158!
RECORD AND GUIDE
July 24, 1915
PLANS FOR NEW TUNNEL.
To Carry Subway Trains to Queens-
Business Interests Encouraged.
Now that the Board of Estimate has
pledged itself to finance the construc¬
tion of the new tunnel under the East
River, in accordance with the proposi¬
tion submitted by the Degnon Contract¬
ing Company, for the operation of 1:he
Brooklyn Rapid Transit subway trains
from 60th street, Manhattan, to Long
Island City, the question of laying out
the route and the preparation of engi¬
neering details must be acted upon by
the Public Service Corporation.
The Chamber of Cominerce of the Bor¬
ough of Queens, through its Transit
Committee, will take up at once with the
Pubhc Service Commission the prepara¬
tion of the plans for the tunnel, and the
change of route required from 59th street
to 60th street, so that there may be no
delay in the operation of these trains.
Mayor Mitchel stated at the meeting
of the Board of Estimate on Thursday
that the responsibility for any delay
would be squarely up to the Public Ser¬
vice Commission. The members of the
Queens Chamber of Commerce believe
however, that there is every reason for
the Commission to expedite the plans
for the new tunnel in order that the
entire B. R. T. system may be placed
in operation as soon as possible.
The business men of Queens feel that
they have won a great victory, and that
real rapid transit service is now about
to begin between Manhattan and the
north side of Queens Borough.
The decision of the Board of Estimate
will also enable the Interborough Rapid
Transit Company to go ahead at once
with the extension of the Second avenue
elevated tracks across the center of the
upper level of the bridge. It is estimated
that this work can be completed within
nine months' time, so that within a year
trains from both the Second avenue ele¬
vated and the new Queensboro sub¬
way from 42nd street, will undoubtedly
be operating through the big transfer
station at the Bridge Plaza, and over the
extensions to Astoria and Corona. Later,
when the 59th street subway is com¬
pleted, the B, R, T. trains will also oper¬
ate through this station. President Mc¬
Aneny, in his report for the Transit Com¬
mittee, stated that they had arrived at
their determination to build tunnels for
the following reasons:
1. The great freedom that would be
given to vehicular traffic on the bridge
to insure the continued residential and
industrial development of Queens.
2. It would mean quicker and better
operation of trains through the tunnels
and for operation of cains across the
bridge. It would be hindered by a sys¬
tem which would limit the numlier of
trains.
3. The safety of the bridge is thus as¬
sured beyond any question, although the
bridge is perfectly safe. It was de¬
signed to carry elevated and trolley cars,
but not the addition of subway trains.
4. The cost of the maintenence of the
tunnels would be $100,000 less per year.
from there to Corona, and for the exten¬
sion of the Queensboro Subway through
Davis street and Ely avenue will be
opened August 3; those for the elevated
railroad from the Queensboro Bridge to
Astoria will be opened August 4.
Third-Tracking Broadway (Brooklyn)
Elevated Road.
The Public Service Commission for the
First District has approved plans and
form of contract, submitted by the New
York Municipal Railway Corporation, for
the erection o: sti-el, construction of
tracks, etc, on the Broadway elevated
railroad in Brooklyn between Myrtle ave¬
nue and .Aberdeen street, in connection
with the third-tracking of that line. The
commission also approved the company's
plans and form of contract for the sup¬
ply of structural steel for widening and
strengthening the Myrtle avenue elevated
railroad from Willoughby avenue to
Wyckoff avenue for the third-tracking of
that line. The company must submit both
contracts to public bidding.
Building a Tunnel Relief Sewer.
LTnder the supervision of the Public
Service Commission work began during
the week on a large tunnel relief sewer,
to be built by the City of New York, in
41st street, Manhattan, to drain the area
in the vicinity of the Grand Central Sta¬
tion. It will extend down Madison ave¬
nue from 43d to 41 sL street and thence
through a rock tunnel 40 to 45 feet below
the surface eastward under 41sl street to
the East River.
That portion from the west side of Park
avenue under the existing subway and *o
a point slightly beyond Third avenue will
be constructed by the Rapid Transit Sub¬
way Construction Company as part of
its contract for the connection between
the old subway and the new Lexington
avenue line. The rest of the work will
be done by contractors for the city under
the supervision of the Manhattan Bureau
of Sewers. Work was started at the site
of the proposed shaft at the southeast
corner of Lexington avenue and 41st
street. Robert Ridgway. engineer of sub¬
way construction, turned the first shovel¬
ful of earth after it had been loosened by
a pick wielded by R. A. Shaler, tunnel
engineer of the Rapid Transit Subway
Construction Company. The cost of the
entire work will be about $240,000.
Projected Brighton Beach Improvement.
Densmore & Le Clear, 88 Broad street,
Boston, are preparing tentative sketches
for a modern fireproof hotel to be erect¬
ed at Brighton Beach, L. I. This hotel
is to be part of the project under con¬
sideration by the Brighton Beach De¬
velopment Co., Chauncey Marshall, pres¬
ident, to make an all-year resort of this
now popular summer resort. The en¬
tire project will involve many changes
and improvements to the present struc¬
tures at the beach and the erection of
considerable new buildings.
Gold Medal Awarded.
At the Panama-Pacific Exposition, San
Francisco, the Committee of Awards has
just handed down its decisions for the
many and varied products exhibited. For
cement waterproofing compounds, a
careful series of tests were made, each
one duplicating the other as regards pro¬
portions used and method of handling.
.\s a result of these tests. Impervite was
given the gold medal (highest award).
Up to the discovery of Impervite, prac¬
tically all waterproofing compounds were
based on the old Sylvester process of
soap and alum. Years later aluminum
stearate was supplied ready-made, and
then calcium stearate (lime soap) be¬
came popular because cheaper.^ Getting
away entirely from the soap idea,_ Im¬
pervite was perfected, Impervite is an
' "asphaltic emulsion," free from stearates
and other soaps.
Mr. Logan Waller Page of the U. S.
Department of Agriculture, found that
in a five-hour test, plain mortar leaked
17 cubic centimeters, whereas similar
specimens of Impervite mortar were ab¬
solutely tight. The U. S. Bureau of
Standards describe tests of Impervite in
Technologic Paper 18. Impervite was
designated as compound No, 11, and,
according to the statement on page 101,
was the only one giving results which
warranted further investigation. In tests
recently inade by two European labora¬
tories, Impervite proved three to five
tiines more efficient than the same
weight of soap compound.
New Project for Paterno Brothers.
Gaetan Ajello, architect, 1 West 34th
street, has been retained to prepare plans
f-r a twelve-story apartment house to
be erected on the northwest corner of
i/est End avenue and 103d street by
Paterno Bros., Joseph Paterno, presi¬
dent, 601 West 115th street. The plot,
which measures 100 x 100 feet, adjoins
the building already owned by Paterno
Bros., and the improvement will be de¬
signed to harmonize with it in every
particular.
Country Residence for Architect.
Rufus H. Brown, 350 Fulton street,
Brooklyn, has obtained a general con¬
tract to erect a residence at Brookville,
L, L, for Montague Flagg 2d, architect,
109 Broad street, Manhattan. The plans
call for a semi-fireproof dwelling with
walls of rubble stone, two stories and at¬
tic in height, about 170 x 30 feet. E.x¬
tensive landscape work is to be done in
connection with this building, which has
also been planned by the owner.
Bids for Station Finish.
Bids for the construction of station fin¬
ish upon the new rapid transit lines in
Queens have been called for by the Pub¬
lic Service Commission. Those for the
junction section on the Queensboro
Bridge Plaza, for the elevated railroad
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NO ARCHITECTS SELECTED.
In this department is published advance in-
f ormationregarding building projects where
architects have not as yet been selected.
NEWTON, N. J,—The Newton Historical
Society, Jacob L, Bunnell, 11 H.alstead at,'
treasurer of committee, contemplates the
erection of a "Hill Memorial" Historical
building at the corner of Main and Cliurch
sts. No architect retained.
BUFFALO, N. Y,—Clarence H. Littell.
care of General Drop Forge Co,, 1756
Elmw^ood av, contemplates the erection of
a residence on Williamsville rd, near City
Line, to cost about $20,000. No architect
retained.
BUFF.\LO. N. Y.—Gus Buse. of K. & B.
Flour, S7G Fillmore av, contemplates the
erection of a 2-sty frame or brick ware¬
house and barn, 60x60 tt, at Sycamore and
Fillmore avs. No architect retained.
GR.\NITE SPRINGS, N. Y.—Dr. A. A.
Knipe, 142 East SOth st, Manhattan, con¬
templates the erection of a lV2-sty resi¬
dence here in Westchester County. No
architect selected.
RENSSELAER, N, Y,—The R. R. T. M.
C. A., A. C. Long-, secretary, 835 Broad¬
way, Rensselaer; Chas, Gibson. Orange st
and Broadway, chairman building com¬
mittee, contemplates the erection of a
R, R, Y, M, C. A, building here to cost
about $68,000, No architect selected.
WAYLAND, N, Y,—St. Paul's Evangeli¬
cal Church, Rev. Nohren, pastor, contem¬
plates the erection of a church in Laclta-
wanna st, to cost $15,000 to $18,000. No
architect retained.
Why Bids Sometimes Vary Widely.
Owners often wonder why the figures
of bidders for the same job differ so
widely. An old contractor told one rea¬
son why when he said:
"Owners sometimes employ inexperi¬
enced men to draw their plans, hoping
to save something in fees by doing so,
Youne architects have the theory of con¬
struction, but have not had much actual
practice. They follow, in writing their
specifications, printed models which usu¬
ally specify extreme qualities and quan¬
tities. The owner contemplates erecting
a building to cost one hundred thousand
dollars, while the specifications demand
a fifty per cent, larger appropriation,
"They specify the very best grade of
everything when oftentimes the second
grade is good enough. They specify im¬
ported materials when American prod¬
ucts are better and cheaper. Bidders
cannot follow such specifications and
hope to get the job. A correct estimate
under such circumstances becomes an
impossibility."
;_„_J
PLANS FIGURING.
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DWELLINGS,
EAST NORWICH, L, I,—Bids will close
July 27 at 12 M,, for a residence here for
Guernsey Curren, Ritz Carlton Hotel,
Madison av and 46th st. Manhattan. Guy
Lowell, 225 5th av, Manhattan, and 12
West st, Boston, Mass,, architect. A, R.
Sargent, care of architect, landscape ar¬
chitect. Cost, about $150,000.
FACTORIES & WAREHOUSES,
TOWN OP CORTL.\ND. N, Y,—The N.
Y. State Armory Commission, Franklin
W, Ward. 174 State st, .Albany, is taking
bids to close July 27 at 4 p, m,, for the
2-sty reinforced concrete storage build¬
ing near Peekskill, to cost about $20,000.
PUBT,IC BUILDINGS.
.ALBANY, N, Y,—The Trustees ot Public
Buildings. Capitol, are taliina bids to close
,Tt 12 M,. Julv 27, for remodeling the State
House in Eagle st, from plans by Lewis
F, Pilcher, Capitol, Cost, about $350,000,
SCHOOLS & COLLEGES,
CALDWELL, N, J,—Bids will close July
30 at 8 p.m,, for a 2-sty brick school on