The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-08-01

ing links are far from meeting the de.
mands Of rapid transit between Broof-
Ign and Manhattan. We are face 10
face with the need of more facilities,
and increasing population will add to
the need. Apart from the reciprocal
movements of the inhabitants there is
the daily handicap OF transferring
commodities OF all sorts from one
shore TO another. II the city continues
TO grow at the same rate as hereto
fore then we must deal dra stically
with this problem of the East River.
What would I. do? I would re-
claim the bed Of that waterway by
building a dam at He'll Gate and an
other down about Thirtieth street for
a beginning. and then drain out the
intermediate basin. Next. | would
build another dam extending from
South Ferry to the Brooklyn shore,
and this section, after being suitably
walled up along the sides, like the
first, SO as to leave a prope: hydro
static support for the fianking skv-
scrapers and lesser buildings. would
be pumped out too.
This done. l would not I'LL in this
valley, In the ordinary understanding
OF the term. but from the stone foun-
dation upward ] would construct q
series Of floors, much after the fash
ion followed in the case of the Grand
Central Station and its ~northward
extension. These floors would provide
a variety of facilities. In the Lowest,
or bedrock, level | would place gas
and water mains. electric conduits
n the city's great trunk sewers.
The uppermost tier would be flush
with the existing streets and thus
bind Brooklyn and Manhattan by CON
tinuous highways, where they now
terminate abruptly because of the in
~tervening river.
But I have not yet accounted for
the levels between that Of the streets
and the one on the rivcrhcd. I would
turn some of these intervening levels
into vast sub,crranean warehouses
and one or more. as circumstances de-
mandea, into great railway thorough
fares covered by n dozen or SO tracks
In each case. The outermost track on
either side would he for loading freicht
from the stations parallelinS the IL
while the e succeeding track would
serve for switching purposes. This
would leave something like eight c'n.
trial tracks TO form ono grand speed
way through the city for freight
trains bound north and south.
I'm this manner il would he possible
for goods to he received for distrihu-
tion throughout Greater New York
under ideal conditions. and in turn
for cars to be loaded In the very heart
Of the municipality with a minimum
of intermediate handling.
Possibly you do not realize how
this draining and roofing over ~ tho
East River would help us in disposlnG
Of our augmented popuIacc Just -
twenty-five story buildings and others
Of lesser height now stand over the
tracks AT the Grand Central station
SO can office, industrial and tenem'"t
structures he reared owe the valley
Of the Fast River, Reaching as TVS
additional area would from the Bat
terry to He'll Gate, II is plain That wa
should have building room equal To =
little short Of half again as much as
we now nave upon the Island Of Man
haitian.
Don't he staggered nv the magn 70
tude Of my entire project. ! d''''
urge the simultaneous attack or the
whole scheme. TIE plan should ~
carried through section hy section N
the order ! have already named y
this would invcdve nr annual eNpend'-
ture Of somewhere between NIFTY ara
n hundred mi-Hn dollars
with the-e Is made PAIN 20 ~"
public srekiyc safe tnveS'0'sh
Greater New FOX should now "
trouble in ho--tng bonds bearing IN
inviting interest. especially when
security for their redemption woN'a
rest upon the promise OF an oupleh'
and booming really Greater NJ"
York"
DR.. T. Kennard Thomson is ~
engineer Of prominence In MS pro
fession. More than one notable hr'ds'
and many a towering skvscraper res.
upon the foundation which his SKIN
has devised. He has not heen :
! dreamer in the past: he Is "lmo'hs
steadily toward the zenith OF MS pro
fess!onal career. and his ambitious
project for New Works. hetterment y
the fruit Of years OF study.