New-York tribune., 1901-12-13

Works of great magnitude, of far reaching
effect and of tremendous importance to this
city are involved in the plans to permit trains
of the Pennsylvania Railroad and the Long ISL
and Railroad enter Manhattan Borough
through tunnels under the North and East rlv-
ers and deliver passengers at a great under
ground station at Seventh-ave. and Ihirty-
third-st An enormous increase of the cltys
traffic facilities will be accomplished New
York City will cease to be insular and become
continental People living in Brooklyn and
oueens as well as in Manhattan. will be able
TO get on trains and travel South and West
without crossing ferries. Many thousands OF
reopIe who work in the city and have homes IN
New-Jersey or on Long Island will be able 10
travel back and forth with increased speed ana
without the delays and discomfort incident 10
ferry connection.
The plans show that the railway tunnels under
the two rivers are to be used entirely tor pas
seneer travel There are not to be any freight
trains in the tunnels. The passenger trains are
70 be run in the tunnels by electricity Every
train that goes through one of the tunnels will
he like piston in a cylinder forcing air out
in front of it, and drawing air in behind IT,
There will be two tunnels under the North
River Each tunnel will have a single track
and the trains will east through one tunnel
and west througl. the other tunnel In that
way. because of the frequent passage OF trains
and because there will be no dust or smoke IN
the tunnels the engineers believe that the ar
in the tunnels will be kept fresh and pure The
subways will be lighted with electricity.
FAR BELOW THE SURFACE
The North River tunnels will enter Manhattan
under Thirty-first-st. and Thirty-second-st-' and
will continue under those streets all the way 10
the central station. East of the station there
will be three tunnels running under Ihrty-
frst-st Thirty-second-st. and Thirty-tnird-st'
All the tunnels in Manhattan will be bored
without disturbing the surface of the streets.
going at depth of more than fifty feet below
ground at Second-ave. and ninety feet below
the street levels and not interfering with the
rapid transit subway with the citys water
pipes The subways will be seventy feet below
the pavement of First-ave-, and VIII enter the
East River at depth of thirty-hve feet peio"
it's bottom They will enter the Borough OF
Ouaens between FIushing-st. and Borden-ave. at
A depth of fifty feet below the street level and
will reach the surface at Thompson-ave and
Purves-st.
As indicated by the map on file in the County
Clerks office the North River tunnels will go
across to the New-Jersey side on the line OF
Thirty-second-st. Officials declare that the tun-
nels will he continued for some distance on the
New-Jersey side line pointing to Newark
and that the connecting surface railway VIII De
some distance north of Jersey City This means
that a large part of the passenger traffic over
the PENNSYLVANIA Railroad will be diverted from
the present station in Jersey City
For the purposes of the central station. four
citv blocks will be acquired, but two of the
blocks. lying between Eighth and Tenth aves
and Thirty-first and Thirty second SITS. will be
used mainly for underground switches and
tracks connecting with the tunnels. The off,
cials and engineers interested in the great un-
dertaking say that it will take a few months
at least to acquire the necessary franchises and
rights of way and that the work on the tunnels
will require about three years The cost OF the
work is not announced. but the officials say that
il will be much below 500 100000. and some
have expressed the belief that the tunnels will
not cost more than S20,0OO,OO0.
FACILITIES FOR PASSENGERS
The central station in Manhattan. to be used
Jointly bv the Pennsylvania and Long Island
railroads will occupy the two city blocks bound
ed by Seventtsand Eighth aves. and by Thlrty-
first and Thirty-third SITS. The station proper
will be underground, but the building VIII rise
to a height of several stories above ground and
have room for offices and stores Passengers on
foot or in carriages will enter leave the lower
portions of the station by stairways or inclined
station about thirty-six feet below the level OF
the streets The station will be built so as to
hermit light from above to enter the lower por-
tions There will be present every modern facili-
tv for the easy and rapid ingress and egress of
crowds
II is expected that the great double terminal
station will make some important changes IN
the trend of business in New-York- 1t may st1rn-
ulate the movement of some lines of business
toward Thirty-thrf-st. and help to extend the
shopping district Many business men may
want to have their stores nearer to great ar
terv of travel Changes in trade centres would
mean changes in the values of real estate
4 new idea In under river tunnel construction
bas made the twin railway tunnels under the
North River possible. The plan for the tunnels
was devised by Charles M. Jacobs, the con-
sulting engineer of the Long Island Railroad,
who is the chief engineer of the Pennsylvania
THE NEW YORK HERALD
cbristn,as number an ideal holiday newspaper.
sunday December 15 1901 Forty pages beautifully
illustrated color and half tone besides many news