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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 imnniniiimmininininimlniliimLllllim 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. iiunmnnniii......iiiiiiiiinnlnlllKlnririnulim.....intniiigiiriiliiTi^riiiinrtniii^iniitirimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiin 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