New-York tribune., 1902-03-02

Subway cars to be running Nov. 1. 1903
Paid to j. b. McDonsId TO date. .s13.75O,OOO
Money used each month. 100000
Earth excavating completed. 83 per cent
Rock excavatinE completed 40 per cent
Time actually spent on work L year months
To complete digging in........ '13 months
John B. Mcdonald, the subway contractor has
done half the digging for the tunnel at a cost
Of $13 $50 600 and the engineers expect that the
remainder of the excavating will be completed
in thirteen months. From the first Of the pres
ent month the sub-contractors will do work
costing upward of $1.000O00 month, This
pace ought to see all the eXcavating done by
April l. 1903.
While the tunnel work nominally begun
two years ago, as a matter Of fact there was
little headway made until in the following Au-
gust. The original computation showed that the
tunnel contract involved the removal of 1I5O-
600 cubic yards of earth and 1,125.000 cubic
yards of rock. The figures in Assistant Chief
Engineer Rices department show that 63 per
cent of the earth and 40 per cent of the rock
excavating have been done. The progress of
the work is dependent largely on the rock cut
ting. and if there is any considerable delay in
completing the subway IT will be on account
OF not chewing out" the rock fast enough.
There remaining to be removed $4,000
cubic yards of earth and $4,000 cubic yards
of stone. Sixty-1ve thousand tons of steel were
contracted for and -, 800 tons have been de-
liVered. OF the 100000 yards of concrete con-
| tracted for. 125000 yards have been furnished.
The engineers now are giving most attention
to the rock cutting 1t is asserted that the sec
tion of the tunnel most backward is the one for
which William Bradley has the contract, be-
tween SiXtieth and Eighty-secOnd SITS. on the
West Side. Mr. Bradley has been troubled. 1t
| is said, by lack of dumping facilities. The cut
ting from the shaft at One hundred -and-sX-
| tieth-st- has been advanced southwark as far
| as One-hundred- and fifty -seVenth-st. From the
| One-hundred- and sixty -seVenth-st shaft the
| tunnel has been driven as far as ne-hundred-
and-sixty fOurth-st.. to the south. and One-hun-
| dred and seventy -secOnd-st, to the north.
| From One-hundred- -and-eiGhty -hrst-st ii eX-
| tends downtown as far as ne-hundred and
seventy -seventh-st. and uorthward to One hun
| dred d-and- eighty-ffth-st Work has just fairly
| been begun at the north portal 10 the tunnel
under old Fort George at One-hundred-and-
nInetieth-St.
More than 81. 100000 has been spent In re-
moving. changing and repairing sewers, and
changing sewer pipes. SO far 40 per cent Of
this kind of work has been done.
The Brooklyn extension will be the next big
thing engage the attention Of the engineers.
Messrs Boardman and Shepard counsel 70 the
to advertise, and II is expected that the con-
tract will be let by early summer. The Brook
lyn extension and the power house. at Fifty
ni1th-st., North River the machinery In which
Will cost about s. 600 900 are not included in
Mr.. MCDonald's contract.
The engineers already dilating the
scenic possibilities Of the railroad north Of
One hundred and twenty -second-st, where the
tracks are 70 emerge from the tunnel and cross
the gorge at Manhattanville. At this point Will
be afforded practically unobstrgCted view of
the Hudson until the reach One-hundred-
and thirty -fth-st, where the cars again go out
Of sight for two mile run, 10 emerge once
more at One-hundred and -ninetieth-st. where
there will be another view of the Hudson and
| the Palisades