New-York tribune., 1901-03-31

been held in place by the trusses. and then these
are pushed ahead 20 the next section where the
same process takes place.
Standing one of these srusses near Eighty
fourth-st.. last week, an old New Yorker looked
down into the pit where men were working
with pick and shovel. tearing away the earth
and loading it into the monster buckets which
travelled up and down and then along the over
head galloway. Il can remember" ne said.
when Bill Tweeds contractors put down the
macadam work that these men are ripping ou.
now They're fully twenty-five feet below
the street line. but that's wnerIthe old Bloom
ingdale road used to be, and Ee, where the
big stones project. is where the ~ sewer ran"
AT many points one may see the work in vari-
GUS early stages, but only one small section has
been completed. That is piece about 15J feet
long. running north from One-hun,ire,l- and
thirty-sixth-st.. where the elevated structure
over Manhattan Valley will connect the two
subways- This part shows how the completed
work will lock. except that no rails have been
laid On the concrete floor The five rows of steel
colrmns are twelve feet apart The spaces be
tween the columns which form the outer rows
have been filled in with concrete masonry form
ing sClid vail The central rows which form
the dividing line between the pairs cf tracks are
not inciOSed in concrete. The are five feet
apart. and over each set an iron cirder is placed
which, together with arch piece supports the
earthwork above. Layers of fireprOofng ma
terial are placed in the concrete work ON the
sides as We'll as on the floor and roe; of the
structure. so that it will be. according to thu.
testimony of the engineers freproof at ali points
of the ineiosure- The outside tracks next 20 th,
concrete walls Will lie used by the local trains.
and the two middle tracks viii be given over
exclusively 10 express traffic
To those people who wish to gain an idea of
the obstacles which the builders of the under
ground structure have to overcome several
points along the line as they exist now are of
interest. AT the Fifty-ninth-sy. circle there is
ural metal has already been placed in position
on the ccncreted floor. Only a short distance
from that point may see where pines; of
various sizes are being held in place by braces
ana chaInS Many OF these pipes are in ser
VICE ant the task to work aro.;nd them and
Keep them intact until they may he relad or
removed IS no small one. There are manv places
along the line where similar conditions exist but
'heIe are none where the exposure is so large
ana the means Of observation favorable. Cart
Ing away the earth and stone is also a serious
part cf the business
We can't store the dirt" said a contractor
and can't block the streets with IT, So it must
De got out OF the way in a hurry. Wagons must
De ready To receive it when the big shoveIS bring
'' ou' ot the hole and carry 1T away To the
i"np' unless the work is going on near some.
pubic place where temporary dumping, place
may be established
1N' 'ie upper end of the line where much rock
= pe'is taken out. the contractors have built a
''e r'hifoad, on which an engine takes the
'a'S ioaded with stone and earth 10 a point an
me -Nor'h River near One -hundre a. and -sixt>-
sixth-st.
ohe oi the most formidable pieces Of work ~,
he me is being done where no one excent tbos..
VINO are employed in its construct tion can Cos. !,
MS Is the section of tunnel work from THIRTY
our'h-st- To Forty-seCOnd-st. by way of Park
we Ihe tunnel is being constructed in Two seq
iohs- Ihese twin tunnels, as they are called b,
"e ensiheers' are being cut through the soHd
oek thlrty-hve feet below the street level am,
ihder the tunnel through which the surfaca
irs run Occasionally one may hear the report
II exploding dynamite in the vicinity of the
'ork out with that exception little of the min
iS p,iu