New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-08-01
SUBWAY WORK BEGINS
IN LEXINGTON AVENUE
Chairman Wilcox of Service
Board Turns Up First SpadefuI
Before Crowd of 10000.
THE MAYOR KEEPS AWAY
Prendergast Attacks Him for
Threat to Hold Up Exten-
sion-Suggests the
Recall"
THE MAYOR KEEPS AWAY

II. The faint hearts and waning bones
OF rather Knickerbocker's children may
find much stimulus in the fact that tho
art has actually Flown" and the dig
glng of the promised subway system was
begun yesterday al II a. m. with a sill
yer spade and appropriate ceremonies.
Just south Of the corner Of 9th street
and Lexington avenue. The honor of
lifting the first spadeful of earth from
the ground fell to Chairman Wilcox of
the Public Service Commission. and II
proved to he a harder task than he had
expected
The police arrangements were notice
ably Inadequate to handle the crowd of
perhaps ten thousand persons which
packed the avenue. The police ropes mt
9th street and along the curbing on
Lexington avenue near the foot square
hole in the asphalt pavement where the
official digging began went down before
the surging mob. and Mr.. Wilcox. James
Bradley, of the Bradley Contracting
Company, to which company the work Is
'N'SichtN' fhIli'N 'idNfll, dNtlTR fDltl
engineer of the Public Service Commits
sion. and the others who participated in
the street exercises were jostled and
thrown about and all but upset before
the spade could be used.
The first spadeful Of dirt went into the
hat Of Travis n. Whitney. secretary 70
the commission, who fought hard TO save
!; from a hundred hands bent on getting
a little as A souvenir. 1t finally found
secure resting place In a large glass jar.
decorated with the red and green colors
OF the Bradley company, which could
not be used in the first instance, as II
was impossible to pass IT with safety
through the crowd
Ten policemen from the East 6Tth
street station, under Captain McNally,
with Inspector Titus in charge, and two
mounted officers could not keep many
in the crowd from sWooping down upon
the small hole in the street and grab
bins dirt and pieces Of asphalt as souve-
Mrs. Two or three women who were
badly jostled tainted
When the crowd became more orderly
Chairman Wilcox succeeded in deposit
ing a spadeful Of earth in a second glass
receptacle held by one Of the Bradley
company engineers. Then he repaired
10 the stand erected on the west side Of
the avenue, from which he. George Nc
Aneny, the Borough President. and Con-
troller Prendergast addressed the crowd.
Commissioners Maltbie and McCarroll,
former Commissioner Bassett, James
Bradley and Douglas Robinson stood
near the speakers on the stand
Mayor Said He Was Snubbed.
Mayor Gaynor was not there. The
Mayor told his friends a the City Hall
that he considered he had been sighted
and treated discourteously. He said he
knew nothing about the subway cere-
mony until this morning, when he
reached his office and found an invita-
ton on his desk and letter Of apology
from Chairman Wilcox for sending the
invitation in that manner. The Mayor
called attention to the fact that he had
70 attend several public hearings in his
office at the hour when the digging be-
gan.
Chairman Wilcox took strong excep-
ton to the Mayors attitude and ex-
cuses as unwarranted. Every effort had
been made TO reach the Mayor last week,
when the other city officials were noti-
fed, and it was owing TO his absence
from the city and the apparent lack OF
knowledge Of his secretary of his where
abouts that he did not get the word
earlier, Mr.. Wilcox explained
II don't care 10 raise an issue in this
matter" said Mr.. Wilcox at his Office
facts ought to be known. Every effort
was made to reach the Mayor. l called
at his office last Thursday to see II he
would not be present and take part in
the exercises, but did not find him In.
We did not send out any formal invita-
tions until Friday. At that time l
wrote a personal letter TO the Mayor,
Borough President McAneny and Con-
troller Prendergast. l called up Mr..
Adamson the Mayors secretary. on Fri
day and asked where the Mayor could
be reached. He said he did not know.
Then mailed copies Of my letter TO the
Mayor, which | had originally addressed
10 the City Hall, to his Brooklyn home.
at No. 20 Eighth avenue, and to st.
James. Long Island, his country place"
Mayor Gaynor went up into New Eng
land several days ago and returned on
Sunday.
Chairman Wilcox gave out a copy OF
the letter which the Mayor characterized
as apologize" Here 1t is:
My Dear Mayor Gaynor: tried 10 see
YOU Yesterday afternoon, but you had
gone from the Office. and am now writ
ing TO say that the contractor will
break ground on one of the sections OF
the Lexington avenue subway which
was recently awarded by the Board OF
Estimate and Apportionment at 9th
street and Lexington avenue on Mon
day morning next, at II o'clock.
We have not tried 10 make any formal
arrangements for the breaking Of ground
and have not sent out any cards until
to-day. / am writing to ask II YOU cannot
be present to take part in what is done
and say few words at this time.
Sincerely yours.
w. r. WILCOX.
prendergast Attacks Gaynor.
it,tari,,