New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1906-03-24
P. R. R. COMING TO TERMS
P. o. SITE CONCESSIONS.
Negotiations for Eighth AUenue
Bmlding Near Successful End.

lFrom The Tribune Bureau
washington. March 23.-Negotiations are still
proceeding between Postmaster General Cor
teiyou and representatives Of the Pennsylvania
| Railroad over the new New York Postoffce site.
and II there are no more serious bitches than
have already been encountered and adjusted
satisfactorily 1t is probable that an agreement
viii be reached soon.
The main difference now is over the reserva-
lions. or spaces surrounding the building The
railroad company planned 10 surround the post
office with deep mOat TO be crossed by bridges.
Mr. Corteyou demanded that the approaches to
the building be made the level with the street,
and vetoed the bridge idea altogether. He also
insisted that the railroad company provide cleo
trio locomotives for moving the trains under the
postofhce, so that all danger of fire should be
eliminated, and asked that suitable connections
be made with the subway. which the department
is anxious to utilize, and suggested that ade-
quate elevators be provided to facilitate the
handling Of mail cars.
The railroad officials, it is understood, have
acquiesced in most OF the Postmaster Generals
suggestions. and those that still under dis
cussion will, in all probability be agreed TO be-
fore long Mr.. Cortelyou, It is said, is not asking
anything unreasonable from the Pennsylvania
company. and the railroad officials themselves
are merely demurring the ground Of expense.
which they wish to avoid If possible.
The site which the Pennsylvania Railroad
Company offers to sell TO the government for
new postofice for New York is on the west side
Of Eighth avenue, extending back half block
from 31st street to 3Sd street The deed which
the Pennsylvania officials prepared contained
reservation Of the ground under the proposed
building and other reservations for light and
air in the railroad tunnel under the building
The latter reservations on examination were
found to include open spaces on the Eighth ave-
nue. 31st street and 33d street fronts, varying
from twenty to fifty feet in width and extending
down to the tunnel, and an interior court of over
twenty thousand square feet, also extending
down to the tunnel
Postmaster Wilcox opposed the scheme. de-
cIaring that the open spaces and court would
make the building useless for postofhce purposes
He said that noises and odors from the tunnel
would fill the building, while the interior court
would leave no large room for distributing the
mails. When representatives of the Pennsyl-
vania Railroad came to this city to confer with
Mr. WILCOX at the suggestion Of Postmaster
General Cortelyou. they found Mr.. Wilcox fully
prepared for a vigorous fight against the 'reser-
vations" At every point in their argument with
him they were confronted with facts which
could not be disputed.
The result was that the Pennsylvania officials
assented TO so many changes in the plan that
nearly all Of the reservations were either with
drawn or materially modified. They agreed to
withdraw the reservation for an interior court,
thus enabling the postof1ce to have over 10000
feet of additional floor space. They agreed that
the spaces around three sides Of the building
should be reduced in size and covered with glass
and iron floors at the level Of the basement floor,
thus keeping all odors and noises from the tun-
mel out of the building
Mr. Wilcox. it is said. asked for additional
notifications of the deed. so to permit
connection between the postof1ce building and
any future subway in Eighth avenue. His re-
quests, it was said yesterday, had been made
known both to the Pennsylvania officials and to
the Postmaster General in writing.