New-York tribune., 1907-09-25
SPTNUNDER EAST RIVER
BELMONT TUNNEL READY.
Jron't Open Bore Without Receiung
City Concessions.

August Belmont now has q completed hole
.,-s.- East River from 42d street, in Manhattan.
70 4r street in Long Island City. the first inter
-,-o,1gt7 tunnel 70 be in experimental use When
.bs+ is 70 become profitable. or even available.
r,l in the new rapid transit scheme 10 distrib-
ME the population Of the city eastward and
westward is still probematical- In speech
made Yesterday afternoon at the Hotel Belmont
after the Journey Mr. Belmont, when he had in
-irnated strongly that operations in the tunnel
Rad and would be held up by what he styled
manufactured public clamor" declared that the
cars in the bore would be operated only when
ever ii can be done under any reasonable and
fair arrangement
Nj Belmont. who says he is one Of the mill
ion-odd stra aphangers. had no intention to speak
when he went to the luncheon. but being called
OF 10 respond 10 Michael J. Degnon's congratu-
Iations he was carried away by his feelings and
spoke al times in what was a decidedly bitter
strain After he had finished one who is close
u MI Belmont said that unless the city gave
him permission 10 operate cars in compare
lively short time through the tubes MI Belmont
would board Ut the entrances and wait until the
city was willing TO give him what he wanted
Mr. Degnon did not mention that in addition
70 this vork-and ! suppose he could not do SO
very well-his most successful job was on the
present subway said Mr.. Belmont when he
first began 70 speak. He then told how he first
took UP the present work by acquiring the old
SteinwaE franchise. and added
SO particular 10 inquire as 10 the
validity Of the franchise that we took from
February. 1902 when we acquired the franchise,
to JULY 1905 before we awarded the contract
I'd 10 this time the history Of corporations in
this state was that any company which had
undertaken seriously 10 perfect its franchises
and construct the road before the expiration Of
its franchises was entitled 10 extension of
the time We had only eighteen months TO do
this work. but We believed that II We went for
ward earnestly and sincerely we would have no
difficulty in obtaining extension
"As the legality Of the franchises. the
courts have not vet condemned them Some of
the newspapers have. but the courts have not.
and We have still TO hear from them whether
We have done anything Illegal. The company is
prepared TO operate whenever it can be done
under any reasonable and fair arrangement IL
IS Impossible for anybody 20 make that tunnel
pay for three or four years. The business is not
there TO pay interest on the cost OF the tunnel
and the equipments. II is not valuable 20 us
as il is 70 the city Of New York
There are being perfected between Manhat-
tan and New Jersey several tunnels which are
nearing completion These will induce many
pay a single dollar Of taxes in New York nor
-riIl they contribute one dollar 20 increase the
debt limit Of the city under which further i'm
proverlents can be carried on here might
90 on and say q great deal more ] ought not
say
The Intcrborough company is the only COM
pany. in my experience, which claim the
distinction of doing any serious service for the
Improvement Of traffic conditions in greater
New York in spite of the abuse il has received
I say that the treatment % this company mas
not been such as to inspire further effort on the
part Of private enterprise. and until private en-
terrrise is rewarded and confidence restored
we won't have any improvement
The transportation problem must be treated
e-or, the noint Of view OF a reasonable return
<o- the money invested. whether II oe the citys
or -rivate money You can't treat il on an ideal
hasis Ee all travel in one direction al one
time. was born and brought up in this city
and have been d straphanger all my ne
beean when a boy on the old Fifth avenue
stages which ran by my fathers house II you
want to change that you would have to change
the conformation Of the city
II want TO say in conclusion that more real
80, has been shown by the Interborough COM
pany toward helping the public IN sowing lile
transit problem than even any one here Is will
q give CTeQll IoI 1Iie mt SS- 'e~--- " -
time has been devoted TO what could be done 10
improve conditions
The trip through the tunnel was MADE ABOUT
mon in one of the heavy trolley cars Of the New
Work & Queens County Railroad. The journey
10 4rh street in Long Island City, less than two
miles was made in q little more than four min
,,-es the same time being consumed on the re-
r7,-T frjn Although the cars can make con-
s5dsrs hlv faster time than this. from four TO
FIVE minutes will be consumed on each trip when
the line is in operation
Those who took the trip besides Mr- Belmont
were z ? Bryan and William Barclay Par
sons president and vice-president respectively,
n the New York & Long Island Railroad Com
pany: Theodore P. Shonts. NJ ] Degnon H E
Ta-uor and ] Deznor the contractors; H c
Sanford assistant President Degnon. Robert
Smaller. chief engineer: Secretary y. J. Haywood:
Commissioners John E. Eustis. Milo Maltbie and
z N Rassett Borough Presidents Coler, who got
lost a. the Long Island entrance for some time;
Bermel and Cromwell. John r. Mcdonald, g H
Pegram. George {. Rice. r A. Smaller and near
~ one hundred others.
Work was first started the so-called Stein
on July H. 1865 and at Shaft No. l. Manhattan.
on September l. 19D5. completing the two tun-
nels each nearly two miles in length. in less
than rventv-six months The work would have
been completed in less than two years, accord
ing 70 MI Degnon If il had not been delayed by
the city several months by the revocation of the
permits of the contractors