Omaha daily bee., 1902-04-27
New York Subway
CONTINUED from Fifth Page.)

rock, to erecting high bridges and elevated
structures.
The most interesting experience the ex-
plorer Of the subway can have Is to 90
down the One Hundred and eighty first
street shaft and walk up one Of the head
ings, now each several hundred feet long.
1t Is like going into a mine. The heavy
elevators sink slowy out Of the daylight,
first into a dim haze, and then into the
thick smoke made by the hastings and by
the miners lamps which the workmen
carry. At the bottom, 1876 feet below the
surface, one may go either north or south.
1t is impossible to see more than a few
feet ahead in either direction. The writer
made the trip one afternoon recently Just
after the workmen had gone. The guide
picked a path through the mud and water
and related details on the way.
"Twenty-six feet high here all along
two tracks. Look out for this mule stable. 90
Come here, Jenny" he called out to a
moving shape in the darkness ahead.
There are six Of these animals down here
and most OF them haven't seen daylight for
a year. Right above u.s. pointing upward
through the gloom, there used to be a big
boulder. When it fell II caught two men
under it. That's the only accident we've
had uD here"
The mules, the little dump car tracks,
the drills at the ends of the headings. the
blasts and the cavernous gloom throughout
remind one Of nothing so much as a huge
mine. For two miles the work in this Sec
tion is carried on by boring. On the sur
face no sign of an excavation is to be seen
save at the shafts, but next to the Hoosic
tunnel, this piece of the New York subway
will be the largest piece Of single tube
boring in this country.
These scenes are not familiar to many
New Workers because they are so far up
Manhattan. There has just been com
pleted. however, another section in which
the same kind of work was carried on.
When the contractor for the section which
runs under a corner OF Central park under
took this piece of work his task was that
Of boring a tunnel through the solid rock
without disturbing the surface of the park.
There were many nearby buildings and
every unusually large blast was a menace
to the neighborhood. Still the contractor
accomplished his difficult task without a
mishap. AS an instance Of the beautifully
exact calculation which has been made in
connection with every part Of the work the
experience of this contractor in connecting
his two headings may be cited. When the
blast had blown out the separating rock it
was found that the two headings had Joined
In one straight tunnel. There was not a
fraction OF an inch difference in the calcu-
lations of each as to the location OF the
other.
In marked contrast to the scenes or min
ing life, with its accompaniment of trem-
bling from the blasts and its procession of
oily, muddy drillers Of the rocks, are the
bridge builders, the toilers in the air, far
above ground. The face Of the solid rock
at One Hundred and Ninety-hfth street will
soon have a huge mouth, for here the sub
way transforms itself from a tunnel TO an
elevated structure. Thence one mile of
bridge is to be built up to the end OF this
branch at Two Hundred and Fifteenth
street.
over on the other side Of Harlem another
extraordinary operation is going on. The
Bronx division has to dip under the river,
and this section has not been done In the
regular subriver manner. A wooden struc-
ture. half the width OF the river long. into
whose cross-section an archway OF the sub
way would At, is built and hoated from one
bank. Then this structure is weighted and
sunk, and the pressure OF the water above
and around it makes it alright. The river
bottom is then dug out under the frame
work, the dirt and rock being placed on top
OF the structure to hold 1t down. When the
trench is OF sufficient depth the regular tun-
mel masonry IS put in. and one-half being
thus completed, the wooden structure is re.
leased and hoated to the other side. when
practically the same operation is gone
through with again.
Most Expensive Mile.
II is the ordinary surface cutting which
may be seen by everybody. and this, be-
cause 1t is the simplest kind Of work con-
nected with the subway, is the least inter-
esting, The crowds. however, never seem
to lose their curiosity. A network OF tim
bers' supports, gas, water and sewer pipes
is practically all that is visible. Through
convenient openings huge buckets are low
cred to be loaded with rock or dirt. raised
again and run along the cable way until
they are dumped into the waiting carts.
Great chains lock together the timber sup
ports Of the street car tracks. Pillars OF
steel and wood hold up the street surface.
And thousands OF people pass over these