The times., 1901-06-10
A STEEL TUBE LAUNCHED.
Floats OF the Ways Like n Yacht at
NiNon's Yards

NEW YORK. June 9.-Wfth the ease of
a yacht. a 1.OOO-ton tunnel. the biggest of
the kind ever built in this country, was
| launched at Lewis NiXon's shipyard at
Elizabethport, n. j.. yesterday. The mon
ster tube. 225 feet long and big enough for
a man to ride through on horseback, shot
down the ways into the Arthur Kill so
smoothly that half-dozen men who stood
on top of her were not jostled
Three thousand persons saw the iaunch-
ing. Among them were many engineers
! Much doubt existed as 10 the success of
the affair. for it was the first time that
an attempt had ever been made to launch
so large a tunnel
The designer, Frederic Martin Lande. Is
also the designer of proposed tunnel of
the same kind for the use of passengers
under the North River. A company has
for some time had his plans under cor
sideration. On this account great interest
centred in the success of yesterdays un-
! dertaking. Upon it to a great extent the
future of the North River tunnel was con-
sidered to rest.
The tunnel is TO be used to convey water
to the immense Edison power house at
Thirty-eighth and Tisirty-ninth Streets.
East River. This is to be the largest pow
er house in the world, and Is to generate
I33, 900 horse power. Tie tunnel is TO be
connected with the condensers of the Ed
ison engines and projected into the river.
The outer end is to be left open and
through it water from the river is to be
taken in for use in the engines. The tun-
mel is to be towed from Elizabethport to
the power house next week.
The launching was set for l o'clock
yesterday. 1t was delayed a little by the
In Cut from
underneath it. The tunnel lay slanting
downward with one end pointing into the
Arthur Kill at the same angle as the
monitor Florida. which lay beside it The
ways had been creased to facilitate the
launching
Mr.. Iande and a number of officers of
the shipyard directed the work. The top
of the Florida was black with people and
the neighboring pier, the torpedo boat
o Brien and the half dozen Holland sub
marine boats lying alongside were cover
ed with humanity. The shipyard fclk
were nervous, for il was not known how
the big tunnel would behave after it was
cut loose from it's moorings. 1t had been
designed to float on an even keel and
draws FIVE feet of water. but the designer
was fearful that it would drive its nose
into the water and kick up big commO-
tion.
For an hour the workmen hammered
on the stays to unfaSten them. a tug
passed line to the big tunnel and
waited discreetly on one side for it TO
come down the chute. on top stood half
u dozen workmen who were willing TO
risk their necks in the experimental
venture. The big crowd waited i'm
patiently.
Suddenly there was a cry and the
huge thing begun to slide from the ways.
Down she went. the front end, fashioned
with woodwork into the shape of prov.
cutting the water as cleanly as the PROV
of yacht. Swift as an arrow the mon
ster shot into the water, the white spray
flying on either side. shout went up
from the crowd for the wOrkmen on top,
for it was expected that the tunnel would
roll over or careen from the force of its
own momentum.
The workmen stood stockstil while
the tunnel plunged into the water. not one
of them moving hair. Out into the mid
die of the Kill shot the big tube and then
darted off toward the Staten Island shore.
1t cruised around for a few moments
while the crowd cheered. The workmen
calmly began to take in the tow line.
After floating around for a few minutes
in the Kill the huge tunnel, which was
about two-thirdS out Of water, was towed
to an anchorage and made fast Next
week it viii be tOwed to the Edison plant
THE launching proves what | have al
ways insisted on" said Engineer Ende.
That tunnel of this kind is the proper
solution for the North River tunnel prob
lem The entire tunnel can be built for
81, ,000. go while the bridge viii cost SO, 00,-
900 or $S0,000,0O0.
This tunnel is constructed with an in
ner wall of riveted steel 4 inch thick. Then
a space of fifteen inches in depth is left.
to be filled with concrete. and the outer
wall of 14-inch riveted steel, the same as
q battleship puts on To give the tun-
mel a keel the concrete has only. been
placed in the bottom portions now. As
soon as we get the tunnel to the Edison
plant we will fill the outer space and sink
it. We have already prepared spiiing at
Street and East River, on !
which the trnnel will rest near the bot /
tom Of the river"
1t took ten months to construct the tUn- |
mel on the ways at NiXOns shipyard.