Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-02-01
TUNNEL WORK HALTED
Progress of New York Terminal
Bores Delayed.
DlGGERS FIND QUICKSAND
Application Made by Contractors to
Open Street.
"CUT AND COVER" PROCESS
Engineering Difficulties Met With in
Construction of Manhattan Sub
way for Pennsy Railroad.

NEW YORK, February Thirty second
and 33d streets between Madison and 7th
avenues may have to be torn open from
| curb to curb, wooden roadway being sub
stituted for the present asphalt surface,
| and the buildings which line those thor
oughfares may all have to be shored up
from beneath while the Pennsylvania COM
pany builds a large section of it's tunnel by
the "cut-and-cover'' process against which
there Is strong feeling on the part of many
merchants in the city.
The difficulties under which the tunnel is
being built and which had resulted in MANY
rumors, reached a climax yesterday, when
Eugene "A. Ph1lbin, as counsel for the
onlteo engineering and Contracting Com
pany and the Pennsylvania, New York and
long long Island Railroad Company, appeared
before the rapid transit commission and
formally asked for permission to carry on
the work, as indicated, during a period of
At least ten months. Mr. Philbin said this
was necessary because quicksand and sub
terranean streams had been encountered
py the excavators. He even went so far ar
10 say that the work on the tunnel was alb
solutely at standstill, and would remain
80 until the Permit to excavate from the
surface was granted.
Work at Night.
IL the company's application is granted
and from the statements made Yesterday
II appeared that there was no way of get
ing around it-practically the entire
length or 32d street from Madison avenue
10 TN avenue, and virtually all of AID street
from 9th avenue to 7th avenue, will he torn
open during the night hours. and the prog
emit roadway will be replaced in dav time
as was wa that in lower broadway during work
Oh the subway extension. At certain noin+s
tHefe Will be Shafts from which the az
cnVated material will be removed and IN
an respects the lower Broadway "cntland-
cover method will be adopted N'-A
mere is, however, one point ne d;eoro..
"hlch Is of great moment and uyhiot III,
result undoubtedly in many emnhaticl ~
TO- TO-" asalnst the granting of the applica-
~ III Do broadway, between Fulton street and
me battery Is solely a business thorough-
rare; sd and 33d streets are ras;dot;, ,
streets, lined for the most part hetwaa,
Madison and 9th avenues with privata resi
an5oe z,,' ana APARTMENT houses; between 9th
ana TN avenues the houses are nf a 1ess
AMBITIOUS type; but the greater part Of tho
real estate Is occupied by homes
Rapid Transit Board Amazed
Mr.. Philbin's application took the whole
board by surprise. He called attent,or ~
the clause in the contract made between
the board and the Pennsylvania p.i,rooa
company, which states that the board
may give permission for the opening of
the streets for the purpose of eycavatino
lie said that the company he represented
desired permission to open 33d street vuest
" otn avenue Tor distance not to exceed
6oo rect, and for a distance west Of f3th
avenue not to exceed 300 feet It would he
necessary, too, he said, to open 32d street
west OF Madison avenue for a distance not
to exceed $50 feet, and west of 9Th avenue
Tor distance not to exceed $50 feet The
excavation west of Madison avenue would
hot
avenue and to a point 100 feet beyond fhe
intersection.
Commissioner Charles Stewart Smith look
ed at Mr.. Phiibin in amazement, and asked.
For the whole width of the street?"
Mr.. Philbin conferred with some Of b,s
companions and then said:
NO; only from curb line to curb line"
Quicksands Cause the Trouble.
He went on to say that the United En-
cheering and Contracting Company had
made the excavation from LIST avenue to 9Th
avenue and 33d street without difficulty
The tunnel, as every one knew was being
built by boring, the surface Of the street not
being disturbed. 1t had been found, how
ever, in that section that the rock forma-
ton through which the tunnel passed was
of character that assured the section
above the tunnel level being Of sufficient
strength to support the thoroughfare over
head. while the willis, being Of rock. were
of sufficient strength to prevent the earth
surrounding the foundations of abutting
buildings from being disturbed.
When We approached 9Th avenue" said
Mr. Philbin. I'VE found different conditions
You will recall an accident that happened
In 33d street, just behind the Waldorf, when
horse and wagon sank into cavern in
the street. We found that because of the
presence OF quicksands and subterranean
streams 1t would not be safe TO continue
boring. A continuation of the work under
the method then in use would endanger all
the buildings along the street. The earth
about the Foundations would be foosened