New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1906-05-18
BOMB FROM THE MAYOR
BROOKLYN TUBE FIAT.
Mcclellan Talks Tunnel at Rapid
Transit Board Meeting.

Mayor Mcclellan fairly staggered the Rapid
Transit Commission yesterday by a statement
that he had received information that the Brook
lyn tunnel would have 70 be practically rebuilt
causing delay in its completion OF two or three
wears The tunnel has squeezed together top
and bottom in places. reducing the diameter so
that there is not sufficient clearance for the cara
The Mayor said that Charles n. Jacobs engineer
in charge OF the Pennsylvania tunnel consuuc-
ton. held that the faulty construction would
cause a delay OF perhaps two or three years
while George II. PegTam. chief engineer OF the
Interborough Rapid Transit Company. thinks Il
will take sixteen months to set cars running %
Brooklyn
Against the opinion Of these two engineers.
Chief Engineer Rice OF the Rapid Transit Com
mission says that the tunnel viii be practically
completed in December next. and thar six vv.s1rs
after the tunnel headings meet the cars WIN bs
running Mr. Rice says the deformations IN tha
tunnel are not serious; that they were rspOrted IN
the board two years ago. when william Barelvx
Parsons was chief engineer and that whatever
faults there are can be corrected without serious
delay On Mayor MoCleIlan's motion Chiaf En-
slneer Rice was requested to make a fun repo-e
ol tne condition Of the tunnel az the next meet-
ing Of the commission.
The Mayors bombshelI On The E,-oorl,, tn,
me- and another on the citys debt fnr.,1rrinu cs-
paclty' which exploded near the feet OF AIh-s-4 a
SOarornan, counsel to the commission. cast a
nervous gloom over the meeting yesterday. The
Mayors charges were construed as an attaclz On,
the board and coming as the Elsbsrz hin b.
came law some OF the commissioner &houghs
them the first Of a series Of moves looking 70 thu
reorganization Of the Rapid Transit Commission
and the retirement OF two or three az ths
members
AS soon as the commission was called 20 orae1
yesterday President Orr said:
+, JHdsing from the tone Of some Of the articles
~ ~ tne newspapers there seems 20 be a uisau-
Prehension in regard to the purposas a. M.
1oaio with reference to the new subway routes
ahead and lay out all the routes % 70 tha vri7,s
OF presenting them 70 competitive biddine and
the city
As soon Mr.. Orr finished and baso-a ay,v
one had chance to propose anything. Rrayor
Mcclellan rose. and in a rather high pitched
voice spoke as follows:
was unfortunate in not being here AZ shs
Iast meeting. According TO the newspapers NIr
- LuIan, tne counsel 70 the commission. made
, oie statement that the Borrowing margin Of the
city was under SjOOO0OOO. the inference beins
that II would be impossible. with 50 narrow q
margin. 70 construct rapid transit lines N casz
/ private capital refuses to bid.
nave here very exhaustive statement Of
/ the financial condition Of the CITY and without
/ wishing in any way to suggest that AR Board
/ man was not perfectly sincere and fDreu4ior1u n
desire to state that the statement he made ap-
piled only to the condition Of the city's finances
/ on January I Of this wear and not 70 the twelve
months following It is true that on January
i Of this year the city's debt incUrTing marsh
| stood at about S46.00OO0O
| Starting with this amount fS45952. .695 AZ as
/ the margin at January l. 1890. there may be
added thereto as additional borrowing capacity,
developing and available throughout the year
the following items;
OF the s2o.71s.oOO revenue bonds Of 1902 1908
due become payable during .sI46I5.OOO
Cash balances in the several sinking funds
January I. 1905. and investments in
bonds held by the sinking funds falIing due
Indebtedness or Investment issues 2assl2s
DiTsss S - T9dGeq9e % sso direct saTaI2H % q SuIta5 I
and 1905 . The sHoua, $1,000 7lslssa
Revenues Of the several sinking funds during
isting debt Investment in new bond issues.
Ten per cent OF increase in assessed valuations
OF real estate in 1906 1905 estimated 52OOOOOO
Producing aaai'ions es borrowing capacity
This amount added to the margin OF S45,9 ,95s,-
695 Al at the beginning of the year. produces
together 1892 2ssS.ssS 2S. which viii be available
1906. iSc - '''' -
Attention is called to the fact that the net
contract and land liability at January l. 1906.
includes S5.94S.SO5 % for account OF water sup
ply purposes The issue Of water bonds suffl-
cient in amount to provide cash to Offset this
debt would furnish still further margin TO that
extent as water bonds issued after January l.
city's borrowing capacity.
If the city continues to contract liabilities at
about S5O0OO,OOO a year. as for some time past.
we shall have about $4,000 600 TO devote to sub
ways or to any other purpose II private capital
declines 10 bid for sUbways then the city. II if
sees Mt, may invest this year about SSO.000.OO0
in subways-
II is we'll within the facts 70 say that the
commissioners did not seem 70 enjoy the Mayors
remarks. The figures controverted those given
out few weeks ago by Controller Metz. The
Mayor and the Controller were side by side yes
terday at the long table when the Mayors
version OF the city's bank account was given. and
Mr.. Metz looked displeased.
With the Mayors financial dissertation out Of
the way there was a prospect Of the ship get
ting onto an even keel again Apparently Presi-
dent Orr thought so. He called for report on
the progress Of the work on the Brooklyn tunnel
and Chief Engineer Rice made routine state
ment.
Mr. President" said the Mayor. coldly. ad-
dressing his remarks to Mr. Orr "can you tell
me when the Brooklyn tunnel win be open for
OperatiOn?'
Mr. Orr looked at Chief Engineer Rl@e res
got up and said:
About January 1 next We have about $50
feet to cover on one section and about l. 900 fse
on the other before the tunnel headings Wffl
meet With no serious obstacles shall finish
the construction work IN December. and six
weeks afuerward the cars viii be running.
NIayOr NcCIellan-A statement has been made
to me that there is a reformation in the tunnel
running from three inches 70 one foot have
been informed that the contractor consulted MI
Sooysmith and Mr.. Lindenthal about this de-
formation, and that they advised the contractor
that they didn't know what he could do TO
remedy the defect I am informed that then the
operating company called in Charles NJ Jacobs.
regarded as the most eminent tunnel engineer in
the world. and that he stated that in his opinion