The New York herald., 1871-10-07
FUN Description Of the Building-vanderblt
Awake-A Three-Million Monument Com
pleted-The Hackmen's Horror-No Moro
Jehu Jobs-Twenty Police to Watch
Them-Commiszone Smith at
Last Protects the Public,
OUR RAILROAD ARTERIES.

the millions who yearly are in the habit OF patron
izing the great railroad arteries that centre here.
Chicago, ST. Louis Cincinnati, Indianapolis, Boston,
Cleveland and even the little city OF Detroit, In point
oi depot accommodation have long brought
THE BLUSH TO THE CHEEK OF NEW WORKERS
who are in the habit OF travelling far from home 1t
Is to be said with regret, but 1t nevertheless q
truth that tie railway companies IN the past have
been SO intent upon rolling up large dividends that
they have disregarded alike the comfort OF the
travelling public and the fair fame Of the city In FUR
nishing depot accommodation.
But all things must have end, and last we are
likely to the end OF the period OF tumble down,
mustY despots, reeking with filth and vermin.
The patient diLt and powder shock
Win blast an empire or rock
And the graspng railroad directors have at last
succumbed TO the clamor OF disguised public, and
given us
A GREAT UNION DEPOT
shat eclipses anything In that line that the world
has ever seen.
We speak OF the great depot located on q number
OF lots facing East Forty-second street, which on
Aonaay wln be open for the first time to receive
the hurryIng thousands who follow the charge Of the
putting engine across continents,
THROUGH TuNNRLLRD HILLS
and along the course OF the winding streams. This
Immense structure, erected by the Harlem Railroad
as designed for the permanent use OF the Harlem,
New York and New Haven, and the New York Cen
tra ana Hudson River Railroads.
The vast edi1ce covers nearly five acres within Its
walls, and would hold all the people who attended
the Fort Sumter meetings in 1851 II they were
packed In it. The size Of the roof the intricate
gOrgeousness OF the richly worked trusswork the
brilliant eject Of the two Of glass set In the
rOn sashes OF the roof and the thousand other de.
tails combined, put the structure on q level, for
vasrness and grandeur, with any Old World cathe-
dral. In tins depot which is i've feet longer ana
many feet wider than the Great Midland depot In
London, the most perfect system yet seen In Amer
lea VIII be perfected under the charge OF depot
masters who will have charge Of all the details Of
passenger transportation and all terminus work.
Every improvement that the human mind could
suggest and that could be procured by the lavish
outlay OF money has been made available in the new
Union Depot.
The building covers the area from Forty second
street to Forty n1th street and from Fourth avenue
TO new street intervening between the depot and
Madison avenue In 1t there are about one hundred
rooms for different purposes, all Of which win be
handsomely lifted up and heated by steam, with gas
and water Each OF the rooms contains from thirty
i've to liz feet OF vertical tube-heating radiators.
The ornces are fitted up with black walnut oak and
ash woodwork and upholstered furniture. The
depot contains ladies' and gentlemens restaurants
and dining rooms In which food Of the best quality
served d,n In style as good as at DelHonie9 The
which WIN be rented out with nrst clase barbef
shops and hairdressing saloons, bathrooms bar
ladies and gentlemen, and every accommodation
for the thousands OF people who get OF trains while
TneIe Txs3s rs g S sS @ BY any q our three roads,
wAITISd AND DRAWING ROOMS
nued up IN the best fashion. The New York and
New Haven Railroad Company have their Offices on
the Forty second street or south front OF the build
their saem a ne SmRnR, S1dnR
ing the new street, which Is sixty Ieet In width.
rness Las, s whGa Ga extend sss 2
Snaas si s4 II e Esx aSsf
gage department for the Central Railroad.
The car house proper, into which all the trains
wln run and from which they viii depart-lo2 Dtf
Is brilliantly lighted BY twenty-four i'm.
mense sunnghts hanging IRON the cell-
root Of the structure is supported BY sixty-two
heavy wrought iron russes, that add not only to the
sno sooy SG' aso 10 lne DeantS Oh me = Inferior o. me
entirely reproof constructed OF iron, glass, granite
and brick. Cement and concrete are used instead
oil mortar There are two acres or glass In the roof
alone. The yard tracks outside OF the depot Will
have corrugated iron Sheds covering In oil, exclu.
Slve OF area OF building Blk or seven acres OF
ground Some OF them Will be two stories high,
and the upper stories win be used TO contain blan
W,
palace cars. The building is three stories in height
above the ground, making four with the basement
and has peen erected at
A COST OF ABOUT THREE MILLION DOLLARS
The exterior view Is one OF great beauty, the ma
terial being red brick win iron trimmings painted
structure Is topped OF by four small towers and one
larger lower on the Fortysecond street 'front.' that
can be seen down Fourth avenue as far as Union
square, rising up grandly above the pile OF iron,
granite and BRICK that supports it. This edlfce is
A MONUMENT OF COMMODORE vANDERBILT'S WEALTH,
William b. Vanderbllt's fostering care and walch-
fulness and the architectural genius OF J. Is. Shook
sh ors % Se
carpenter, Q. buckhout the engineer, p. O'Brien
and }; ?. Andrews the masons. Inc granite used IS
from Portland Me-. and the blue stone Is from the
East River quarries. The weight OF the iron roof Is
twenty three pounds per square inch, and IL is cal
Culated that the strain on the iron Is not more than
5000 pounds TO the square inch. The allowance for
expansion or contraction by snow, heat or wind is
That the roof viii rise at a certain season Of the year
three inches. To accommodate tins there Is con-
Ing, two feet below The base, winch lets out the
walls or tightens them up. The
SO much for description OF the buidln ng In which
all New Workers take pride.
TnE DIRECTING MIND OF TIE DEPOT
Is superlnlendment m Toqeey, OF The hudson % RIVE, River
Railroad, who has the entire supervision OF the
building Its empioyes and all the roads as far as
the junction at Mott Haven, In addition 70 his duties
General superintendent OF the Hudson River
Railroad. Associated with Mr. Toucey as depot
masters are ]. b. Morford and Joseph Franklin who
wall alternate In the supervision OF the mammoth
building and the direction OF the trains.
Under these gent emen will be small army Of
employees. Everything IN the depot VIII be under as
perfect system as that which governs the English
or Continental railway stations.
THE MOVEMENTS OF ALL THE SWITCHES
on all the three roads will be IN charge OF the depot
master, VINO VIII have number OF telegraph opera
tors under him 10 make the signals. Ali trains on
their arrival at the junction OF the New York Central
with the New York and Harlem Railroad ON the
north sine OF the Harlem River, at Mott Haven viii
notify The depot master at Forty y-second street OF
their arrival al the Harlem River II the tracks are
occupied IN the depot the master will then switch
the trains 70 give room In he depot for those com.
Ing In. This DoIilcation from the Harlem River
Will give him twenty minutes time 70 prepare for
the reception OF The incoming trains. This viii be
done by series OF little steel keys aflxed to the
outer side OF the rail-. which, when the key is de-
pressed by the wheels OF the train, Will connect the
battery al the depot
The arrangements are so complete that the depot
master wlu be enabled from the depot to
CONTROL THE ENTIRE ONE HUNDRED AND TWO
TRAINS,