Rapid Transit in Greater New York.

The close of the year 1903 will see the new rapid transit system of New York City completed and in operation, so far as the routes originally planned are concerned. It will see also the extension from the Post Office to the Battery, and thence under the East River into Brooklyn Borough quite far advanced. So far as completed the system will consist of twenty-one miles of tunnel, subway and viaduct, extending from the City Hall to Spuyten Duyvil Creek on the westerly side of the city, and to Bronx Park on the easterly side. The route is a single one as far northward as to One Hundred and Fourth street, at which point the easterly line diverges at right angles, passing through One Hundred and Fourth street from Broadway to Central Park, under which it passes obliquely to Lenox avenue, following that thoroughfare to One Hundred and Forty-fifth street. There is another sharp divergence at One Hundred and Forty-first street, whence the line continues to and under the Harlem River into the Borough of The Bronx. One of the excellent features of the system, in the matter of its road construction, is that the gradients are remarkably light throughout its whole extent, not exceeding 1.25 per cent, except at a very few points, and not exceeding 3 per cent anywhere, that being the gradient in the tunnel under the Harlem River.

By the contract, which was signed and executed on February 21, 1900, with John B. McDonald, as the contractor, it is required that the work shall be completed by September, 1904. Mr. McDonald sublet his contract in sections, and the first actual work was begun in Section I., the Post Office loop, on March 24, 1900, by the Degnon-McLean Contracting Company, one of the sub-contractors. The beginning of operations in other sections quickly followed, and such rapid progress was made that there has been no stage at which the work has not been in advance of what was necessary to insure its completion within the stipulated time. The wonder of it was that such extensive operations, involving the opening up of some of the city's busiest thoroughfares, and the undermining of some of the largest buildings, could be carried on with so little interruption of traffic through the streets, so few accidents, and such freedom from damage to property. In fact, the stupendous character of the undertaking was but meagrely indicated by what the public saw of it, and the actual progress of the work could be judged but indifferently. At various points in the city huge excavations became centres of attraction for curious people. Where the excavations had to be made in

rock the suggestions of the mining regions were frequently picturesque, while the necessity for blasting lent to the scene that fascination which possible danger invariably has for the venturesome seeker after sensation. And here it may be remarked that, considering the fact that this work required the use of a ton and a half or two tons of dynamite daily, some of it in the most populous sections of the city, there has been a gratifying freedom from accidents occasioned by explosions, notwithstanding the unfortunate disaster at Park avenue, and one or two other serious happenings.

Some of the difficulties attending the work have been of extraordinary magnitude. They included the construction of temporary sub-structures to support street railways in thoroughfares where the line passes under such; the support of water and gas mains, sewer pipes, and other underground work abounding in every part of the city; the shoring-up of massive buildings standing near the line of excavation, and many other things which required the most careful engineering. Such work as this alone has cost to the beginning of the present year about $2,000,000, and constitutes therefore a considerable percentage of the $35,000,000 which is the contract price for the road complete. This item of expense is practically eliminated from the cost yet to be incurred, as little, if any, of such work remains to be done. In fact, of the entire estimated amount of excavation, inclusive of tunneling there remains only 12 per cent to be done. The estimated total was 3,000,000 cubic yards, and the amount done at the close of the year 1902 was 2,647,000 cuble yards, or 88 per cent of the whole. Of earth excavation the amount done is about 1,660,000 cubic yards, or 97 per cent of the total amount as estimated. The total amount of rock excavated is 987,000 cubic yards, or about 76 per cent of the full amount as estimated. The remaining excavation to be made consists principally of about 1,400 lineal feet of tunneling at Fort George, and this will be mainly rock work.

The work has employed an army of laborers of various grades, and the number at work daily has been not less than 7,500. Including all, excepting of course the workmen in mills supplying the necessary steel, iron, ete., employed in construction, the number of men employed daily approaches very nearly a round 10,000. The expenditures on account of the work, from the beginning of operations under the contract until the close of 1902 were a little short of $24,000,000, leaving something more than $11,000,000 yet to be expended of the contract price of $35,000,000. The greater proportion of this balance will be required for

putting in the steel and iron construction not yet finished, for laying tracks, for building stations, and for the general preparation of the system for the installation of power plants, rolling stock, and the other details of operative equipment. The equipping of the road after the construction is complete will cost about $15,000,000, making the total outlay for the system, to the date of opening, in the neighborhood of $50,000,000.

On the twenty-one miles of line constituting the rapid transit system in the boroughs of Manhattan and The Bronx, fifteen and a half miles will be practically underground, although the length of actual tunnel is only three and a quarter miles. The tunnels are between Thirty-third and Forty-second streets, between One Hundred and Fiftieth and One Hundred and Ninetieth streets, on the West Side, under the northwestern corner of Central Park, and under the Harlem River, from One Hundred and Forty-first street to Mott Haven. The elevated construction will be at the northern extremities of the two routes. The contract under which this great undertaking is approaching its culmination is, a document which constitutes a printed volume of 180 pages. Omitting formal and technical details, its provisions may be summarized in brief, and in its essential aspect, as follows: The contractor undertakes to construct and equip the Rapid Transit Railroad upon the routes and general plan of the Commission; to put the same in operation; and to use, maintain and to operate it under a lease from the city for the term of fifty years. The city, on its part, agrees to pay thirty-five million dollars in case the whole of the road is constructed, and other specified sums in case it should determine to construct less than the whole. The city stipulates to give the contractor the right to construct and operate the railroad "free of all right, claim or other interference, whether by injunction, suit for damages or otherwise on the part of any abutting owner or other person." All parts of the structure, where exposed to public sight, are required to be designed,

Tunneling a Sewer Beneath the "L" Foundations at Chatham Square.

constructed and maintained with a view to the beauty of their appearance as well as to their efficiency, and all work is to be done in a good, substantial and workmanlike manner, and in accordance with the detailed specifications embodied in the contract. The work to be done by the contractor is to include all necessary readjustment of pipes, subways or other subsurface structures; the support and care, including underpinning wherever necessary, of all buildings, monuments and elevated and surface railways; and the reconstruction of street pavements and surfaces. The construction of sewers, readjustment of mains, pipes and other subsurface structures, and the support, care and underpinning of buildings, monuments and railways are declared to be essential parts of the construction of the railway. The contractor is required to provide a complete equipment for the railroad, including not only cars, but also all engines, electric wires, conduits, power houses, and lighting, signalling and ventilation apparatus. The Board reserves the right during the progress of the work to amplify the plans, to add explanatory specifications, and to furnish additional specifications and drawings. It also reserves the right to require additional work to be done, on paying the reasonable value thereof to the contractor, or to require work to be omitted, in which case reasonable deduction from the contract price is to be made. The contract further provides for the most thorough and minute inspection by the Board of all work and materials from the beginning of their manufacture or preparation, and declares that, the work is to be done and the materials are to be furnished in all cases subject to the direction and approval of the chief engineer of the Board.

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The Brooklyn extension of the rapid transit system was begun in December, 1902. It will cost an additional sum of between $9,000,000 and $10,000,000, but the contract under which it is being constructed is for $2,000,000 only. The balance of the cost will be met by the Rapid Transit Railway Company, the corporation which is back of Mr. John B. McDonald, the contractor. The most costly feature of this extension will be the tunnel under the East River, which will begin at Battery place, in Manhattan, and extend to the Borough Hall, in Brooklyn, one mile and a half.

Mr. Alexander E. Orr is president of the Rapid Transit Commission, being one of the original Commissioners specified in the Act of May 22, 1894, creating the Commission. He was elected president of the Board on June 8, 1894. Mr. William Barclay Parsons has been chief engineer since June 18, 1894.

The history of projects to provide rapid transit for the city of New York extends back to the middle of the past century. During this period there has been constant demand for increased facilities to accommodate the passenger traffic of the city. The first important step in the direction of meeting it was the construction of the street railways. Growth of business and the great increase of population from year to year, with the consequent extension of thickly populated areas, made it apparent that some better mode of transit would soon become necessary, and various propositions for elevated and underground systems were agitated. until the Legislature, in 1868, granted a charter to the New York Central Underground Company, with ample powers as to route, capital and facilities for construction. Inability to raise the money required for the enterprise caused its failure. Cornelius Vanderbilt and others were incorporated by the Legislature in 1872 as the New York City Rapid Transit Company, with authority to construct and operate an underground railway, which would have extended from the City Hall to the Grand Central Station on Forty-1 second street, but which was never constructed because of Commodore Vanderbilt's sensitiveness to the criticisms which the project evoked. Among subsequent propositions which obtained legislative approval was that of the Beach Pneumatic Railroad Company, which projected what was known as the "Arcade Railroad," which, with others, failed to command the support of capital.

The elevated railroads constructed under the act of 1875, known as the Rapid Transit Act, met the existing need in their time, but their ultimate inadequacy was foreseen long before it began to be experienced, and agitation for an underground system was resumed in 1884. The matter was brought to the attention of the Common Council by Mayor Abram S. Hewitt in his message of January, 1888. In this communication the Mayor expressed his conviction that underground rapid transit could not be secured by the Investment of private capital, but that in some way or other its construction depended upon the use of the city's credit. It was apparent to him that if such credit were used the property must belong to the city, although, as it would not be safe for the city to undertake the construction, the intervention of a contracting company appeared to be indispensable. To secure the city against loss, this company must necessarily be required to give a sufficient bond for the completion of the work and be willing to enter into a contract for its continued operation under a rental which would pay the interest upon the bonds

issued by the city for the construction, and provide a sinking fund sufficient for the payment of the bonds at or before maturity. It was suggested further that it seemed to be indispensable that the leasing company should invest in the rolling stock and in the real estate required for its power houses and other buildings an amount of money sufficiently large to indemnify the city against loss in case the lessees should fail in their undertaking to build and operate the railroad. Mr. Hewitt's views failed to meet the approval of the Common Council, but he submitted to the Legislature during the same year a bill wherein they were embodied in a general way, provision being made in it for competition on the part of any and all responsible individuals or corporations who might be disposed to undertake the work. He appeared before a committee of the Legislature in behalf of the measure, but it was not even reported back.

The Legislature of 1890 passed a bill entitled, "An act to provide for rapid transit railways in cities of over one million inhabitants," which was approved by Governor David B. Hill. Under this act Mayor Hugh J. Grant. on April 9, 1890, appointed a commission to decide on routes. August Belmont, Charles Stewart Smith, John H. Starin, William Steinway and O. N. Potter constituted the commission, which reported on June 16 in favor of an underground route from the City Hall to Harlem. A new commission composed of William Steinway, Samuel Spencer, John H. Starin, Eugene L. Bushe and F. P. Olcott was appointed by Mayor Grant on December 23, in the same year.

New legislation on the subject was enacted in 1891, and under it the commissioners just named were continued in office, with authority to decide upon the necessity of a rapid transit railroad; to adopt routes and general plan of construction; to obtain consent of local authorities and property holders affected by the construction and operation of such railroad, or of the General Term of the Supreme Court, should such consent be withheld; to adopt detailed plans for construction and operation, and, finally, to sell the right to construct and operate such railroad to a corporation to be formed under the terms of the act for such a period of time as they should deem advisable, and upon such terms as they should be able to exact. After reaching the conclusion that the needs of the city could be met adequately only by the construction of underground railroads. the commission adopted a route and general plan for the construction of a railroad running underground through the built-up portions of the city, and emerging only in its northern portions, where the contour of the surface made it necessary. Necessary consents were obtained, detailed plans and specifications were adopted and the franchise was offered for sale to the highest bidder

on December 29, 1892. No bidder of approved responsibility appeared willing to undertake the enterprise, and the project, which had cost $130,000 for preparation, was abandoned.

This brings the history down to the inception of the enterprise, the culmination of which will be one of the great events of the year 1903. The law under which the present Rapid Transit Commission is acting was passed by the Legislature of 1894, and was signed by Governor Roswell P. Flower on May 22 of that year. The events leading to its introduction and enactment are worthy of record. A proposition Was made to the Chamber of Commerce of New York by a responsible banking house in the city of New York to undertake the construction of the underground system, provided the city of New York would loan its credit to the corporation undertaking the work to an amount not exceeding thirty millions of dollars. This proposition was referred to a committee of the most prominent members of the Chamber, who, despairing of any other solution of the question, reported at a meeting of the Chamber in. favor of the proposition. Former Mayor Hewitt took part in the discussion which followed, and he pointed out that such a loan of credit would be contrary to the Constitution of the State of New York, and that it was not expedient to submit to the people any proposition under which the public credit could be utilized for private purposes. He insisted upon the importance of vesting the ownership in the city. Mr. Hewitt's views were unanimously approved and he was named on a new committee appointed to formulate a bill to be presented to the Legislature, which bill was to embody the suggestions which he, as Mayor of the city, had made to the Common Council in 1888.

The Act of 1894 substituted a new Rapid Transit Board for the one existing under the Act of 1891, the new board being composed of the Mayor, the Comptroller and the president of the Chamber of Commerce, as ex-officio members, and Messrs. William Steinway, Seth Low, John Claflin, Alexander E. Orr and John H. Starin. The board held its first meeting on June 8, 1894, and organized by the selection of Alexander E. Orr for the position of president. At the same meeting Mr. Orr, who had been elected president of the Chamber of Commerce, and had thus become an ex-officio member of the Board as well as being named by the statute an individual member thereof, resigned the individual appointment conferred upon him by the Legislature, and Mr. John H. Inman was elected to fill the vacancy thus created. Subsequently

Mr. Starin was elected vice-president; Henry R. Beekman and Albert B. Boardman were appointed counsel and William Barclay Parsons was appointed chief engineer. The first important step taken was to submit to the voters of the city the question of municipal construction of the system, and the result, secured in the election of November 6, 1894, showed an overwhelming majority in favor. The total vote was 175,962; affirmative, 132,647; negative, 42,916; defective ballots, not counted, 399.

It was not until January 14, 1897, that the undertaking reached the point of establishing the present route and plan. As to route, the resolution of the commission provided:

"One route as follows: Its centre line shall commence at a point at or near the intersection of Broadway with Park Row; thence under Park Row and Centre street to a point at or near its intersection with New Elm street, as proposed; thence under New Elm street, as proposed, to Lafayette place; thence under Lafayette place to Eighth street; thence across and under Eighth street, and thence under private property lying between Eighth and Ninth streets and east of the westerly side or line of Lafayette place, produced to Fourth avenue; thence under Fourth avenue and Park avenue to Forty-second street; thence turning from Park avenue into Forty-second street, and taking for the purpose of the curve, if necessary or convenient, private property at the southwest corner of Park avenue and Forty-second street; thence under Forty-second street to Broadway; thence under Broadway to Fifty-ninth street; thence under the Boulevard to a point at or near One Hundred and Thirty-fourth street; thence under the Boulevard and Eleventh avenue to a point on Eleventh avenue situated north of One Hundred and Ninetieth street and distant therefrom not less than one thousand and not more than one thousand five hundred feet, and thence under or over (as may be most convenient) private property to a point at the southeast end of Ellwood street near Hillside street, and thence over Ellwood street to Kingsbridge avenue or Broadway; thence over Kingsbridge avenue or Broadway as now proposed to Riverside avenue and thence easterly over Riverdale avenue to a point within five hundred feet of the present Kingsbridge station of the New York & Putnam Railroad Company.

"This route shall include a loop at the City Hall Park which shall connect with the portion of the

route aforesaid along Centre street at or near the south end of that street, and thence proceed westerly and southerly under City Hall Park and Broadway and thence easterly to again connect with the portion of the route aforesaid in Park Row. All of the said loop shall lie under City Hall Park, Park Row, between the south end of "Centre street and Ann street, and the portion of Broadway adjoining City Hall Park lying between Vesey and Murray streets. This route shall also include suitable tracks and connections from the City Hall loop to the Post Office, such tracks and connections being under the City Hall Park and under the portion of Park Row between the south end of Centre street and Ann street. This route shall also include suitable tracks and connections from the portion of the route near the corner of Park avenue and Forty-second street to the yard and tracks of the Grand Central Station. All of the tracks and connections last mentioned shall be under Park avenue and Forty-second street and private property to be acquired. By private property in this description is meant property not forming part of the streets of the city of New York and not belonging to the city of New York.

"Also a route as follows: Its centre line shall diverge from the route aforesaid on the Boulevard. between a line parallel to and one hundred feet north of One Hundred and Third street and a line parallel to and one hundred feet south of One Hundred and Third street; thence under private property to a point in One Hundred and Fourth street; thence under One Hundred and Fourth street to and across Central Park West; thence under Central Park to the intersection of Lenox avenue and One Hundred and Tenth street; thence under Lenox avenue to a point near One Hundred and Forty-second street; thence curving to the east and passing under private property, One Hundred and Forty-third and One Hundred and Fortyfourth streets, to the Harlem River at or near the foot of One Hundred and Forty-fifth street; thence under the Harlem River and private property to East One Hundred and Forty-ninth street at or near its intersection with River avenue; thence under East One Hundred and Forty-ninth street to a point near its intersection with Third avenue; thence with a curve to the left and under Third avenue to a point near its intersection with Westchester avenue; thence with a curve to the right to and under Westchester avenue. and thence by viaduct over and along Westchester avenue to the Southern Boulevard; thence over and along the Southern Boulevard to the Boston Road, and thence over and along the Boston Road to Bronx Park."

A number of legal and technical difficulties had to be overcome before the commission arrived at the stage when it was possible to invite bids for the construction of the road. After due notice, two bids were received on January 15, 1900, the date appointed for receiving and opening them. One was from John B. McDonald, offering to construct the entire road for $35,000,000; the other was from Andrew Onderdonk, who offered to construct the road for $39,300,000, and further proposed that, in case the gross receipts exceeded $5,000,000 in any one year, to pay, in addition to the rent fixed by statute, five per cent on the first million dollars in excess and two and one-half per cent on each additional million up to a maximum of fifteen per cent. Each of these bids was accompanied by a deposit of $150,000. Mr. McDonald's bid was accepted and the contract was signed on February 21, 1900. On March 24, following, the work of construction was formally begun in front of the City Hall with simple but appropriate ceremonies, Mayor Robert A. Van Wyck turning the first spadeful of earth. Subsequently there were several modifications in routes and plan, the most important of which were the substitution of a loop and terminal tracks under City Hall Park instead of a loop entirely around the Post Office Building; and a change in the route of the railroad from Fort George to Kingsbridge by diverting it somewhat to the eastward, so | as to pass along Naégle avenue and Amsterdam avenue to the Kingsbridge Road. The matter of an exten-i sion to Brooklyn was acted upon by the Municipal Assembly, which passed resolutions approving such extension under the East River to Flatbush and Atlantic avenues, Brooklyn, the Mayor giving his approval on June 1, 1901.