of the single tunnel with narrow-gauge cars would not be satisfactory, and a second tunnel, parallel to the first, was undertaken. He also became convinced that no tunnels under the Hudson river would be satisfactory unless a system was provided by which the people could be landed into the downtown district of New York as well as the uptown district. With this in mind, a new tunnel system was planned to extend from Hoboken, through the Erie and Pennsylvania railroad stations in Jersey City, thence crossing the Hudson river to a terminal station at Cortlandt and Church streets, New York, and it was also planned to extend the uptown tunnels from Ninth avenue and Christopher street to Sixth avenue and Thirty-third street, also from Ninth street and Sixth avenue to a connection with the Subway at Fourth avenue. In 1903 Mr. McAdoo organized a company to build the downtown tunnels, and entered into an arrangement with the Pennsylvania Railroad Company, negotiations having been conducted with Mr. A. J. Cassatt, for terminal facilities in Jersey City and for the Pennsylvania Railroad Company's co-operation; without which the downtown section could not have been constructed. Since that time an extension from Thirty-third street and Sixth avenue to the Grand Central station has been planned and a franchise therefor has been obtained.
Upon the organization of the first company in 1902, W. G. McAdoo was elected President, Walter G. Oakman, then President of the Guaranty Trust Company, was elected Vice-President, and Charles M. Jacobs was elected as Chief Engineer. In 1905 the firm of Harvey Fisk & Sons became interested in the project through the instrumentality of Mr. Walter G. Oakman. The uptown and downtown tunnel companies as well as those incorporated in New Jersey, as required by law, were consolidated into the present Hudson and Manhattan Railroad Company on December 1, 1906, Mr. McAdoo having been President of all the tunnel companies from the beginning.
Mr. Charles M. Jacobs has been chief engineer of construction from the beginning, and Mr. J. V. Davies, his partner, has been deputy chief engineer.
The men upon whom has chiefly rested the responsibility for the enterprise are Pliny Fisk and Wilbur C. Fisk (now Vice-President of the Hudson & Manhattan Railroad Company) both members of the firm of Harvey Fisk & Sons, bankers; Mr. Walter G. Oakman, President of the Hudson Companies, which constructed a portion of the tunnels but is now more of a holding and financing company; Mr. William M. Barnum, until recently a member of the firm of Harvey Fisk & Sons, and William G. McAdoo, President of the Hudson & Manhattan Railroad Company.
On the engineering staff Mr. Charles M. Jacobs is Chief Engineer, Mr. J. V. Davies, Deputy Chief Engineer, Mr. L. B. Stillwell, Consulting Electrical Engineer; Mr. Hugh Hazelton, Electrical Engineer, and Mr. John Van Vleck, Mechanical Engineer. It is almost impossible to conceive of the difficulties of this
