The Washington times., 1919-04-04

The main elements Of this compre-
hensive scheme are as follows:
L. A belt line situated about two
miles from the Jersey water front and
interesting all the railroads that run
to tidewateF. -
Freight Classification.
.. A large freight classification yard
for breaking up and reasssmbIing
freight trains for dispatch to the sew
erai destinations Of the freight.
5. A railroad and .vehiculaP bridge
across the Hudson river oppoeite FIJI
ty-ninth street. Manhattan, by which
freight and passengers from the West
could be carried directly into Manhat-
tan. b. ..,.
A. A large central passenger station
500 feet long by 46o feet wide, to be
built in Manhattan.
5. A two-deck elevated railroad
bridge with four tracks on each deck,
leading from the bridge and extend
ing along the Hudson river water
front Of Manhattan island from the
bridge to the Battery, and a tunnel
at the Battery connecting the, south
ern end OF this elevated railway with
the railway in Jersey City.
6. In later years, when the system
outlined above Is completed, II may
be extended by carrying. the marginal
elevated railroad around the Battery
and up the easterly shore line Of Man
haitian on the East river, and also by
building a tunnel from Greenville. N.
J., across to Brooklyn, to connect with
the existing railroad system on Long
Island.
Unbroken Connections.
So far as the railroads are con-
csrned it will be seen that every one
of the systems which now terminate
in, Jersey City viii have. direct en-
trance into Manhattan for freight and
passenger ahd- also unbroken COM
munication with. the railroad systems
on Staten Island, on Long Island and
in the New England territory. The
system is 50 arranged, moreover, that
all railroads which enter what it is
hoped will be the "free port" Of New
York will have direct access to tide:
water thfo0kh6ut all the stretch Of
shore frontage both on the Hudson
and, East rivers and on the upper and
lower bays.
The total estimated cost of the prof.
ect' is S211:0O0, 900, a large sum con-
sidered by itself. itT is true, but not
so large in comparison with the total
cost OF approximately $500.oO0, 900 OF
the sibways, used merely for local
passenger transportation in Manhat-
tan and Brooklyn.
Huge bridge AerOts Hudson.
1t will be'rea1ized at onoe that the
most Important link in this whole
project will be the huge bridge across
the Hudson river at Fifty-hinth
street Because foundations in the
middle Of. the river would have to
go down from $50 to $50 feet to ind
rock bottom for a pier in midriyer,
it Is absolutely necessary to spar. the
entire width. of. the Hunsen without
any. Intervening pier. Good rock
Foundation. can be found on each
shore Of the river upon which the
main towers. each over 800 feet In
height, would be erected. To get the
necessary girder Width to resist the
enormous, wind stresses. the bridge
would have to be about 1T5 feet in
total width and this, on a two-deck
structure, would provide on the low
er deck room for four freight and
four passenger train tracks, and, on
the upper deck for six rapid transit
tracks, two wide dFiveWays, and a
passenger promenade. BY far the
greatest loRd that the bridge would
carry would be the deadload Of its
own weight
(copyright, 1918, Mum & Co.; Scientific
Arnertea1. By Otis +. WOOd)