquake for the
buildings we're erected on piles over what IS
known as Minetta Brook. and IL the water is
drawn away from the piling the entire building
is likely 70 collapse. For our new store building
we had 70 go down forty-two feet 70 get suit
able foundation"
Mr. Lord OF McGibbon & Co., opposite Lord
& TayIors. declares that no one wants sub
way in Broadway except those who want 70
make some money by the building Of IL. "Peo-
pie" said he, who want 10 go that short dis
tance would rather walk or take surface car
than go underground. Besides. II would make
great congestion al 14th street"
George Taylor. of Attken, Son * Co. AT Broad
way and 18th street said Should there not be
baI
consider that il is needed? The surface cars.
the present subway. close by az 18th street. and
the elevated road carry all that TO come
and 90 in this neighborhood. They could only
have two tracks, anyway. and II would be like
bringing in another competitor in business when
there was already not enough for one"
Mr. Hatch said the following is the platform
adopted by the business men along Broadway,
all Of whom voted against subway three years
ago:
If the powers decree that Broadway must be
used for an underground tunnel il r!Est be done
by drilling and boring from 14th street 10 42d
street, as Is done in constructing the tunnels
under the river There is no surface to open on
the river; il is a case of must" The engi-
neering skill of thirty years ago devised a
method Of constructing underground tunnels. and
their work remains to-day al Warren street and
Broadway as evidence Of their enterprise and a
model for their modern brethren
If it is possible. the property owners along
Broadway VIII not permit any disturbance of the
surface either in the main thoroughfare or in
the side streets The cut and cover process
cover in daytime open at nighD which was
adopted from Ann street 10 the BATTERY was a
nuisance. with all its much talked of improve
ments over the open ditch and is another
proposition. Broadway downtown is deserted at
night while upper Broadway is as populous at
night as in the daytime. Union Square Madison
Square and Greeley Square could be utilized as
headers 10 which the tunnels could lead for
carrying out the excavated material
Chief Engineer George s. Rice. OF the Rapid
Transit Commission, when asked what the sur
veying was for said that surveys were being made
all over the city. and that they would probably
build subways wherever they had been author
ized 10 do This route up Broadway he said.
had been passed by the board about a year
ago. He declined 10 say what process of con-
struction would be employed in building this
tunnel. but he said that they had already built
one subway, and that all obstructions above and
below ground had been overcome In that work