The news-democrat. (Providence, R.I.) 1906-1909, 1906-06-07


afford TO pay 1920 interest on Si21.oo0 or
bonds than loose not only that sum per
year. but also the use OF the land ana
buildings TO be destroyed.
ITO summarize. the estimated cost or
the Francis plan should be Increased as
follows: Cost OF construction, s23s.2oO real
estate damages assessed valuauon), VOL
7O6; Francis estimate 500 955; add for ac-
tual damages. $2si. 705: capitalized tax loss.
$l2l,ooo; total. ssSS.66o
Even this may not be the whole cost,
for, in order TO secure the easy S'aue
(nearly as good as that afforded by
tunneD, Mr. Francis proposes TO raise
Benefit street Ave feet at Benevoient
street This will make sleeper the already
steep grade at this part OF Benefit street,
and is likely TO cause claims for damages
by abutting owners.
mo item for such damages appears In
the estimate In Mr.. Francis report. IL
may we'll be that much must eventually
be added 20 the 1888, ,66o TO get the total
cost OF this project.
Not only does this report foster
grossly incorrect public opinion as 10 tho
cost OF the proposed easy grade street;
hut Il on the other hand, totally ignores
the remarkable economic advantage or a
tunnel-to wit: The small amount OF tax
able properety displaced by the portals OF
a tunnel; and the tremendous saving due
TO distance, which may be illustrated as
ioa1pws Present time table show that the
traffic for this street rs now $50 cars a
day The difference In distance Travelled
by these cars In a tunnel compared with
the recommended plan. now amounts 10
ie5 car miles per day. The Massachusetts,
Railroad commission reports the average
cost OF operation OF all the electric roads
IN Massachusetts, for the last ten years
TO be l7c car mile. II the Rhode Island
company can operate cars over College
Hill for 1Oc. a car mile. these l95 car
miles a day amount 10 81 .l2o year. which
capitalized ~ 3i1 per cent amounts TO
$2Oi,o00 This is a moderate estimate or
the saving In car operation.
The saving in time for cars by this
street compared with a tunnel. using a
speed OF Is miles per hour In tunnel and.
on the street, the rate OF present time
table OF caIN between Olneyville and Red
Bridge. will not be merely / minute and
fifty seconds as estimated by Mr. Francis.
but will considerably exceed three min
ufes The magnitude OF present TRAFFIC.
OF so cars per day with persons per car,
as over 1900 passengers per day. II
passangers time be worth but dollar
a day, this loss On time. amounting TO 600
house per day, has a value of Sl,eo a
year. which capitalized at g1 per cent.
amounts to S596,0o0.
This last item, although possibly some
what fanciful. Is one way OF showing the
advantage TO the community of the rapid
transit offered by tunnel. This item
alone exceeds Mr.. Francis exorbttant
estimate of the cost OF construction or n
tunnel.
Tunnels have been built costing ALL
the way from 5000 per lineal foot to Slop
per lneal foot Conditions in College
Hill are favorable TO tunnel construction,
and l. as a civil engineer, am or the
opinion that the tunnel would cost much
less that the $4,000 reported by MT.
Francis.
Mr.. Temple well-known civil en-
gineer. in letter TO the Providence jour
nal in March, 1904 gave estimates which
would make the cost OF this tunnel. IN
cluding all land damages. only about
SJco,0D0.
Mr.. Francis himself has just con-
structed a tunnel under the city of Scran-
ton for an electric road, costing $50 per
Providence tunnel at $3.50 per lineal foot
i have in hand letter from the city en-.
gineer OF Los Angeles. Cal, stating that
auired for College Hill, which were built
through a hill I'm Los Angeles, average to
cost but 500 per lineal foot. -,
III. however, VIC use Mr.. frsneis esoi
and add $4,000 for easements. 10000 for
land damages, etc. and subtract the WV
600 above shown 10 be due to saving IN
car mileage, the total net cost of tunnel
would be but $4,000 compared with $ssS,-
600 for tho recommended easy grade
street.
extending Waterman street 70 Canal
street. and still leave enough TO pay Tor
some OF the easy grade streets or more
moderate cost, proposed by various en-
-As a civil engineer. know that fully
tfree-quarters of the civil engineers or
Providence strongly favor a tunnel Tor
street cars only. II Is highly significant,
that having "A department OF able city en-
gneers. for which Providence pays SiO,OO
OF $4,000 per year. this committee has
rot asked advice right here In the city
hall.
"This is a problem OF rapid transit be-
iween two valleys on either s;qe h OF h,t or Or
through It? The difference In height TO
which cars must be raised TO go over the
hill compared with thc tunnel is 1900 yer
height OF Mount Washington.
Let us have rapid transit In order that
the man who works may live further out
where land is cheap, rents low and air
''If Providence is to compete with the
great cities about the country, having
rapid transit, the street cars should be
sent through a tunnel
Mr. Robert Ives Gammell asked that the
secretary read the estimates prepared by
Mr. Francis OF the cost OF the plan recon-
mended by him.
The figures showed total cost OF $780,
Poo Tor n fO-1OOI street. lie Gust VI SpH-
struction work was estimated at S239, $50
and the assessed value OF property de-
stroyed in building the street $261.7oo. The
alternative plan was estimated to cost
s472,936 for 70-foot street and SS9i.4o0 for
a 60-foot street. The "zigzag" plan Mr.
Francis estimated would cost si77OO5.
Mr.. Gammell said that the Francis plan
provides an even grade of less than per
cent from Market square TO Prospect
street, and IL should not be less than 20
feet wide. He objected TO the "zigzag"
plan because II reached no farther than
Benefit street. He regretted that any
plan should go as far south as the Francis
plan. declaring that II Il were possible TO
zigzag up College street that would be
the ideal.
''The problem will not be finally solved
however" said Mr.. Gammell, until a
way Is provided for rapid transit through
the east side hill. Sooner or later. tun-
mel will have TO built to provide rapid