The sun., 1873-07-23
AGREAT RAILROADS. WORK
BUILDING A CITY ON THE MEADOWS
OF NEW JERSEY.
Civilization In the Old Haunts OF Highway
men Worthless Territory made valuable
The Extensive Workshops of the Penn
sytvania Company.

mrn-M Worthless Territory made Nnlunb'e
Tho Extensive Workshops Of the Penn
ryIvania Company.
About year ago the Pennsylvania Rail-
road Company purchased from tho late Samuel
~ Pike, of opera house fame, one hundred
acres of the meadows" within four miles Of
Jersey City. About eighty or ninety years ago
this land was covered with pines and cedars and
infested by robbers who prcycd upon the travel
lers between New York and Newark Many
Old Jcrsoyman who was Jogging along through
hose dense woods at that time was waylad and
robbed, and not few were murdered At
length the robbers became numerous and so
bold that tho Legislature Of New Jersey resolved
to drive them away, or at least give them no
hiding place there, and ordered that the forest
bc fred The order executed, the outlaws
-uught other rendezvous, and nothing remained
but the blackcned stumps of the great trees
that once made the spot So picturesque. A few
Years afterwaid the grounds began to SETTLE the
salt water from the ocean backed up, and the
oldest inhabitants bade good-by to the land
Last August "A small army Of men went out to
that portion Of the meadows owned bv the
Pennsylvania Railroad Company, and began 10
drive piles. The natives wondered what the
mischief the chaps were doing. The inevi-
table small boy was around, and To him the aged
ones were indebted for solution of the prob
lem. "That boy my boy" said an old JcrScy-
man, with conscious pride, to II SrN rcporter
yesterday, "Walbcd into the ringoadcr like
man, and says he, what's upY Inc man was
iindcr mad. hut when he looked at that h0y's
face-my boys fare, bless him lac says says
he, My little man, keep your eyes open. aud il
few months yOu'il see the guldarncdcst lot uf
ALFRED buIld.ugs you ever seed, and this 'cro
railroad will bc the boss Of them
THE FInsT CRUST OF SAND.
The worknen went on with their work drlv-
Ing test plos. They reached the nrst crust OF
thick sand after driving about htten feet.
Then they asccrtlned that four OF thcsc piles
would bear about ninety-nNe tons. and they
were encouraged Mr.. Pike had found snne;,
much to improve them, ard the railroad com,
pany were satisfied That they could do still
better. Track were laid ON "cribhns," or old
ties, and material for the use Of the workmcn
was brought close To hand. About hftS or sixty
iect from the hrt crust Of thick sand another
hard cru.i,w found. u became necessary, now,
ever, to drive some of the piles one hundred ana
ten feet There was much diii"ultyin removing
the stumps of the trees thht once studded lhe
land, ana while tackllng these relics Of the
oldcn time many son of the old sod uounicrcd
In real, genuine JCr.Cj mud. They sail II Wis
a bog that beat the bog, uf their boyhuod, and
few doubted tucm. stone Was brought from
Trenton, and the foundation Of an immense
builet erecting and machine shop, was laid on
the pile, which were capped ~ l2Nl: yellow
pine, with planhng On top. The stone work
was built Ave feet high, and the building of the
brick walls was lcsun. The natives wondered
at what they called the audlcity ol the rairoad
company. and the passengers over the road
opened their eyes IN astoni-hmenl. Many pre-
dlctcd that the building would sink through tn
some undiscovered country, and Others winked
and said that China would soon claim It as IT.
own. A. the worknen proceeded ami the build
ings began to loom UP the interest grew deeper,
and
"wnAr Is rY"
"what docs all this mean" was frequently
asked 10y the curious travellers us they were
whirled through the meadows. Mr. Martin l..
Lum, a quiet unassuning youns man, only ~
years Of age. who had done some good work IN
the construction "f the Northern Pacific Rail
and MIR. Gcorge " Barker, Superintendent of
the New York division Of the road, and Mr.
George ID. Howell. principal assistant engineer
of the eastern end of tue road took lively iu-
terest in the work Mr.. Lum was given four
engineers and hve assistants, IA small frame
house for atymporary office was erected near
thg track; and brains had command.
Yesterday a representative OF IHE Sun, with
Su erintendeut Barker and Engineers Luln and
Howell, went over the grounds. The boiler,
bnildinr. smxl,5 fcet. which is in three paris.
The building is thirtN-hve feet IN height, and is
surmOunted by lantern or Neutilator running
the full length of the roof. There are ten tracks
running into the building, seven Of them Laid in
the road are to bc built. The other three tracks
are laid In the boiler shop. 80 ne of the most
valuable machinery used In the trade ts to be
put up in these shops The building will have a
handsome slate roof, and when completed will
be all ornament To the region
TIE ROUND HOUSE.
At the extreme west end Of the works Is the
round house, which i In "a fair way of compile
tinn. II Is one of tho largest buildings Of its
in diameter and capable Of holding fprty-hye
iocomotivcs The outside walls are twenty.
i ahout forty feet from the nooring. 1his
building j. also to have a slate roof surnountcd
each track "a, Vel a. for the wls. There are
three entrances. Tho brick for all the buildings
was brought from south river, n. j., and IN,
sand ana gravel Tor nliug nom tract Of hitrer
acres purchased 10y the com any near EiSt
Newark cNpr,ssli for the purpose for which II
l. used.
Near the southeast corner q the property is
the blacksmith stop. This building Is lbXEA
feet, ana hu- three spans. ihe rrntr. span rises
to an elevation ot about thirty-nye feet, and l.
about twelve feet hehcr than the other, Thert
are three venilitors running the length Of th'
building. Inside there are three large hammers
whose foundations were built ou oak piles driver
loo feet into the erouni. There are To- he fort
fires and four large furnace: Lake the othrr-
this building has "a slate roof, ana at u distance
is very imposing
\ sTuPESDoUs cHlMNEY.
on the north Of the erecting, boiler, and ma
chino shops Is the plai,ng mill brick buildinl
through the centre, with planes on each side
The building has a slate roof and a vcntlato
the locomotives and cars Is 10 he planed here
Near this building Is the stationary engine hous'
The engine Is Of three hundred horse powe
There are six boilers, eighteen feet long and nv
feet in diameter. The main fue TO the stack
iiues two feet in diameter The stack. which
shaped like star, and was hut recently beguI
pressed brick and the inside of fire brick. Ther
TO tor II re t. on masonry built on 20 oa
piles driven 10 feet into the ground, and "a sim
sylyania. There is none other like II in tins pa
Of the country.
West of the stationary engine house Is what
called dryer" built Of brick, i0x,D, and thi
ty-hve feet in height. Here Is where the lun
beT will be placed To dry lumber shed, all
Of brick, DlNlt0 feet, has been erected west
the planning mill.
THE TRANSFER TABLE.
On the east OF the planning mill and erectif
shop is the transfer table. This Is the most us
ful and Interesting Of all the new improv
ments. 1t Is four hundred and eighty feet
length and sixty in width, surrounded by
stone wall nye feet high. There Ia a track eros
ing IL at each end. table with single ira,
capable Of holding q car and locomotive rests {
II, on a level with the stone wall. In case a C
Is To he removed from the machine shop to Al
OF the shops II can tie run from the building o
on this table which Is moved by steam, TT
table slides easily along from one end OF th
stone wall to the other, Approaching the sit
walls are twenty-five tracks leading To the d
ferent shops, and II Is necessary only 10 stop Il
table opposite the entrance to the shop whe
the car must be taken, and then the car Is
once hurried into II.
West Of this ID the paint shop used for Il
erecting Of passenger cars, This building is
be 4nxl3i feet, In three spans. Three ventllato