the plan proposed by norman sper to resolve traffic problems in manhattan would have changed the big apple as we know it: ‘plug up the hudson river at both ends of manhattan . . . divert that body of water into the harlem river so that it might flow out into the east river and down to the atlantic ocean . . . pump out the water from the area of the hudson which has been dammed off … fill in that space . . . ultimately connecting the island of manhattan with the mainland of new jersey . . . and you have the world’s eighth wonder—the reconstruction of manhattan!’ read the complete article orginally published in 1934 by alfred albelli via modern mechanix