Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1908-08-01
A COLOSSAL BLUNDER.
Millions Spent on Subway Loop May
Be Wasted--AIl Plans Held Up.
Bridge Problem Still Unsolved.

BE WaSteo-At Plans reid Up.
Bridge Problem Still UnsoIved.
After spending thousands Of dollars
on temporary makeshifts, preparing
classic designs for permanent station
at the Park row terminal Of the Brook
lyn bridge and after the 100000 600
subway loop between the bridges Is
half completed the city officials have
suddenly discovered that all Of their
efforts and expenses will probably
prove worthless.
Plans for the ornate Park row ter
minal station, prepared months ago,
have been held up pending q decision
by engineers as to whether 1t Will even
be possible to run trains around the
sharp curve and up the steep grade
from the already half completed sub
way to and upon the Brooklyn bridge,
and yesterday the browning blow came
when 1t was announced that the Brook
Ign Rapid Transit system, for which
the loop was virtually being built, had
refused to operate 1t upon any terms.
At the same time Public Service
Commissioner Edward NJ. Bassett an
nounced that even IL 1t be found prac-
ticable for heavily loaded trains to
make the sharp turn and negotiate the
heavy grade 1t would be impossible to
operate the trains across the Brooklyn
bridge until that structure Is entirely
rebuilt, owing to the tremendous
weight Of the trains.
Thus the city finds itself committed
to the building of a $10OO0,000 subway
loop which seems likely to prove prac-
tically worthless when completed and
without any operator unless the city
operates the loop itself, which, officials
declare, would not be practicable.
City officials admit that huge blum
der has been made somewhere and that
1t looks as II the city will find 1t has ex
pended from $12,0O0,O00 to SIS ZOO, 900
without making any appreciable prog
ress in solving the bridge problem.
No further steps can be taken toward
the building Of the big Park row ter
minal until some decision is reached as
to whether the subway loop will be
physically connected with the Brooklyn
bridge. The entire design of the ter
minal structure depends upon this.
AS originally planned 1t was In
tended that the tracks from the sub
way loop should be carried directly to
the bridge. 1t was admitted that the
grade from the loop, which crosses
Park row underground and then rap
idly ascends until it reaches a grade
level a short distance east of the pres
ent terminal of the bridge. was steep,
but it was said by the designers that
trains could ascend the grade.
Since that time Chief Engineer
Chandler wilmington of the finance de-
partment has made a report saying
that to take trains up this grade every
car would have to be equipped with
a powerful motor, and this would add
so much weight that the bridge would
be overloaded The addition of mo-
tor to each car would also prove to
be a huge expense, which 1t is not be-
lieved any operating company would
stand. Other operating engineers took
the position that IL was almost impos-
sible to negotiate the grade.
Some time ago Bridge Commissioner
Stevenson asked the board of estimate
to authorize him to let contracts for
the lowering Of the elevated railroad
tracks on the bridge into the subway
loop. He would then advertise the
contract for the new terminal station
Engineer Wilmington raised the points
as to grade and extra weight. and the
board of estimate held up the matter
until the public service commissions
experts could solve the problem.
Since that time Commissioners Bas-
sett and McCarroll have been hard at
work. Yesterday they submitted their
report to the commission. Their report
confirms the worst fears that had been
aroused--New York World.