The New York Rapid-transit Subway

Proceedings.] DISCUSSION ON NEW YORK SUBWAY. 61 found very useful on many other occasions, but primarily it had Mr. Koss, been designed for penetrating the London clay. Bearing in mind the respective conditions, it was obvious that a deep tunnel was not a suitable thing for New York, but it was supposed to be the easiest thing to construct in London, inasmuch as it was not necessary to interfere with the surface, nor with sewers, pipes, and mains. Whether it was the wisest thing he was not prepared to say. He agreed with Sir John Wolfe Barry that there was a great deal to be said on the other side, and there could be no doubt that a railway nearer the surface was better for the general travelling public. Still there was a certain amount of reason why London had been led into making tubes. The shallow subway in New York was admirable in every way. The engineers of the visiting party had been liighly interested in the way in which everything was done—in which, as Sir William White had said, every difficulty that arose was immediately tackled and solved. The nearest approach to the New York sub- way was the Metropolitan and Metropolitan District railways, which preceded the New York line, and the next, and he thought probably the most like it in every way, was the Paris Metropolitan railway. Coming to the question of the construction, there was a mass of detail in the Paper which was invaluable to the engineer, and almost every sentence of which might lead to a long discussion. The results of the testing of all the materials, in view of the extreme care with which the work had been carried out, were very valuable. Particularly valuable to him was the simple way in which the reinforcement of the concrete had been made. It was obvious from the mere inspection of the drawings that no more and no less had been done than was absolutely, necessary. The advan- tage of the express tracks was a great feature in the laying out of the line. That was quite possible and almost necessary in a straight line 25 miles in length; but in the London lines—for instance, the Central London tube, which was 64 miles in length—there was scarcely the same necessity for express lines, because the time gained would not be so much as on a long run. It was obvious, however, that in New York the express service gave great facilities for rapid transit. He was sure everyone was very glad to hear that it had been possible to make a return on the capital expended. Sir John Wolfe Barry had taken up a point Mr. Ross had intended to make himself, namely, that if an extra 4d. per passenger which 5 cents gavé could be given to the « Twopenny Tube " it would make a great difference in the financial results. With regard to the six conclusions arrived at by the Author, he thouglit all engineers would admit that they were correct and indisputable.