New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-02-06
CALL |NTERBOR0UCH'S
ESTIMATES EXCESSIVE
Amount $1,000, 900, Say Prem
dergast and Mitchell in
Letter to Wilcox.
SUBMIT LOWER FIGURES
Urge Commission to Take Steps
to Reduce Delay in Beginning
Construction Work to
Minimum.

Mitchell of the Board Of Aldermen con-
tinued their campaign against the Inter
borough on Saturday with a letter e
chairman Wilcox of the Public Service
Commission. showing where the Inter
borough estimates Of subway construc-
ZION cost we're excessive by nearly ST.
oO0OOO. The letter urges Mr.. Wilcox Il
undertake at once the preparation of
modified plans and bids for an indie
rendent subway system in order that
this great sum Of money may be saved
10 the city and time may be saved in the
building Of the subway.
Mr.. Prendergast and Mr.. Mitchell say
IN their letter to Mr.. Wilcox:
We are convinced that It is imperative
FOR the Public Service Commission TO take
un the immediate preparation OF such pans
and specifications supplemental 10 those
now in existence as may be necessary tc
nc construction Of a modified trloorouSt
subway system. designed 10 permit or the
through operation of express service from
Manhattan TO the Fourth avenue and La
favette avenue systems in Brooklyn Oy
wav OF an East River tunnel.
Information placed II our hahus leaus u az
20 believe that by the exercise or certain
economies in construction enormous saw
ires NAV be effected over the estimates oil
your commission for the triOorough as orIS'
JraUv planned. Whether the contracts OF
which bids have been received are IN such
form as 10 permit of construction there
r0der on less expensive scale, either a.
TIC bids now lie or by virtue or a supuia-
non ~ he entered into between the bidders
.rd The commission before final award, or
,rrether new bids for construction must he
e. ,r,.ite6 I'm order that the city may be ade'
n,ateiv protected, is question on when
cal mil n
IN either event. may we suggest that
---pol one assumption or the other prepdIa a.
t0rv steps should be taken Immediately lr
order that the commission, When tne llIle
o. action comes may find itself IN state
NJ preparedness? Plans for an East RIVER
. .r-rel even with the greatest diligence ana
,xuediton. Will undoubtedly require some
time for preparation. We urge mat Ine
cor,r1i--iou undertake this AZ once IN order
mai deIaV In beginning actual construc-
ION work may be reduced TO MINIMUM
The estimate submitted by Mr.. Prem
6c-gast and Mr.. Mitchell was prepared by
George Hallet Clark. formerly senior as
slstsnt engineer for the old Rapid Tran
81 Commission ard afterward one of the
engineers for the Public Service Com
mission. Frederick l.. Crawford, OF
Prookivn. who built the Brooklyn ex-
tension 10 the subway; Henry q. OPP
dvcke consulting engineer in the Ahearn
Investigation. and Maurice Deutsch, con-
suiting engineer for the Aston estate
The estimate was confirmed, Mr..
Mitchell and Mr.. Prendergast say by an
Other estimate prepared by the consult
ing engineer Of the Borough Of Brook
lv0 and the engineer Of the Department
n Finance Chandler wilmington is the
engineer Of the Department of Finance,
and the consulting engineer for Brooklyn
is r. Walters Creuzbaur
The estimate Of $1,000 600 excess in the
PETERBOROUGH figures is based on n com
parison Of bids for the Lexington avenue
subway The letter says:
The Interborough Company stated in its
det8i led estimate Of construction cost sub
rit.ed 10 US that the Lexington avenue eX-
The Bronx will cost S54. 100000. This, of
course. cCntempiates the small bore sub
wav. without meZz9nine floors or reservoir
stations. Contrast with this the hid prices
FOR the large and extensive bore Of subway
received oy your commission IN October -,
1910 For the same route from 10Th street
70 i3Sth street these bids total the sum 81
t2- s-1.Gb5 % ManifeStly the 1nterDOrOugh
has grossly overestmated the cost Of con
stru-tion since II puts the cost Of a small
bore subway AZ a figure Of $l.526. 634 81 higher
than tho total Of bids received for the con-
yr~uctlon OF a large bore subway for dis
tance practically equal
TIE marlborough estimate, however. in
ciudes station finish track and ballast,
r h.ch the triborOuch bids do not. Putting
station finish az $4,000 per station and track
IA Hast al $4,000 per mile Of single track
The difference between the interborOugh
estimate and the trlborouEh bids becomes
a.. II .f-,4- fFf ~,
cost estimated by the marlborough for the
less expensive type Of subway
The total estimate furnished by Mr..
Prendergast and Mt Mitchell is based
m a triborough system identical with
the one planned by the Public Service
Commission. with the exception that a
tunnel under the East River. from Lib
erty TO Pineapple streets, is substituted
f0r the Canal street crosstown line. II
g assumed that the bore Of the proposed
subway win be reduced from that pro-
posed IN the Public Service Commission
plan TO that in the Interborough's offer
The construction Of such a system is
placed at s97.565, 600. and to this the fol-
lowing allowances are added:
Ersneeri0g at per cnt..............s4s7 SIS. oQt
F1rIaS 90 reT cent .......-....... $4,000
Interest during construction NJ 10 per
.A. ..-.-.-' .''.''.'-'' '''Vo'V''
Or total construction cost Of S119,-
$4,000
The letter adds
Our engineers inform US that II the strict
est economies were 10 be praCtSed in the
planning and building of the subway the
above construction cost Of $91 $4,000 could
r. reduced 10 So. 10000 With engineering
extras and extras as above the resultant
total cost OF construction on these assump-
tons would he Sl04l2J,0D
II these figures be approximately correct
ana tle experience and standing Of those
who submit them justify reliance upon their
accuracy 10 is quite clear that IL lies with
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