The Washington weekly post. (Washington, D.C.) 1878-1916, 1899-04-18
RUNS UNDER THE HUB.
Facts About One OF the Greatest Sideways
in the World.

| From LtppincOtts.
| The Boston subway is larger in cross
| section and better lighted than any other
| in the world, and it is the only one which
| contains four tracks side by side. The
| island platforms of concrete in the PARK
| street station are respectively 100 and
! 5000 square feet in area.
| The entire length OF the route under
ground. including short branches, is one
! mile and four-fifths. while there are five
| and two-tenths miles of single track. In
general, where there were four tracks or
| the surface, there are like number in
| the subway; but nearly half the latter
have but two tracks. The two inner
! tracks which come into the northern por-
| tai between the two outer or through
! tracks, connect, for return of cars, by a
! loop about the station in Adams square,
/ or around up through Hanover street
! Scollay square, and down through Corn
hill to the return track in Adams square
| / he cars which come into fremont street
| from Boylstcn return by a loop around
Park street station. These two loops are
nearly midway of the length of the sub
way, out do not come within a thousand
/ Ieet OF edcn other connection being made
/ between them by one track each way in
! The portion Of fremont street between
P3rk street and Scollay square
Inc steepest grade in the subway is
| tlgnt per cent and occurs in the Sub
subway The next greatest is that OF the
| incline al the western entrance in the
I public garden, which is five pei cent.
! There are grades of only three per cent
and less a. other points
Inc SuD-subWay sections are cyIIn-
| ders OF solid concrete and bricks 4
short section next north of Park street Is
| composed Of a pair of tunnels parallel
/ 10 each other and on the 50 me leye!-sach
containing one track, the easterIy one the
track Tor the north-going cars, the other
route
In some passages Of framed structure
containing two tracks. under narrow
streets, the tops Of The side-posts are
Surt0d inward, 10 allow space al the cor
hers near the curbstones for pipes At
several points there was such a tanele
OF these or all sizes from q one-inch gas
pipe 10 Lorty-lnch water main, as would
| nave appalled, an ordinary engineer.
IN the framed portions Of the subway
the walls are generally Of concrete mold,
Cd IN By wooden frames having al every
three teet square steel posts entirely en-
Deuutu Oh The tops Of these rest the
steel beams or the roof which are further
supported in the wide sections nv hug
| IRON Orders resting On square steel nil
! lars placed in one, two, or three rows
| along between the tracks Brick arches.
turned between the beams forr.I th- can
opy OF roof, over which r. sJread Port
land cement or concrete, this being coy
cred IN It's turn by coating OF asohaIt
Tor a watershed. The pillars also are in
cased in cement, and the surface az The
entire interior of the subway is painted
white OF pale green, except az stations.
where the walls are OF enameled bricks.
strung along the roof OF the Boston
subway IN three rows are about fifteen
hundred incaadescent lamps, while near
ly one hundred and seventy-five arc
lamps illumine the five stations making
them as bright as day.
In all parts OF the subway there Is
space 10 walk outside the track with ceep
Tefuge-niches fl the walls al distances Of
about nine feet in the narrower parts. The
latter are the tunnels, which contain bat
single track. and are twelve feet from
wall 10 wall The tWO-track sections have
an average width Of twenty-four feet. and
the four-trSek sections forty-eisht feet
Though the whole length OF the sub
ways runs a thre--inch water piper with
frequent valves and hose. for convenience
IN case car should take FIRE. There i
nothing combustibie in the subway except
the wooden ties on which the rails -ezt
and the insulation OF the trolley wire at
tached 20 the Iron WORK Of the roof. but
at the stations there ara the box ticket
Offices the tuTn-tiles. and the seats Tn.
stations are connected with the surface
BY sixteen flights Of about thirty-f four
easy steps. each fight being fifteen feet
wide. Buildings OF stsEes iron. and glass
cover the stsirwsys, but afford 40 STANG
ing space
Whatever water collects In the subway
runs on through drains beneath the
tracks into dry wells, from which II s.
conveyed into the sewers by rotary
pumps driven by electric motors. Other
motors reyolye huge fans. seven and eight
feet IN diameter. placed III side chambers
along the route. and communicating with
the outer atmosphere. In consequence Of
this good ventilation. the air in the sub
ways Is kept clean. dry. and free from IN
pleasant doors The temperature is al
ways refreshing being pToportionately
cool In summer and warm in winter.