New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-07-13
TELLS SUBWAY DREAMS
WOOD SEES NEW UTOPIA.
Ready to Build Tunnels, Roads and
Ship Canals for the City.

Henry s. Wood, builder and contractor, natu-
ralist and general winner" has evolved several
plans for building the subways and tunnels this
city Is to need in the next twenty years. and has
put them before the Public Service Commission
Mr.. Wood says he was born in this city seventy
years ago. has lived here ever since, and knows
every need Of the community
benefit of the city incidentally Melted him $4,000
1t the sale of the franchise and control OF the
New York, Fordham & Bronx Elevated Railway TO
Jay Gould
and gives his office address as the Broad-Exchange
Building. 1886. This is the office of lawyer,
William r. Adams. Mr. Woods name does not
appear on the door. He said Mr.. Adams was his
attorney, and he making the office MS mead
quarters until he got the contracts TO build all the
subways Of the city, when he would have large
suite-described with a magnificent sweep or the
right hand-with beautiful rugs. fine mahogany
furniture and beautiful telephone girl TOT III"
entertainment OF his visitors.
He admits that It would be necessary 20 nave
some put up the &OOO,WO or Sfo0WVVO 10
float the plans he has in hand-or would have, II
hard hearted public officials were not so nesiect1ul
Of his communications.
In a modest statement which came to the once
of The Tribune yesterday Mr. Wood says he mas
put in standing bid to build any OF the SUBWAY
lines on guaranteed percentage basis the seventh
and Eighth avenue lines. as well as the Brooklyn
line" He does not approve of the Lexington avenue
line, because of the double-deok feature and must
be excused. If the people will permit, from having
anything to do with 1t. 1t Is monoponsuo IN us
nature he says, and is meant TO keep out OK the
city all transit interests except the Ryaf-BelIohs
merger.
Alternating between the first and the third per-
son in referring to himself. Mr.. Woods statement
contains the following salient features:
He says he is prepared to furnish security TOT
the faithful performance Of his work to the extent
of 100000 or more in the shape OF surety com
panies bonds listed securities, such as are ac-
cepted by savings banks, or he VIII put up that
amount in cash. providing he is allowed per cent
interest and when completed operate the same
He has also put IN an application for the iran
chlses to build any OF tho above mentioned lines
and market per cent companies bonds, whlch
can be exchanged at any time for New YORK CITY
municipal bonds at the same rate Of interest the
city to pay a premium Of Il Of / per cent. being
the mortgage tax. 49,
He has also put in an application for franchise
TO build a crosstown subway through I'D street
from the Hudson River 10 the East River with a
terminal the New Jersey side and also tunnei
under the East River with terminal IN BROOKLYN
with a large yard space for storing passenger
trains This is in the interest of the different
| steam railroads trunk lines having their ter
| rninals in Jersey City and Hoboken and New Jer-
"Mr, Wood has also put in an application, which
ia an old enterprise about to be revived for build
| ing a modern ship canal from Spuyten Duyvil or
! its vicinity on the Hudson River to Eastchester
| Bay on the East River or Long Island SOUND
| which Is a land enterprise. He claims he can
build n sea level canal 1000 feet wide, with piers
and basins on each side of the canal the piers 70
| be 30 by 800 feet and the basins 20 by tn whlch
Will cost $00,0SO000. and at the Same time not cost
| anything 49,.
amount of land independent of that occuped by the
| canal proper piers and basins. and whore the In
creased valuation of tho amount OF land purchased
will more than pay the cost of the canal The
| canal would not as reservoir TO supply the city
with salt water which of itself would be q saving
! 10 the city of several millions Of dollars and add
! that much to the saving Of the Croton water
| supply
''The Public Service Commission has n full state
| ment OF what no proposes 10 do in the way OF
! building subways, tunnels under the rivers and
| the proposed ship canal. What disposition they
| propose 20 make with my COMMUNICATIONS and the
kind OF treatment will receive at their hands Is
| yet to be
The question H. Who Is Henry g. Woodf He Is
naturalist pure and simple. born, bred and raised
as such lie is from "A family OF naturalists which
| dates back for generations. He has been educated
up to the laws OF nature from HIS infancy and has
made a study of the all his life IL Is safe &c
say that he is of the bsst authorities upon tht
| laws Of nature OF any person living. which he n
prepared 10 prove. II is all nonsense for a person
| 10 undertake 10 handle the difficulties connected
| with the laws OF nature unless he possesses the
| necessary knowledge. Nature is supremei II knows
no superior. It is impossible to try TO overcome
the laws of nature; Il has never yet been accom-
| plished and never can be.
! IF he was to publish a history OF his life II
| would make a book. Life Is short he 10 ready fol
action; Il Is up TO the city OF New York to either
| put up shut up lie is not only a practical con
| tractor, but he is practical hnancier"