The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-04-01
RAPID TRANSIT.
MAKING THE IRON COLUMNS FOB THE GILBERT
ELEVATED RoAD-THE WAX srATIoSs-AN

MAKING THE IRON COLUMNS FOE THE GILBERT
/. OPTICAL DELusIoN.
A visit 10 the foundry Of Messra J. b. j. n. Cor
nell showed somewhat over one thousand mon
gagged in the various mechanical operations necessary
10 furnish the cast iron work the stations Of the
Gilbert Elevated road. The works cover OF
moro Than six acres extending from Twenty-ffth
to Twenty seventh street and from Tenth to
the North River. Mr. J. n. Cornell. Jr, kindly ex-
planned the OF the labor saving machines and
mechanical contrivances in operation on the
premises. The fitting shop fronts on the North
River, and has It's private dock, where pig
and wrought iron for the road Is disembarked.
The foundry separated from the fitting establish
mont by the breadth of s street. In both hives Of
Industry tho workmen occupied are moulders,
smiths, pattern makers and filters. The operations
OF curving the iron the pillar heads punching for
bolts rivetng. planning, cutting ana assembling the
pillars were shown IN all their details hydraulic
press having about hrty tons power pressure, curved
the red hot side plates OF the pillars Tor Inc New
York road with much ease as man would TWIST
q piece OF paper round his finger The immense
power OF the steam punches sent the steel
points easily through thick bars OF iron
Stout sheet ike ribbon and eacn OF sew
eral riveting machines at work were said 10 DO
capable OF driving 1000 rivets day. fhey are
now run night day. The furnaces two cupoias),
with their twenty five steam cranes and capacity Tor
ing the for the graceful lattice work, scrolls,
mouluings and such Ike ornaments, with wncn IL IS
determined 10 adJrn The way stations along tho ina
WAY STATIONS.
Tho fourteen stations on the Gilbert are Rector
street, Cortandt street, Park place Chambers street,
Franklin street, Grand street, beecker street, clinton
place and ccrson Market Fourteenth street, Twenty
th,rd street, Forty-second street, Fifteen street
ana FiIty-eightn street. AS the road progresses up
Ninth avenue 10 10th street stations VIII be located
Ut convenient distances Mr. Cropsey who has charge
OF the WORK OF designing constructing the
hou b
OF dmeusions These are The stations al Fourteenth,
Ywenly-,hird, Forty second, FIFTEEN and Finy-
eighth streets. These are 10 nave frontage OF
1873 IeeL Each station Is double structure, one on
either side OF the road corresponding e tue up and
down lines The interior OF both the ladies' and
sas.eiuliy furnished and finished throughout,
Of decoration. An ornamental ventilator springs
from the coming IN each room. The exterior OF each
station Is 10 be- oruameneu with IRON piiasters aud
decorated panels OF the metal. The stations can
be approached either side OF the limo ny covered
aud ornamented with appropriately designed panel
work. Inc depot pavilion has depth OF eight ieei,
and affords pleasant omenade In front Of the track
Tor passengers. The general style OF the exterior OF
the buildings with tneir many gables vcotiiatOrs,
finals, &C., might DO properly cassed as mouihca-
ton oi The Renaissance aud Gothic styles OF arch-
lecture, presenting somewhat the appearance OF u
Swiss villa. Mr.. Cropsey contcmplates such an
artistic bending OF colors as promises TO be highly
attractive the glass ventliators are to be
ia var,egated coors, and the ornamental bay
windows in the waiting rooms afford
ylsw OF the street below The heating apparatus
Will be arranged in artistic manner, 80 as to mar
as little as. possible the appearance OF the place.
Every station house is to DO constructed on different
architectural plan, but following general RESENT
bancc TO The otnera When large surfaces arc 10 be
painted coors oil retiring shades will DO used IN order
that the effect may be agreeable. The entrance 70 the
platform Is through passagoway ten feet wide. Inc
rain water will be carried of by copper cutters TO
leaders comm uuicating with the sewers. The sup
ports and approaches have been arranged IN such
manner To insure security, strength, stability aud
facility OF ingross and egrcss.
TIE APPROXIMATE COST.
Mr.. J. Foster Croweli aud Mr. Powell gave some In
tersstng information touching The weight ana guam
thy OF iron work needed rho weight OF columns,
trusses beams, orders and such like in the super
structures supporting the edilces and platforms Of
the stations alone VIII pc equal about sky
each double station house. Or nearly 80 tons Tor the
whole OF them The iouitee double statons will cost
between $500, 900 and $5OO,0
Tue cars are beng Quilt py Pullman, aud the loco
motives 70 be the most approved OF their GLASS; ar
ranged 10 run Dotn ways wIthous the use OF turn
table. The trains will DO timed aod started by tcle-
graph. Tne telegraph wires are 10 be snugy carried
along the track by u new system Of suppor,s
The r St section OF the Sixth avenue road TO be
opened to the pubic by The mddie OF May.
DECEPTIVE COLUMNS
To the ordinary passer by the columns along the
line OF the Gilbert Elevated Ral.rvad from Vesey
street down toward the Battery tuey are stand
ing alone or supporting the longitudinal aud cross
Orders which support The roadway, seem somewhat
out OF their proper perpendicular than would
they ought 10 be. In many cases. near the top,
the columns where tue longitudinal cross grdeis
are, seem 10 be somewhat bent by the slranS From
vcsey street oown church and New Cnurch streets
past Futon anu DEFY 10 Cortanut, tho columns on
each found 10 be standing inclined IA Various
directions IRON the perpendicular winch they Will
hnally occupy. On the north corners OF Cortlandt
tie coiuulns supporting single cross Girdvr which
Joined them and which The longitudinal girders
winch will span Cortandt street hal rot been bolted
leaned out OF Their proper perpendicular northward
in The direction OF the roal. from Cortandt down
past Liberty, along New Cnurch street, where both
longitudinal aud cross Orders are up, the columns
seemed be i1clncd sir nifty dincreni difecuons
ioiiowing tue strains brought TO bear upon shem.
THE REASONS
Mr. Brown secretary VI The road, detailed one OF
the assistant engineers 10 accompany the writer aons
part oi the road 10 II any OF tue columns had
ict the strains perceptoie manner, anc 10 cx
plan the cause oil the deviation from pcrpcndicuar
position OF the columns where the girder5 up
where the cross ones ouy have been placed
position. IL found that though the writer cluug
his IDEA oil the columns supporting the girdors
beng IN lev cases vent sighty out vi their rec.-
linear position by tho strain, tho cnsct Ia
tho majority oil cases was produced oy
The perspccl We. aud as 10 their perpend cuIarity
to the SIDEWALKS. the grades vi the Two latter AID Of
Church street itaeif Is SO varying that, unless
after careful examination, u is dlicuit to Juagc
whether the columns stand Ia IL cir proper positions.
Tue oil Their curvature may be given u certain
oy the irregular burr" Is called IN roll
my mill parlance, which u tue long udiua ldngts
the columns. The iact OF the columns where they
are standing alone or are supporting cross girdcrs
alone being out OF the perpendicular position they
Will nuuy occupy, ~ explained ~ the fact that the
columns not permanently fixed In The foundation
sockets into when they set untIl the whole oil tho
supe. structure - IN place Al present they have
what Is known BALL bearing IN their sockets, aud
are Tree work that they Ue ADJUSTED 10 the
position opposite tue bot holes the Orders
by which the system ~ TO DO joined. Wuen the sruc-
turc ~ finally brought into place and the relative
positions secured which Its component parts are IN.
tended to occupy The columns Will be nrmy secured
Ia their sockets anu square bearing formed Dy n
packing OF iron rust anu nngs, winch becomes rs
hard IA stone, being packed tigbt ~ tue space
open between tue columns and the sides the
sockets IN winch they set
SOIITH CATALINA