The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-10-28
DIGGINc DnEr roR so1ID GRoUND.
Obstacles that the Elevated Railroad Co
Meet In Completing Their Road.

The work that remains to be done on the
Third Avenue Elevated Railroad. 10 complete
the connection between Harlem and Sixiy-sev-
enth street. is in progress around the site for
the new depot, that takes w the block between
Nineiy-cglth and Ninety ninth streets on the
west side. Pillars and conncctin. girlors have
been led W to Ninctle'h street. and brought
from Harlem down 70 1884 81 Bc'ween Ninety
eighth and lO3d streets nre a wilderness OF pits
for deep foundations Of pillars. and piles Of
brick. stone. and lumber The pits on either
side 81 the street are So close together sixteen
feet apart-that the m track has been taken up
between Nincty-ninth and l02d streets First
two ear- 70 up. and then two car. down. At
m rnius ANA evening. when many fra ioem"n's
WAGONS arr plying upand down there nre Jams.
Ike Z. hard bottom ran be- reached. They are
opposite the Balls H"Gi Hofci. ho',yeen Tooth
aud lu3l streets Tho hotel h o,i the higll,s 81
point ~ land IN that neEh horhood, aud for
merry the mn ON the eastorly side descended
ahruptXt' "a" marsh. how allied Harlem fiots
earth Was illled IN below the bun. And now
the workmrn find water flowing IN Generally
IL is salt wntrr. Two Non man a hump cln-
sisiing ~ long tin tube " IN hUuil" running
d Yn II. and pump by the hour VIII others at
the bottom o. the excavation ny - deepen 1t.
II a grnN-lly soil Is reached. n roe rows OF
spIles. with three IN each row. are driven ia the
bottom. The splcs arc 80 feet long and are
driven nearly their whole length. On aud
around these spiles concrete and brick are laid
There is n prospect Of establishing a god
foundation, sooner or later in all hut one Of TIC
pits. In this ~ dozen men nave been At work inr
three wcrks. and have descended thirty feet
without finding solid earth StaHings hava
been built. aud ~ ladders connecting them tho
men ascend and descend. IL The brightest day
II - dusky at the bottom. The prii 'irul inn
pedimrut- tp the work ARE two streams Of
water mat run INTO the M from opposite dirrr-
tons. The water l. said o. ho fresh and 20 be-
from springs coming from under the bu1. A
powerful ami complicated steam pump stands
at the mouth IF the ~ and the engineer says
that the foundation 10 10 Toe laid in that hole II
the pump hollis ont.
The railroad track runs within two foot 81
thos" "NcayhtiJns, and the iron EAR step project Is
over the edge. In this and one or two other Pits
work is continued day and night the week
around. At night lanterns are hung on the
tmhers running up and down the Interior.
The greatest nuinucr Of pillars AT one point
on the line ~ the railroad Is to be between
Ninety Eighth and Ninety ninth streets ia 'front.'
support the switches. turntables am side
ira he. The station sets bnek from the avenue
Just 100 feet, % allow room for TIE curves Of the
truck from the road on the avenue u the car
houses in tho station. Tie station If. u course
10 bc elevated as well ~ tn" tracks. The SI0t
chosen Is lcdg" of rocks running from near
Third avenue back - Fourth avenue. By blast
ng on the tops ~ t!ore rocks tho requisite
level, namely. thirty feet from tho Ihirl ave
nuc roadway, WAS reached Hud stone procured
for building Wal nearly around the depot rs
tho baso. and already in portions thirty feet
high. On tins the station is to he built OF brick
As far back IN Lexington avenue. that the sta
ton Is 10 -unn at a single arch, the sInce ~ To
Here also, ar" t. be- the main Offices Of the COM
pany. From Lexington 10 Fourth avenue the
storeroonls machine shops, and carpenter
shops are Ia be- situated and all uuder one long
roof. The style Of the odfi,e Is to be umpire
tentiuus. The foundations are TO be completed
this fall. and the supcrsirueturo next summer