Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-09-30
GREAT RAILWAY WORK
THE PENNSYLVANIA TUNNEL
UNDER RIVER AND ISLAND.
Boring Beneath the Hudson and Man
hattan-Monster Station in
New York.

from me Railroad GaZette.
The great undertaking of the Pennsyl-
vania Railroad Company in carrying Its
line across Manhattan Island and in estao-
fishing a station on the island Will cost
something like s4O,OOO,OOO, Of which about
$25 coo GOO will be paid for labor. This en-
terprise. SO bold and unprecedented IN
Its engineering and financial aspects, mas
especial interest for the citizens OF New
York. The money will be spent within five
years. the work will give employment to
great number Of persons, 1t will largely In
crease real estate values in New York city
and the suburbs and it will add to the ease
and comfort of those who have occasion to
come and CO. 1t is not philanthropic en-
terprise but many engineers and transpor-
| tation officers who have given attention 10
1t do not believe that a reasonable interest
will be earned on the investment Tor at
least ten years to come.
The new line begins at Harrison, on the
east side of the Passaic river, just across
| from Newark. 1t runs along the south side
of the Pennsylvania main line for about
5000 feet. at which point 1t has such an
elevation that it can cross to the north
side overhead. Then it trends to the north
ward across the meadows, to the west side
of the ridge Just back Of Hoboken. On the
meadows the line crosses seven railroads,
besides the main line of the pennsylvania,
and an important highway on which Is
uOuDle-lTdCh tEOllty IOdu, ~ diso
crosses the Hackensack river All of the
crossings are over grade. That necessi-
tates a continuous embankment, or viaduct,
from Harrison to the tunnel portal at the
west side of the ridge, distance of about
six miles.
Under Bergen Ridge.
At the Bergen ridge the line enters a
rock tunnel and emerges in Long Island
City, the total length Of tunnel being a
$oAa
provement from Harrison to the junction
with the Long Island railroad is twelve
miles and one-eighth. 1t is costly work.
Not foot is on the natural surface; all
is in tunnel or cutting, or on embankment
or viaduct.
Across the North river will be two tun-
nels and across the East river four, and
the tunnels are to meet at a great central
station to be established on Manhattan Is
land between 18th and 9th avenues and 31st
and 33d streets.
On Manhattan Island the rails will never
be nearer the surface than forty feet, and
everywhere they will be below mean tide
level. In fact, at the highest point of the
tunnel the rails will be about zen feet below
mean low water. Obviously the station
platforms will also be below tide level. I'm
der the Bergen ridge the grade of the tun-
mel will be go feet below the highest point
of the hill. Under the North river it will
be thirty-five feet below the natural bottom
water. Under the East river the depths
are about the same.
Driving the Tunnels.
The method to be adopted for driving the
tunnels has not yet been decided on be-
cause of the magnitude of the work and be-
cause of the peculiar conditions. Across the
North river the tunnels will be driven all
the way in silt. There the old Hudson
river tunnel furnishes experience which will
be useful to the engineers of the new tun-
nels. 1t IS not believed that there will be
an extraordinary difficulty in the North
river. Under the East river the situation
is worse Deep pockets of silt and of
quicksand are found either side of a
ridge of rock, and the method of carving
on this work will have to be studied with
great exactness to avoid interruption
Inc engineering studies being devel-
oped by a commission of six expert engi-
neers, and 1t is reasonable to expect that
the methods in general and in detail will
be quite up to the highest state of the art
In fact. they will necessarily establish a
new state of the art because of the novelty
of the conditions.
Such. very briefly, are the elementary
engineering features of the work. 1t will
be full of details which will interest the
Iayman as well as the engineer.
Inc elementary traffic features NAV be
considered for moment: and first we will
look at the queer notion that there is under
neath all this deep and subtle plan to take
trade through New York to some new or,
a least, distant port. as for example Mon
tauk Point. 1t is probable that no living
man who has thought carefully about the
matter with information and with a can
old mind takes the MOntauk Point port
seriously. If there We're any sufficient oh
Ject in starting passengers and mails on
thelr transatlantc journey from some point
east Of New York city, why make a new
harbor at Montauk Point? For many years
there has been an excellent harbor at New
London, which may be reached from New
York city by one of the best railroads in the
world In truth the facilities for trans
lelrlhs all freight between cars and ships
are SO overwhelmingly greater in New
YORK harbor than anywhere else or than
can be provided anywhere else without
vast expenditures, that railroad com
pany can take the traffic away from New
YORK, or can afford to try to take 1t away.
An Eccentric Notion.
Again. the eccentric notion has recently
been brought forward that connection of
the tracks of the Pennsylvania with anv
other railroad on Manhattan Island
must be prevented. Underneath all this
is probably the old country storekeener
and country tavern idea, that for the good
OF a town travel through it must be oh
structed, but the modern man knows that
travel or commerce must be attracted to a
town by reasonable inducements and that
any effort to prevent it's flowing through
and going beyond will do more harm than
good.
Finally, If it were desired to take trade
beyond New York, that could be done by
means far cheaper than by this forty-mil-
lfon-dollar undertaking. Interest on this
vast sum can be earned only by serving
the people of the great cities of New York
and Brooklyn.
One great object in building this new con-
nection is to establish direct communica ton
from station in the heart of New York
city with the whole continent west of the
Hudson river. Passengers to and fro will
not pay more for the privilege of landing
In New York city, or leaving from New
York city, than they do now The rates
are largely competitive The Pennsylvania
opportunity to make money is by getting
more passengers to go by it's lines, and this
can be done only by making it pleasanter
and more convenient for them to go that
way The great volume of the suburban
passenger business. coming now to the west
bank of the North river will probably CON
tinue to enter New York city by the fer
ries for reasons that we need not go into
now.
Increase in Traffic.
Another direction in which the volume of
traffic will be increased is across the East
river to Long Island. Here a large growth