The sun., 1900-12-23
PROGRESS OF THE SUBWAY.
rWO rH0rsA,D MEN Ar wORK VOW
tPON sfNTi BIOfkS.


work ON the rapid transit subway IL now
IN ptouess IN sixty blocks, and 1000 men
nro digsing. boring and blasting on tho see
ton, where operations Aro being carried
on This means TINT work on three Of ths
nftoen miles Of tunnel and open cut has been
started beginning has not vet been made
on the six miles ~ th. yiaduCt or elevated
part Of the road. neither has start been
made on the tunnel under the Harlem River
for an East side branch Some Of tho iron
for tho elevated structure has been delivered
but there IL no hurry about breeding 1t be-
cause all tho viaduct section may be made
ready within a year
The work on the Harlem River tunnel has
been purposely delayed because there is
well-dcnnci notion held hv tho Chief En-
glnecr, William Barclay Parsons. tho con-
tractor, John B Mcdonald aud some OF the
Commissioners that the route Of the East
Side branch should bc shifted farther to tho
we,t ~ a. to 40 up jerome avenue right
through the centre Of Tho Bronx borough.
General Manager l. Bryan Of the Rapid
Transit subway Construction Company.
who i looking four years ahead to ascer-
tain the best interests II the passenger
trarlc also thinks that the extension OF the
subway system IN The Bronx should be by
means OF an elevated structure on jerome
avenue For the benefit OF the part OF The
Bronx borough farther east Mr. Bryan and
Deputy Chief Engineer George Rice sug-
gest u transfer arrangement between the
subway system aud the elevated railroad
According to the present plans the route
of the eastern branch above the Harlem
is by viaduct along N'stChester avenue
the southern boulevard and the Boston post
road to Bronx Park Thi, route crosses
the line Of the elevated road ut East l4eth
street That il the crossing suggested as
the transfer point.
Among his Office maps Mr. Bryan has one
big chart showing the routes Of all the exist
ing street car lines, surface aud elevated. and
their relation 10 the subway
DO you think the sub way. elevated and
Metropolitan system, will ever be console
datei:" Mr Bryan WIS asked the other day
when he was showing this map.
The only answer Tor that he said. - a
shrug," ana then he Shrugged his shoulders;
but ho added, why NOT l. would be better
for New York There would be more transfer
facilities There l. That possible connection
at l4Jth street Tor example tven II tine en-
tire subway L. built IN -triCt accordance with
the present plans, pA>-"HGcI- coming down
from the Bronx Park region on the Nladuct
extension oi the subway would nave TO s9
away over on the vest "d" OF town ana
around Central Park T." ct down town II
they stuck TO Tn" same line aud pad only
one fare. II would b" "a great advantage
to them and saving OF time il they, could
get free transfer at liath street and come
straicht down town on the second or Third
Then over on Tho West side there Ia an
illustration + how a transfer arrangement
between The METROPOLITAN company and the
subway would pe Of advantage 70 both system
and The public IN" transfer lo.nt there
would ba at luith street The surface cars
rng!. come down To tuat point, picking mp
ua~-'u gers all IL" way lr1in Harlem along
Leh'N and Amsterdam avenues, ana those
IfgI4f ts-f "a
at .luI'A street and - duWhtuWn from there
bv eNurrs~ The eiuutI"l surface cars would
then hay" a chance % collect new loads on the
'Nc, So many year, ago there wore at least
a dozen d!0"grr, sMidc" ear coiupihirs III
this city, ana ~" ttC, are all united Com
-u.I Iatiun now would hc an easier problem
than il WI, then There are only three systems
to consider in Mmhaltan, including the
The vruXlmi'y of parallel lines Is tough
fea,ur" of the, problem. OF course, there
haitian than i provided for IN tho Present
Conjrlct There must hc line up the Ea-t
side Of -" town. across We HAIiem hiiu ,,, tMtn
uprst along J':. M" aNeiH". IN" ldea! route
would BE- up Park avcuv". 4 contlnuatlon In
direct line WITH the uhHgy through that part
hut Ito Grand central station i in the way,
Tto avenues east Of t'nt Lexington, Second
and that leaves Nod.~uN Hv"iu. ~ the best
avalitlio thoruuEEiar" Ter an last side
-ubwav. reckon ih"r" would be- strong
ION 10 l1.lllIIE ''I' ta'' l''Hl'l
avergo. but after it W0> al! done nobody
would know u V.- There.
TIE l"s' rlac. rnw to 80" what the subway
vii look Ike when cum lrt"j - AT broadway
aui i,3t rc,f. From tha' IoIut n rtn
tor a guarter "i a niir lh" structure - almost
Of r,n Llocbs las been I'm. she'd and the steel
concrete, vutcrrroot,rg and hrickworn have
been mi iu md down un Fourth avenue
at Icu'A street the excavation L. COMPLETE
for n BLOCK and haii aud m" steel. water
Ir1olus 8rd coLcr,'" Hf" in place;
:, From nah To ,-1,n ,'fc.i on on Broa,diETaY
Ipur NOR, ,l1ch- hay" boon dug out between
I-uty-s.Nh rrd NJ I.ih streets, i've
and in lIr ,rr.c' ti.ro BE- a contuuoGs trench
FROM Prize" fp Fourth -ir"ri. = ON Wash
inEton, Heights lwA.r" me Work WIS begun
lsnoI hi, O'ru oGt trench between l5Gth and
i5sjh sIr..'- aud l.- got the masonry in
I5>th street, vhor" ~" n.nu"l through the
-nlil rock hcrir-. 1w" big shafts hay"
ho"n sun, IN fourth avenue 9, hlrty fourth
road tunnel is 10 begin. Three blocks in
Fourth avenue north Of Elghleenth street
have hlrady. hc"n tunnrl'd ana ana thc pas
lIdIng over the excavation without knowing
Jus. Mt present ar" away. uptown at l6sth
and lslst streets wh"r" the tracks will be
lpo feet and more below the surface. AZ
both oints vertical Stars have been sunk
from tho top ui the hi, To- III" level of the
rpadbed. 4 IG>th street the shaft s:
frcf In diameter Vocs down 100 feet
Through the solid rock The centre line of
the vertical SHAFT '~ east Of the ro1dhed aud
FROM lis foot a uri2putal shaft extends TO the
liac Of the tunnel where it widens ont into an
iwrncusn chamber hfty-0up feet in diameter
This chamber il the underground Messenger
station. Two Clcctri" elevators will operate
I'm this shaff and their carving capacity
and speed viii be sufficient to take care OF
all the DnsSouCors who may leave train
before the next train comes along two minutes
later. AZ lGAth street the shaft and the cham
b"r are both ComIla'rd sd far "a m" taking
Ou' of rock Ia CrU.."nvd AZ iSist street,
wEor. the shaft goes down l2O feet, there il
s,ill some cAcavatu. 10 he done In the cham
Der
Tho drills all along the linc nre operated
hy corrres-ed ul~. l,r tie work up
Washington Heights there j. an air power
plant down by tn" river bank The COM
pressed cir Is carried gD the hill through a
sly-inch pipe and distribIted along the line
Cf the iurNcliing " vhs'"yrr II i needed There
IL another nir power ui1nt down on Union
Square in front of ~" Everett House, and
this furnishes bower lv means of q siy-inch
pm" for the central section between Great
Jone, and Thirty-h,.r -tr""t~
We arc Ev"y ahead Of the story" said
Deputy chief Engineer Rice. and there Il no
question but thrt the " lrie work will be
don" on tim" There ar" 100 men at work
now Prd there will b" 1000 In tho spring:
been rolled, tested and accepted. over l5.O00.-
lluo Of the work, and ~" are now receiving
oil fl.sf e . tHVt Ia