Waterbury evening Democrat., 1895-05-21
THE BOSTON SUBWAY
MEASURES OF RELIEF FOR A ClTVS coNGESTsD THORouGHFARES.
Underground Transportation by Trolley Cars-A Great Municipal Undertaking. Cost of the Disturbance of Puritan Bones and Puritan Feelings.
rsnecial Correspondence.1

they are geographically, they of all large American cities are the only ones now making extensive municipal improve ments Yet so it is, and in each case the improvement under way is of great impor- tance not only to the city in which it is being made, but also to the world at large, since each partakcs largely of the nature of pioneer work, and much data, certain to be mado the basis for calculations us to similar works elsewhere, will be developed during the period of construction.
 It is true that tho drainage canal at Chi cago is the moro important work of the two, as far as cost, magnitude and rcla- tions with the whole country go, but the subway at Boston is quite as pronounced a step in the march of proEpsSs and possibly the more significant of the two, for, while Chicago, out of regard for the health of her citizens, was forced to do something in order to dispose of her sewerage and to purify tho horrible ditch known as the Chicago river, Boston's move in building subway for tho accommodation of her trolley cars was the result of no greater congestion of street passenger traffic than exists in several other large cities. In New York and Brooklyn particularly, nOtwith standing the elevated railroads there arc as loud cries for relief as there ever have been hero. In Brooklyn tho first prclimi- nary stops for underground relief lavc yet to bo suggested, and in New York, al- though there has been n lot of talk, hun dreds of thousands of dollars have been ex- pended in surveys and plans and moro than once the needed Legislation has been accomplished, nothing of real value has yet been done. Boston, however, has ac tually set about the construction of an un | foreground limo of intramural travel and | to Boston should be awarded tuc credit for this evidence of tho spirit of true prugrCSS. It is not necessary To go into elaborate \ details hero concerning Ihr particulars of I this enterprise. Fortunately for Boston it \ is not aS vet considered necessary to OK | tend tho subway iVtwCcn points far re- moved from each other. Boston Is not u l small city by any means, but owing to its I CompactnCsS thrrr arc no such enormous 4 distances wShin its borders as exist in 1 New York, Chicago, Brooklyn or Philadcl- phia, and the chief need k not, thcroCorc \ cXCrVtiinGly rapid transit over long lines, ! but simply relief from uN, rIrOwuing in the towns unusually En-rnw, crooked ! thuruUghfar,'s This contention iS greatest $ in thv streets cunncCting two important I railroad terminal points, the | ni.m depot, I on CauS.WaY street, whUrU trains arrive l from and ,IvINsrt for down east, - and the
 
 1 way f"r railroad travel |" and from New l York and the: ouih and wr~t. The. C points are nui u,.rh Iuurr than d mile apart, the Union dCpui hVing near the Chari,'S river and the old Colony near the public gar Nlens, which aro separated from histuri, { Boston Common by Charles street.
 | Thc total cast uf this subway, of suih cient dimensions to accommodate foul trolley tracks whCro needed and two else where, has been estimated at S, 0OO, O00 u large sun truly. but insignificant beside ! the S1n, O0O OOO authorized for an under I ground railway on Manhattan Island ant | still smaller compared with the S65, 900,
 900 Ihat has been named as the very small
 est amount for which tho work can be nc 1 oomplishcd Boston was long timo get
 ting ready tu begin her subway, and tn, preliminary work included tho securing O elaborate reports upon the transit facilities { of most of the worlds great cities and tn,
 making of many plans both for depressed
 and elevated roads and for improved sur
 face roads also. Finally last year the need
 cd legislation for the construction of tn
 subway was secured, and the actual work
 in charge of a commission, duly appointe'
 for that purpose, was begun on March 2
 of this year. In the meantime there ha' l been much opposition to tho whole scheme
 
 l to the enabling act IL was originally pro | posed not 10 run tho subway under an | portion of the Common or tho Public gal
 dcns; but, aS at present contemplated, tn
 southern or southwestern terminus is lC | cat"d in B'Nlstnn street, near the Publi l gardens, and for two or three blocks th
 subway will lass beneath tho peoples tw chief ay,Grnunds.
 Owing tO tho fact that tho tracks are [
 be comparatively near tho surface, tll
 subway cannot be tuunclCd so as to Icav ' tho trees and grass undisturbcd, but mu: l be dug as an open ditch, and this noccss l tatcs complete destruction of the beauty
 those parts of tho gardens and the Con
 mon travcrSCd by the work. Natural O there was some indignation when this b, camc known. but tho feeling was great
 modified later when it was explained tn; tho grass and trees and other adornmcn
 can and will be restored eventually an that tho destroyed beauty will again be c
 tablishcd in three four years tim There was q rather general revival of il . l dignatiOn, however. when, along in Il s middle of April, the lahorcrs who wcrc
 work on the excavation in the ComnC
 uncovered Il number of tumbS containiT
 human bones. ThCSo tOmbS were a pa of the Old Central burying ground, whiC
 dates from Puritan times but no ono a 0 pears to Inc now living who has a person
 interest in tho disturbed remains.
 , The subway rails will be B feet belo f tho strcct surface in the deepest portion
 though much less in some places. Tho t,
 of tho roof will bc If feet above tho rail ' Tho distance from tho street to tho stati, platforms will average about l6 fct It Where two tracks aro used the width l. the subway will be 24 feet; where the ! fpnr tracks IS InEfann Of nsipP | masonry arch system of construction, t
 structure will bo of steel imbcddcd in ( mont, with brick arches turned betwc ', steel girders for tho roof. This, it Is [
 lieved, will Dc moro solid and pcrha 5 cheaper than the masonry arch. Tho int rior of the tunnel will be covered with gr u cement and perhaps later with glaz !" brick. It will bo lighted throughout wi v electricity and effectively ventilated. T d city will not operate tho subway, but W , lease its tracks to the trolley companies.
 1. D, MARSHALL.