New-York tribune., 1918-06-13
Strike on Subway
Menaces Tunnel
Under East River
Flood, Which Is Possible,
Would Cost City Thou
sands of Dollars

The cessationa of construction work
on the new subways has led to danger
GUS conditions at various points in the
which might easily result in accidents
with the attendant loss of thousands
of dollars to the city, according to
reports of the Public Service Commits
sion engineers.
One report from the chief engineer
of the commission in regard to the
critical condition of the compressed
air tunnel work on the Sixtieth Street
tunnel running under the East River
to Queens prompted Chairman Oscar
S. Straus to send for Mathew McCon-
vile, chairman of the committee of the
striking laborers, and arrange for suf-
ficlent laborers t. return to the tunnel
to protect the work.
committee of the men headed by
Mr.. McConville called at Chairman
Strauss Office and at the latter's re-
quest promised to see that sufficient
men remained on the tunnel job for
the preservation of the property.
The Slxtleth Street tunnel is one of
the important links in the new sub
way system. 1t is being constructed
under the highest air pressure ever
used under the East River, with one
exception The bottom of the tunnel
at Its deepest points is 110 feet beneath
tAe surface of the water. and it was
necessary to place a false bottom of
rlp-rap and clay for considerable dis
tance along its route. 1t was pointed
out that if break should occur and
the tunnel be flooded loss amounting
to thousands of dollars would be in
Cured and the final completion of the
work set back indefinitely.
McConville and other labor leaders
stated to Chairman Straus that while
there is no present prospect of a set
tlement of the strike, they appreciated
the danger and great loss the city
might suffer and had no desire to in
volve the city in any unnecessary loss.
McConvllle said taat the men would
CONTINUE to protect property where
necessary, provided that no unneces-
sary advance work was done until the
Board OF Estimate acts upon the
whole matter, so that the mems de-
| mands fo, higher wages NAV be met
by the contractors.
The status of the strike remained
the same yesterday. The contractors.
the laborers and the Public Service
Commission are hopeful that the Board
of Estimate will reach some satisfac
tory adjustment of the whole matter
at it's meeting tomorrow.
About 260 employees of the Inter-
borough Rapid Transit Company en-
gagged in installing a duct line between
the company's Fifty-ninth Street power
house and the new Lexington and Sew
enth Avenue subways quit work YES
tterday in sympathy with the striking
laborers. This work did not properlv
come within the scope of the subway
contracts. The duct line is vital for
| the beginning of operation of the Lex.
ington and Seventh Avenue lines. as il
will carry the current which will make
| operation possible.
A statement from the Public Service
Commission declared that the sympa-
thetic strike on the duct line intensi-
fled the whole situation, so tnat it now
becomes all the more important that
an early adjustment be made in order
that the dual system operation should
not longer be delayed. The INTERIOR
ough company announced later tha,
they had managed to obtain a force oi
twenty-five men who were Immediately
put to work at the crucial points on
the duct line. 1t was stated, however
that only slight progress could be
made with this small number of men
and serious delay seemed inevitable.