Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-04-12
CH|CAGO'S SUBWAY
Nothing Like 1t in Any Other
City.
WONDERFUL PROJECT
UNDERGROUND ENGINEERING
CARRIED ON QUIETLY.
Hundreds of Men Working Like Bur-
rowing Moles Unknown Even
to Officials.
WONDERFUL PROJECT
Copyright, 1907

Written for The Evening Star by ". ]. Jackman.
One OF the most extraordinary subway
systems in the world Is being constructed
in Chicago. 1t has three distinct and an
usual features-it is unique in design, man.
moth In size and the methods of construc-
ton and ultimate are decidedly novel.
When completed, nearly 100 miles of tunnels
will reach to all parts of the CITY, and the
| traffic problem will be solved, so far as re-
lief from congestion of surface travel is
concerned.
Chicago is most peculiar city. While 1t
covers an area of 1874 square miles, a large
portion of which is sparsely populated, the
business interests are centered In a district
about three-quarters of a mile square.
Within these narrow limits are the great
wholesale houses, banks, department stores,
office buildings, theaters. railway depots
and steamboat docks. The result is a
bewildering confusion of pedestrians on the
sidewalks. while the roadways are choked
with street cars, delivery wagons and heavy
drays. All this within a radius of six
blocks from the corner of State and Madison
streets, the hub of the business section.
Outside OF this district there is comparative
ease Of movement for both pedestrian and
wagon traffic.
For years the people of Chicago have
been seeking relief from this condition.
the only plan proposed was that of sinking
the street car tracks and to this the MR.
chants of the downtown district made
strong objection. They said 1t would ruin
their trade by taking the people from the
surface of the streets. and the mercantile
influence is not to be treated lightly in
Chicago. Municipal reformers clamored for
a depression of the tracks at the expense of
the street railways, with view to harass-
ing these corporations into disposing of
their franchises to the city; trade interests
made strenuous objections. and between the
two forces the city officials were sorely be-
logged when proposition was made to the
council for an underground telephone SER
vice that would rid Chicago of the Bell
monopoly. 1t was received kindly and a
permit given to construct the necessary
conduitS. Then opposition began to show
itself. clause was inserted in the fran
chise forbidding the Illinois Telephone and
Telegraph Company (the new concern) to
tear up a foot of pavement or to disturb
the surface of the roadways in any manner
under pain of forfeiture of its entire plant.
Chicago's Big Surprise.
This was about two years ago. The op-
ponents Of the project thought they had
efrectually blocked the construction Of the
conduts. There was no sign of any work
being done. Not foot of street pavement
had been torn up, and when the word was
given out not Ions, ago that seven miles of
large sized tunnels had been built under
the business section of Chicago and Were
ready for use, everybody except the men
directly interested in the work was as
founded. 1t was pronounced an engineering
ilnpossibility to construct such system of
suhways without tearing up the streets.
But the work had been done. The orig;-
nal promoters of the scheme surrendered
their rights to an eastern syndicate which
subscribed S10,000,O00 in cash to begin op-
erations with. and put Albert G. Wheeler
the man who built the Love underground
roll tam, IL n t,,,yt ,al,
the enterprise. Mr.. Wheeler associated with
him George w. Jackson, the engineer of
the Pixies Peak railway, and between them
novel plan of construction was evolved.
Many of the skyscraping structures for
which Chicago is famous stand along the
route of the down town tunnels. knowing
that if the foundations of these were weak
ened. the promoters would be liable for
heavy damages and that the entire work
might be stopped by injunction. Messrs
Wheeler and Jackson first had careful
survey made to determine the exact center
lines of the various streets under which the
subways were to be constructed
These were compared with cross SURVEYS
and the city maps. and in the latter many
glaring errors were found. When these
were corrected, Easements were rented a.
convenient intervals along the line and the
work of excavation begun. Men Were put
to digging and the earth taken out was
hauled up and carted away at night through
the coal holes in he sidewalk so that II did
not attract attention. The initial point was at
10 Madison street one of the busiest parts
of Chicago, and to illustrate how quietly the
work was done the policeman on the beat
one of the most careful and efficient men
or the force. supposed it was a job of re-
pairing in the cellar of a saloon and never
gave it any attention.
Digging straight down forty feet the en-
SlneerS struck a line under Madison street
and began the excavation Of the tunnel
proper, which at that point is six by eight
feet in size. AS this was pushed forward little
shaft houses Were built at the curbstones,
through which the large volume of debris
was carted away at night and the con-
crete and other material for the construc-
ton of the tunnels taken in.
Hundreds Of Excavations.
In the daytime there was not a sign to
indicate to the thousands Of pedestrians
that any unusual work was In progress, but
every hour of the twenty-four, day and
night, hundreds OF men were digging away
like moles forty feet below the center of the
streets. 1t was necessary to go this deep
in order to avoid the sewer and gas pipes
the conduits of the telephone and the tele,
graph companies, the electric light cables
and the great water mains. 1t was for this
reason that Mayor Harrison could not nm
derstand the situation when the storm of
opposition to the new enterprise broke the
other day-a storm brought about by those
who now enjoy monopolies with which the
new company will interfere.
1mpOSSlDle. said the mayor, when told
that the company had completed seven
miles Of subways under all the principal
streets in the business district why II Is
expressly stated in the franchise that not a
foot of pavement must be disturbed and /
guess that's enough to hold them down.
It's simply impossible to do a work of that
magnitude without tearing up the streets"
Its true, Mr.. Mayor" said President
Wheeler, when questioned by the city ex-
ecutive. Select a committee of the city
council and your engineering officials and
make tour with me through the sub
ways"
The compressed air under which the work
Is being done was shut of, and the mayor
and his party, piloted by President
Wheeler. made a trip through the tunnels.
They found the entire business district
honeycombed with subways built in solid
concrete, lighted by electricity, and as dry
as a dancing floor. The main tunnels are
fourteen by twelve feet and the branches
six by eight feet In the center of each is
narrow-gauge railway. over which the
cars used in hauling out the debris and
bringing in the construction materials are
propelled. Now that the downtown tun-
nels have been completed. the shaft houses
at the street curbs have been abandoned
and In their place Is used an inclined plane
railway, which brings the tunnel system
int n irarf