When it was found to be unprofitable it was sold to the city and locked up.

If you have ever been through it you know what condition it is in.

My engineers tell me the walls are leaking, and that there is great danger of a cave-in unless it is very speedily repaired.

I am also told that it will require about four hundred thousand dollars to put it in suitable condition for use.

My theory is that if the North Chicago Street Railway is willing to go to this expense for the sake of solving this bridge-crush problem, and giving the residents of the North Side a sensible and uninterrupted service into the business heart, the city ought to be willing to make us a present of this tunnel for the time being, or at least a long lease at a purely nominal rental." Cowperwood paused to see what Haguenin would say.
The latter was looking at the map gravely, wondering whether it was fair for Cowperwood to make this demand, wondering whether the city should grant it to him without compensation, wondering whether the bridge-traffic problem was as serious as he pointed out, wondering, indeed, whether this whole move was not a clever ruse to obtain something for nothing.
"And what is this ?" he asked, laying a finger on the aforementioned loop.
"That," replied Cowperwood, "is the only method we have been able to figure out of serving the down-town business section and the North Side, and of solving this bridge problem.