The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-09-09

~VsuA
shin Cnn.i-It. Bridge ..a Gisne Draw
One of the great works which is now III
progress is Of particular Importance to Harlem
This is the building Of the new elevated via
duct which is to carry the four tracks of The
New York Central and Hudson River Railroad
and Of the other Vanderbilt railroads that leave
the Grand Central Depot, over the streets In
stead OF under them, from 111th street north
TO the Harlem River and some distance beyond
It. This elevation Of the road is for the purpose OF
reaching the height above tide water in the
Harlem which Ia required by the United States
law authorizing the Harlem shlp, canal, and the
purpose of that part Of the, law IL TO make the
river and canal Of greater, use than 1t would
the Harlem high enough up and,vith head room
under them, so that ordinary craft may pass
Without waiting for the opening OF draws.
four feet OF space between mean high water
and the bottom of the bridge.
should be raised seventeen feet above their old
position where they reach the bridge. The
% 1S1ssf in Rsrs 81 the FEATURES psw way II Wi Win Pc consist ons st AZ i.
most entirely Of a big swing draw 400 feet long.
This dra Tgs viii nrs be g Sne &c, OF ~ ne e,s biggest wS, IN sns
tracks. That Of the baltimore and Ohio across
only onf n a Single f tracE T. and md the fse New eSny FORK %pR' and df Long
Branch draw which crosses the Raritan from
the new Harlem bridge draw will be, but II
carries only two tracks. The Harlem draw will
have four tracks upon II. and will, Of course, be
safety even II there should be heavy trains
on all of Its tracks at the same moment.
5000 tons OF iron and steel. and the greater part
OF this will be in the draw alone. II is to be
o. Much Of the material for the superstructure
is already manufactnred. and work Is about 70
pivot pf otf pier and abutments in a fortnight. eH'
II will be easy work, the engineers say. TO get
a foundation for the northern abutment. for the
bed rock comes almost to the surface on that
side OF the river, and II will be found not moro
than twenty feet down on the other side, but in
Here It is estimated that the rock is about eighty
feet below the surface. The pier is to be sixty
s sfes out On di ,he @ud e an na' laying sSRi The ae w sGifd Of .t dis,
carried on as was that Of making foundations
merged c%aissons. like q diving bell or inverted
tumbler, from which the water will be expelled
The bridge alone will cost about 1928. 900, and
the whole cost OF the Improvement will be about
will pay about $500 One might wonder at
6 fl5st thsS S y Thy 81 The sS Stt S, should u Pay any n of the he
Years age, when The people as well as the rail
face. the city paid half the cost of making the
tunnel and cut that got them out OF the way.
As soon as the recent law was passed by Con-
the railroad people began planning to meet It's
needs. For their own purposes 1t would have
street 70 begin a grade that would enable them
to reach the required height. Harlem had. how
eyer z watchfal eye upon the whole project.
cred a great gain had become an eyesore. A
committee OF ~citizens. headed by Postmaster
have il filled up. This brought about an asree.
ment to raise the tracks and for the city 70 pay
with the agreement was passed. It was then
understood that the solid viaduct was TO remain
50 that from nth street nset 'i North 0t IN
structure will be- OF open steel, like that Of the
roads, only heavier and wider.
the old days after the tracks we're lowered diiethh
street was raised about II or IA feet TO carry IL
Begins s" on each ti1I side aes Madison sdf%s and aGr Lesin salsS
avenues. Since that time many handsome
street, and 1t would be enormously expensive TO
restore IL to the old grade. Now TO carry the
RfSds siS az so f fever tn te'i the nu mP:, AND Which, 9ai9 1ss s1 the
neers OF the railroad will not exceed, Il carries
the new work back TO Tooth street.
IS well under way, and travellers upon the road
have watched It with great interest. This work
being built by the Elmira Bridge Company. and
he other by the New Jersey, Steel and Iron
his work have seen big holes cut into the re-
aiming walls OF the cut, solid foundations for
3p6n sb pat IN Al 1nd Of h sSis w sssn .s s.Hsl p Pidiisrs rise
nut recently big double wooden trusses have
been thrown across the cut from pillar TO pillar.
As the whole structure Is 10 be Of steel, the pur-
Dose OF these trusses was not clearly apparent.
These great trusses are expensive, and are
II 500, 900 or more, which has been or Will have
o be spent In temporary works 10 enable the
Interruption while at the same time the nsw
Is built. The first part OF this tempo
airy : work wa, Was begun about eighteen months
'uilt. To avoid curves at either end OF the new
ridge 1t was necessary 70 build II where the old
OF the old one, tracks were swung
round to this. and then the old bridge was
When the bridge is done this one will be pulled
p. The big wooden trusses are TO answer
The new street roadbed will be SIS feet wids.
! will rest upon three rows of pillars, and DO
arried upon longitudinal trusses resting upon
ide Of the cut are the outside rows Tba
entire girdeE and half the weight Of the whole
bird, row OF pillars, which arc 70 have their
in the middle OF the present road
I pare th hns5s no ls a HSi s III i RSs % Of I mem 10 70
rains are actually running overhead and
he present tracks are torn up; The wooden
all finished otherwise the foundations for The
aised. Space enough is left between the pairs
I wodaeh trasses 70 put these pillars into, so
nat the load can be transferred directly TO
'ooden trusses win be removed. the cut filled
2 with earth 70 the street level and paved. and
IArlem Will have another broad avenue.
Eighteen thousand tons OF steel will 20 into
le viAduct from Tooth street 10 the bridIe.
reat changes will be made At the l25th street
alton, and the new city growing up around
leLe will have accommodations equal 10 it
eeds for many years.
The station proper will be At the southeast
lrnero OF l26th street and Fourth avenue. Here
III be steam elevators TO take passengers from
street TO the waiting rooms. and from IL will
tend a covered bridge over all the four tracks.
LalrWays Will lead down from this bridge 10
along each track. These platforms
III each be $50 feet long and reach from 10Th
rect 70 l24th street There will DO stairwaYa
z exits at each OF the three streets. |
Above the Harlem Is still more work 70 h Z
The Mott Haven depot has already been
owed back hfty feet 70 make room, and an els-
lted steel roadway that will use up about 6.OOO Z
OF metal will be built TO carry the four I
AcAs 10 about l4Oth street. From there the !
~ road bed will be on solid Ground bnt :
order 20 meet the elevated structure the !
i+Oth street and grade down for y
lmOer OF blocks This last work will h r
me In the manner In which the PennsvlvSe Z
a road has recently raised It's tracks through I
z city Of EliLabeth. This y as done by RAISING :
~ tracks at urst upon timber trr.Ga vvorL 4