New-York tribune., 1909-03-14
BELT LINES PLANS
VILLIAM J. WILGUS EX-
PLAINS THEIR SCOPE.
Ne1r Project Is Intended to Supple
ment 5rith Passenger SerUice
Small Car Freight Subrdy.

william :. Wngus. president OF the Amsterdam
c,o-poration which applied last week TO the Pub
~, service Commission for permission to construct
Messenger and freight interterminal belt line
.od transit route. part subway and part elevated,
80 -be waterfront Of lower Manhattan, and
connected by & subway under 5sth street IN a
,e-4er 10 The Tribune explains that the corpora
.,on's new project IS not intended to replace It's
original plan for srnali-car freight subWays along
rbe waterfront. but is rather TO supplement its
freieh, subway project Mr.. Wigus says in his
letter:
ssa7 EXPLANATION Of some Of the points raised in
o5~ editorial this morning in reference TO the plan
% - m me 10 saw that this project is in no way intend
ed TO replace. but rather TO supplement the plan
Commission for broad treatment Of the freight
problem in Manhattan.
posed means for collecting and SisfTi6gths str % ing
railroads serving the port including those bef1hl
hating in Ne~ Jersey
pose Of aTording hrst-class rapid transit passenger
snd express facilities TO the waterfront, in con.
s--rrion with the various radiating arteries OF
travel 10 outlying boroughs and suburban regions
the east and no.Ia- "A, As me a IeN N1rP6 river
waterfront from 60th street TO the Battery viii
s noT Be Tohsq Te s er stcgre I for the handling Of
sreieht at hours Of the day when the passenger
an express service will suffer no lncony enleICe
II viii thus be seen that the freight SUBWAY
rrejec has for It's PuTP9se me In TestoB 10
al water and rail carriers Of the port ana It S me
heT~f ina
express, Incidentally offering quick solution OF the
West Side problem III advance OF the dllIe +i %,e
The application for the right to coRstGnSt a4a 1o
operate The passenger Delt me ,nS - no. -
replace the freight subway appAcatlon
u The application 70 the Public Service Com
mission. which was printed IN The Tribune on
March 10. franchise requested for g freight
s1d passenger road. Ths application was condi-
tioned upon new legislation which would permit
Of the long term franchise desired by the COM
psny.
discussing the proposed interte-Tninal belt line
ron the viewpoint particularly Of its freight car
-ying qualifications. Nj Wigus said last night;
The studies made for solving the freight P9 Pro9Ie9
on Manhattan Island have necessary lnNoIteu nv s
much thought on the subject OF Tapio ans III L
Messengers that the construction or the one wiz
SO harmonic with the oiheT thaL ME b sI-Sad
The need Tor this joint consideration OF PoLL
when il is realized that with all the attention thar
has been given TO the planning OF PaSe-se, P .I-s
n outlvinr boroughs. system appears 10 haNe
Ssen devised for efficiently caring for internal CIR
Is+icn on the island between the various rail and
ro-7-ection with future subways and bridges -.
To supply tais 5ar IS BE Vaterfronf m Of the North
and East rivers below 18th street Win @ Two 5
tba other serving the Fennsylvania Railroad ana
Grand Central stations. a study OF TINS suggested
ss,g1re- ss system in conjunction with analysis
q the freight problem Of Manhattan: particularly
s-rsies the wisdom Of considering both matters al
Hs e5Sitio-' however to the relation that this
proposed belt line bears 10 the frelght slJlaL1Q
there are many other features that apparently
-,,s-i4z- favorable consideration.
A f-.Ir-traCk elevated line IS proposed along tLe
--s+erfron- cf the North River from a coilheClIGn
with rhe New York Central, at sun street 70 oIl7
rsrrery. with intermediate connections az os.it
upper section. ana AZ SJlI
st1eet with The fnteT7nediste crosstown section It
Is the purpose Of this section TO give direct ecc
% the railroad and steamship terminals on me
side Of the island south Of Goth street. poth lot
helt line traffic and If desired, for poruon OF
+h= Hudson River comuuter tafllc OF tIie ..Ss
Tc-L Central i will also be possible 70 uunzes
trfs section for the movement OF 1rele4lt
,Le -Iez- York Central. between the oJh -i,L
s9-l street Yards of that company ana 70 y - =
pa-L r1endinE the when the increased ~
<--see-ge- traffic will neCessitate the hallQAns
- - freight service in some other way -. !.
WIEN the time comes that TINS chall6e Lt-o LHttI
-s5e 4 VIII be possible for the New 1oIh s
-sa- suitable ARRANGEMENT with pubc autI-oI
= oo,,s+-r1ct tvyo-track elevated stTuCtuIe
80 60 adjacent to tnterterninal DeiL le o6t,,
a. sv~I71sTe use between the otll e.
,-s-=s So1lrherIy goth street s';ile o1Iie
tLefg++ --a47c OF the New York Cenuel 70 70 80
s- orron OF the island, as, for lIstat -, - 80
.Ii F-eirh+ car subway system S1ret11g u
= -. a+renton Of the Public SeTV1Cs Ss5t,5 a n
-js eTanrenlent has the merit OF ~. i,, eo e
--asFeYe solution Of the West Slce ~ - Ie IN
- o---f. -17e removal OF the tracks a e -
ro--I1 .1d Tenth avenues ana CaIlaL go. -,
= s--sa+s without the expenditure - -. --iiCE
toA - VC-lr central, the interest Upon " -
-a-+ Furthermore this pan WIZ ty. an re
tS pol1 ol1,,tio7 ~ the West SIDE propeIlL 80 t1r
.-G-S IN the city the use o. t1I0
ta-lls 70 -; purposes.