evidenced the seriousness of the attempt, but nothing came of it. In
1872, also by special Act, Cornelius Vanderbilt and others were
incorporated as The New York City Rapid Transit Company, to build an
underground road from the City Hall to connect with the New York &
Harlem Road at 59th Street, with a branch to the tracks of the New
York Central Road. The enterprise was soon abandoned. Numerous
companies were incorporated in the succeeding years under the general
railroad laws, to build underground roads, but without results; among
them the Central Tunnel Railway Company in 1881, The New York & New
Jersey Tunnel Railway Company in 1883, The Terminal Underground
Railway Company in 1886, The Underground Railroad Company of the City
of New York (a consolidation of the last two companies) in 1896, and
The Rapid Transit Underground Railroad Company in 1897.

All attempts to build a road under the early special charter and later
under the general laws having failed, the city secured in 1891 the
passage of the Rapid Transit Act under which, as amended, the subway
has been built. As originally passed it did not provide for municipal
ownership. It provided that a board of five rapid transit railroad
commissioners might adopt routes and general plans for a railroad,
obtain the consents of the local authorities and abutting property
owners, or in lieu of the consents of the property owners the approval
of the Supreme Court; and then, having adopted detail plans for the
construction and operation, might sell at public sale the right to
build and operate the road to a corporation, whose powers and duties
were defined in the Act, for such period of time and on such terms as
they could. The Commissioners prepared plans and obtained the consents
of the local authorities. The property owners refused their consent;
the Supreme Court gave its approval in lieu thereof, but upon inviting
bids the Board of Rapid Transit Railroad Commissioners found no