The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1897-10-07

BOSTONS NEW SUBWAY INCLINE IN THE PUB
Lie GARDEN.
as most of the trolley lines make it their
terminus and, the subway being four
tracked, they disgorge their passengers
and take the back track up town.
Including the inclines or open cuts, the
subway has total length of l a miles and
will contain about five miles of track. At
present the branch down Boylston street
along the Common side and the main line
down fremont to Park street are in oper-
alton. The Shawmut avenue branch and
tho northerly end of the main line will be
finished within the next eight months.
Ground was broken for the subway in
April, 1896. The sum appropriated was
81, 900, 600 and, wonderful to relate, the
transit commissioners say that it is proba-
BILE the cost will be about 81, 900, 600 less
than that sum.
No great difficulties have been encoun-
tered thus far in digging this big hole in
the ground. OF course there were count
less sewers water pipes, gas pipes, electric
wire conduits and the like and some 40
inch water mains at an inconvenient level
proved rather hard to handle, but no un-
expected conditions arose to delay the
work. The main trunk of the subway
runs under the wide walk or mall on the
F., east side of the Common, and when the
excavations were being made the bones Of
hundreds of old Puritans We're disturbed.
This raised howl of righteous indigna-
| tion, and the sacredness of the long forgot
burying ground was harpcd upon for
| weeks. But the commissioners quieted
the reyerent patriots by collecting all tho
bones and reinterring them in the holy
ground of the Common, with nice monu-
ment to mark tho spot.
The deepest point Of the subway Is on
Boylston street. where the south bound
tracks arc laid 80 feet below the surface,
but the average depth is Ia feet. The tun-
mel itself is giant bore with ribs of steel
and castings of cement, asphalt, concrete
and masonry. The roof is series of
arches and the floor Is concaye, with
drains at the bottom. AS the drains are
below the level of the sewers, pits have
been established at intervals, and when
they are filed with water automatic cleo
trical pumps are started, which empty
them into the sewers above.
Perhaps you imagine that Boston's sub
way is dark, damp, i'll smelling place, 1t
Is nothing of the sort. The entrances to
the stations are handsome structures of
stone, with glass roofs. The only fault to
Dc 1ound WIN them is Jnat they remind
you of an old Grecian tomb-at least that
Is what thought Of the first time saw
one. But then you go down an easy flight
of wide stone steps to cheerful, brilliant
| ly lighted station. Everything is dazzling
ly white. The bricks lining the entrance
are of glazed white porcelain, the mason
ry arches are painted white and the iron
pillars and supports are covered with i'm
maculate white enamel, Incandescent and
arc lights fash everywhere, and the vista
ahead through the stretches of the subway
Is far from q dingy one, 1t is about the
eleanest and neatest hole in the ground in
existence and no doubt will be kept so.
Already the traffic on fremont and Boyl-
ston streets has been much decreased, and
when the subway is fully completed Bos-
ton folk may get about their town with
comparative ease and safety.
| ALFRED h. RoWLEY.