The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-03-25
n YOR'lI z !! B
Tunnel IS /. begun /.
Problem Of Digging Under SKY.
Scrapers Has Been Solved.
COMPLETED IN THREE YEARS.
The Underground Road Will Carry
New Workers From the Posto 1i
to Harlem In Is Minutes, Now
3. Takip. Nearly m. Hour. Is

80 Gl.H 49,
Y. Taking Nearly M Hour. 5:
The work on New York s rapid transit
underground railroad has begun. if1oW
the engineers are going to bore a nole !
through the centre Of MAMMA ttan Island
and directly under the foundations ofsthes
city's skyscraper buildings IS a problem
which has been successfully. solved
Every detail of this enormous YORK
has been planned. Within three years 119
The Rapid Transit Commissioner are
hopeful that the people will be speeding
in fast and comfortable trains fhrouSh
the tunnel road from City HAL to liar
lem On fifteen minutes.
The railroad Will commence al q po1ile
in Park Row. A o-track loop will ex- 8
tend around the City Hall Park.aIhe
route then lies under Central Street,
New Elm Street. Lafayette place, across
Astor5 place and under Astor place through
private property to Ninth Street ana
Fouth Avenue.
The route then runs under fourth l
Avenue and Park Avenue to SFrorty7second
Street at the Grand Central Depot
Thence the road will run west to Broad
way and under Broadway to point
near Ninety-ei1th Street. This is the
main line.
The construction of the loop around
City Hall Park will allow the trains to
be run at a headway of fifteen seconds,
and the engineer estimates that more
than 200, 900 persons can be handled eacn
way at the City Hall Station every day
The tunnel will be twenty-five feet under
ground along most of the downtown sec
tons between City Hall and the Grand
Central Depot. Four tracks will be laid
in the tunnel.
The inside tracks are to be used by
the fast express trains stopping at each
station of the road. The express trains
will be the fastest pa ssenSer trains run
in the city of New York It is estima-5
ted that a speed of more than forty
miles an hour will be attained over
most of the route without danger, The.
City Hall station will be the largest upon
the road.
1t will be located On the middle of
the park.
TO BE WELL. LIGHTED.
Engineer Parsons says that the tCn-
mel road Will mot be the dark and gloomy
hole in4zthe ground which the Street.
surface 1naSrates declare it will be. IA
system of lighting has been perfected,
and at frequent Intervals throughout
the entire length of the tunnel large
electric tights will be sunk in the recesses
OF the wall
The stations are to he lighted with
electricity and the general effect is to
be light, avoiding any gloomy projection.
ITO produce such an appearance the
color of the enameled bricks or tiles will
be white, except when bricks or tiles of
other color are introduced for architec-
tural effect.
The signalling devices VIII be of the
most approved character, and preference
will be given ito a system which will
aItoma tically bring a train ito a stop
in the event of the man in charge failing
to obey a danger signal. Engineer Par
sons says that such a system will he
put in opera ton on the underground
road, and he expects the road to- be
operated for years without accident
The ventila ton of the tunnel has re-
ceived careful attention at the hands of
the engineers. Pure and wholesome AR
will be supplied at all times. In addition
to the openings to the tunnel to be con-
structed must build two large blowholes
between every two stations on the tunnel
portion of the main and westside lines
between Sixtieth Street and One Hun
bred and F,iftieth Streets
NO ELEVATORS lat STATIONS.
The stations along the route of the
underground road will be located on
street corners. AT the present time 1T is
not in the plans to have elevators run
ming from the street surface to THE tun-l
mel stations. The engineers assert that
the traffic on the road will be so great
as to prevent the use of elevators. They
say that they have planned to have tine
stai1ways large and built at an angle
so as to be easy of ascent. The stations
on the viaduct portion of the road VIII
be very much alike those Of the eleTat-
ed roalroad. except that they will be
tiled throughout and will be of a much
more artistic design.
Engineer Parsons has taken great. pre-
cautions against :niuring private, prop
erty in the construction of the road. The
contractor will have to indemnify prop;
crty owners for all dana se done. the
portion of the route under Central PARK
viii be built with great care, so as not
to injure the pleasure ground. The con-
tractor will have ito set new trees .ore
every one killed in construction. and.
all etrubbery removed or affected must
be restored as soon as possible to good,
condition.
The portion of the route along Park
Row, and Broadway. adjacent will be
constructed with special care. The dirt.
will not be allowed to pile UP in the
streets. The opening of the streets must
be rooted over as ito permit the passage
Of vehicles and pedestrians, ana there,
is a requirement that no opening sra'l
be maintained in front of any property
for "a greater period than thirty days )
The portion lying beneath the tiarlen1
river and approaches thereto will be
constructed by means Of compressed air.
dredging, open cadssons founded on PILES.
and free and unobstructed waterway
for the passage of vessels. a t least 500.
feet wide must be left at all times.
All the work on the first section be-
tween City Hall and Fifty-ninth Street
will be completed in about a year. This
is the most expensive portion of the
route. AT least 100000 900 will be spent in
building the main line.
Manhattan has been jealous OF Lon
don's tunnel and envious OF Boston, $
subway. but now she will have one Of
her own