TUNNELS AND SUBWAYS. In accordance with the personal suggestion of the Postmaster-General, particular inquiry was made to ascertain if it would be feasible to use tunnels and subways already existing, or to be constructed by municipalities for passenger or freight traffic, so as to reduce the expense of installing pneumatic tubes in the future. It appears, however, that there is little if any opportunity for action in this direction in any of the cities. In Boston the tubes are already laid in the sections where the passenger subways are built. In New York, where it appeared most probable that such opportunities could be found, it was learned from the public service commission that the only pipe gallery existing is a short one in connection with the Delancey Street Bridge. This would not fit in with any present scheme of pneumatictube extension. It is understood that there is a possibility in New York of laying tubes in the arches of the present passenger subways, but this would be subject to the consent of the Interborough Rapid Transit Company (the operating company) and the approval of the municipal board of estimate and apportionment, and no doubt the Interborough Company would expect adequate compensation. In this connection it must be remembered that the difficulty of laying tubes and subsequently of repairing them would be extremely great in view of the almost constant traffic through the tunnels, leaving very few and very short intervals even at night or on Sundays for work of this character. DOCUMENTS, PAPERS, ETC. Accompanying this report we transmit all papers in any way essential for further consideration of the subject, these including detailed statements of postal statistics for each of the cities, testimony from persons having useful information, the responses from the mayors of the municipalities affected, and the responses from the pneumatictube companies. Respectfully submitted. SUBCOMMITTEE. JOSEPH STEWART, V. J. BRADLEY, Second Assistant Postmaster-General, Chairman. Superintendent Railway Mail Service. Assistant Superintendent, Division of Salaries and Allowances. J. M. MASTEN, Assistant Superintendent Railway Mail Service. |