New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-04-26
MERCHANTS PROTEST.
Say Subway Could Be Built With
out Tearing Up the Streets.

The Merchants Association OF this city has
issued the following statement relative to the
Rapid Transit Railroad Commissioners plans;
If are successful in our petition to the courts
we will hold up forever. we hope this bugbear OF
torn up streets and interruption to trade which al
ness interests and embarrassing the publlc in gen.
eral The zigzag route contemplated from 36th
street down lexington avenue, with its sharp
curves into Fifth avenue down to 2Sd street is not
rapid transit problem but misconcepton OF ''e
The Broadway and Fifth avenue sections well
and the elevated either Of Which is but two short
blocks away.
The Rapid Transit Commissioners are not treat
ing the Merchants Associations opposition lightly
Tho companies concerned represent annual bust
of about S6O00OOOOO. In their petition asking
for injunction they say that their would
be greatly injured by open subway work. work
that would require drastic interference with the
traffic Of the streets whether this traffic Is vehc
uar or in foot passengers They further say that
the general tangle and mangle of daily traffic
through the streets incident to the open con-
struction of the tunnel would represent to them
millions Of dollars loss.
The brief IN this effort block the Rapid Transit
Commissioners occupies eighty-three pages. Prob
ably the telling part OF It is the following
These plaintiffs are Informed and believe that the
9orings made by or under the direction of me
Rapid Transit Board along Broadway and Fifth
avenue for the purpose OF ascertaning the char
acter Of the soil show that Broadway and Fifth
lain by. rock. and that in some places the rock
approaches six feet to the surface, and
that il Is not shown by the borings that there is
any place where the rock Is not near enough TO
the surface TO permit the construction OF tun-
mel through rock AT such depth would be con
venient both with reference to doing the work and
with reference 10 the use Of the railroad by the
public after its completion.
BY using such a method % construction thu OK
cavated material could be taken out OF the tunnel
and the structural material could be put into
the tunnel at the ends, at Madison Square and
Union Square. without any openings or distractions
in tho street.
No expense has been spared by the interests op-
posing the open construction OF the subway. II Is
said by the opponents that they have expert au-
thority for the statement that II the subway must
be built Il be constructed without the usual
turmoil Interference with traffic. unsightliness OF
streets and impediments business. After describ
ing how the work should could be done 10 con-
form to the best and most recent ideas. the brief
says:
Such a method OF construction. II skilfully and
carefully carried out IN accordance with suit
able contract, would TO great degree obviate the
injury appreheuded by themselves ard by others
similarly situated through loss OF trade, and would,
substantially without inconvenience, except for
few hours during the night. maintain the public
traffic foot and by vehicles II Is less desirable
than the deep tunnel method. in far these
plaintiffs and others similarly situated CON
Cerned because Il would deprive them OF the
vaults under the appurtenant 20 their prem
Uses and would permit some invasion OF their said
premises.