New-York tribune., 1884-01-26
~ ALMOST FORGOTTEN Tunnel.
APPEARANCE or THE EXCAVATION WHERE TIL
PNEUMATIC CARS WERE TRIED.

|
TNErMATC CARS WERE TRIED.
"The underground rapid transit OF pneumatic
tunnel which has its first station at my vaults, will be
open 10 the public foe of charge from 10 to D. m
So reads the invitation the backs Of the business cards
OF Broadway firm, Of which fell into the hands Of a
IRIBrNE reporter He accepted the invitation and made
q visit to what was once the famous Beach Pneumatic
Railway. the opening Of which February &c 1870,
the occasion Of an "Under Broadway Reccption' given
by special Invitation 70 the State authorities city officials
and members OF the press, created such great sur
PRISE and widespread enthusiasm, and displayed in
cessf operation the first underground railway In Amer-
ca On that occasion oil the prominent peT,onages
OF the city aud State present, and the inspection OF
the works great satisfaction The problem oi uI-
nelng Broadway solved. Day after day for several
months in the winter OF 1s697O carloads OF earth had
been removed from the of building in Chnrch-t
IT attracted attention The generally wide-awake re
porter passed hy and asked no questions. He took IL for
granted that excavation being made for vault, and
the item not worth Uar- graph One day u reached
the ears Of Oakley Hail, then Mayor OF the city, that
Broadway was bein secretly tunneed and that at any
moment the street II ght cave IN. The excited MayOr
hastened an investigation but be only IN dine 20 dis
the completion of the experimental section OF the
pneumatic railway, and In fcw days he received in
vitaOp to VISIT the work in his Official capacity lie
amazed 70 learn that TIE work had been done m-
der direction oil the engineers OF tie Croton
Aqueduct IN tccd Of finding dirty hole the ground
as they had expected, the visitors U-hercd into
handsome suoteralcan avenue The portal 81 te funu"
was JAZZ eilc. ornamental structure OF ciIcGil ,J.m
nine feet u diameter IFS bed being twoutyon-I! !-i-iaif
feet below he surface OF BUadw Y. Curyuz easily 20
the ri- hi and taking U course down Broadway laucc
Of 200 feet the tunnel proper cylindrical tube o ht
feet in the clear bIiciaod 9ud w.iteNa-hel neat clean,
dry ana quiet Along tle bottom Of ma, tube la.d
railway rack aud aou- uI.s track ran spacious cir.
richly u,loi,t rcd well .hteI with plenty OF space for
entrance au3 exit II seated c.-lieou per-ous. The
whole crnr comfort. hle and cosy as tie
inst basement dlaucroono OF hrsic.-S city rsdeucc
Ladies o. tie Union Homc fog Orphans OF so'-
'dcr- oul sailor, were in pos-e.- ~ t'e doors
and received le proce Of .l admission o % cents
Thousand. N people TO tAc wonderful Eoe iu
The ground aud To ride ia t4c -t5teTanetn The
driven way ry the pressure OF the air Rom
blower worked by en- ines OF 100 horsepower,
which blower clpab', OF dt'ivornz mo 30, tunnel
100000 cubic ie o' air pc min lte. IT, raurn
comp,hcd hy reversing tae motion Of tie blower tius
creating vacuum, the entrance MO which of The air
from the other u of the tube forced the along I'll
great speed For six cents passengers could ride the
round "Trip OF 100 feet AMI get yelowbacked prospectus
oi the road The pgppc tus stated ht th. road would
whcn completed, extend from the Battery To Harlem
River. aud That tIe to DE- 100 i-ct leuctb
TIE large Underground apartment, l2O feet in leunh
and oc upy ing q entire space under the dewd4, which
Thirteen year, a-O wa o handsomely flttod and
conmodous, comfortable au3 airy vaitiue-room s used
casks. The tiHc nachiuev was removed years AGO
Quarter casks half h the tunnel ling progress dan
ecrous and difficult The tli,c Fi- o. tLe track are
eaten viii rst. and the elegant car H. aIamcd
aeHhst me 81 OF lhe ube robbed Gy time ol is fur
ui.'G2 and Ur!trs rln-, he cushioned h1rc arl
broken ani tle lU-ty wheels displaying tci, unv-o,
fange- through the open crack, tlc Eour. y cease
less roar OF Broadway sounds Ike mnAlcd Niagara -
tie distance, and Panty crowns the solemn echo OF u
human voice within o.. ir ctcd walls One hundred
thousand dollars lie buried iAcTe WaiJu. pci oT- to be
eAhulntd IL the construction of Smiths Underground
Railroad Oh CJuu.ueham'- Arcade.
Alfred +. Beach, tic orct0r OF tls scheme for
pneumatic transit approached yesterday the sub
ic;t. lie had little to say The elevated road Gac con-
vLccd Ain against Lii will tlGt tic problem Of rapid
transit IN New York had been solved.