Palisadian., 1922-12-02
Tubes to Cross
Hudson to Bergen
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retary of the Association which has
brought the proposition to it's pres
ent stage and who with Samuel r
Farnum, Assistant Director of the
Standard Oil Company of New Jersey,
Morrell Birtwhistle of Birtwhistle &
Livingstone, Englewood, Col. Frank
M. Taylor of Hackensack and A. A.
Clarke, builder, of Ridgewood Park,
constitute the New Jersey Committee
The New York group is headed by
DIR. Michael C. O'Brien who is Chair
man of the Transportation Committee
OF the Harlem Board of Trade and
member of the Transit Commission
of Greater New York. Prof. Comfort
A. Adams who heads the Harvard
Engineering School at Cambridge and
is one of the foremost authorities on
engineering problems in America,
ranking with Steinmetz and Marconi
is the Chief Engineer of the Tunnel
Association.
Bergen County," says the state
ment. faces today the greatest single
opportunity in it's history. Nothing
that has occurred since the county
was established has opened up such
vast possibilities for growth in its
population, it's wealth, in its tax rat
ables as the Bergen-Harlem Tunnel
under the Palisades and under the
Hudson. The construction of this
great twin-tube bore-one double
track for the rapid transit, the other
large enough to accommodate two
streams of motor traffic each way
will mean that instead of spending
from an hour to an hour and half
daily on trains. tubes or ferries to
reach his Office, it will be possible for
a resident of Hackensack, for ex-
ample, to reach the downtown dis
tricts on the tunnel and transferring
to any of the present subway lines
in from forty to forty-fve minutes.
1t will mean for the driver of a
motor car an easy and level road, we'll
lighted and perfectly ventilated, from
a point on this side of the Palisades
entering a little higher than the level
of Overpeck Creek, direct to the heart
of New York City in the vicinity OF
One Hundred and Twenty-fifth street
at cost no greater than he now pays
one of the antiquated ferryboats.
line, as is now frequently the case,
for hours waiting until his turn
comes to drive aboard the boat
What this tunnel will mean to the
farmers in getting their produce to
the great markets of residential up
per New York direct, need not argue
about. 1t is self-evident.
"a small group of men both here
and in New York have been at work
on the project quietly but none the
less aggressively, since May last fol-
lowing the meeting held in the State
Street School under the auspices of
the Bergen Evening Record which
was addressed by DR.. M. c. O'Brien
and Others. A great deal of work
has been done and voluminous data
has been gathered and compiled
showing what has been accomplished
in other cities by tunnel construction;
the earnings of the various enter
prises; their cost of construction and
maintenance, etc. The expense of
this work has been borne by few
men who believe in the feasibility of
the project. Political sentiment has
been sounded and public opinion fos-
tered in both states favorable to the
~ ;c1o hot
following the recent elections, there
is hardly a doubt but that whatever
legislation is needed will be promptly
forthcoming when the lawmaking
bodies convene in mid-January.s In
this connection it may be we'll to say
that we are not seeking dollar out
of the public treasures either State
or National. The construction and
maintenance of the tunnel and what
ever trackage may be necessary, will
all be privately financed. All that we
ask from the States and from Con-
gress is permissive legislation to con-
struct the great work. Its operation
subject to the rules and regulations of
the States Utilities and the Inter-
State Commerce Commission of the
Nation In New Jersey this legisla-
ton will be introduced and fostered
by Senator William B.. Mackay. In
New York, Senator Duncan T.
O'Brien, son Of the President of the
Tunnel Association, will have charge
of the measure.
81 have said that up to date all of
the expense in carrying on this work
has been borne by few of the men
interested The time has come now,
however, when engineers must be en-
ployed, surveys made, and much other
work done before the bills can be
presented to the legislatures in
proper and legal form. To do this
work, will require under conserva-
tive estimate, a budget of 100000.
Such budget has been authorized by
the Association tO he divided equally