The Savannah morning news., 1902-04-27

this, because it is the simplest kind of
work connected with the subway. is
the least interesting. The crowds, how
ever, never seem to lose their curiosity.
a network of timbers, supports, gas.
water and sewer pipes is practically all
that is visible. Through convenient
openings huge buckets are lowered to
be loaded with rock or dirt, raised
again and run along the Clole way UNI
til they are dumped into the waiting
carts. Great chains lock together the
timber supports of the street car
tracks. Pillars of steel and wood hold
up the street surface. And the thou
sands of people pass over these yawn
ing holes daily without a thought of
danger, despite the accidents that have
happened. The work is carried on
with the greatest margin of safety.
No, sooner is the smoke of a blast
cleared away than timber supports are
driven into place. Wherever an open
trench is dug the side drifts are safe
guarded as much as possible. Indeed,
the wonder is that the work of exca-
walton can go on at all in the tangle
of steel and timbers which are used
to. maintain the surface.
The most expensive mile of the sub
way extends from Thirty second street
under the street railway tunnel to For
ly -cCCOliQ CCA, tiCllCC dlOhlQ a CuiN
to Broadway, and around another
curve to Long Acre Square.
The construction of these two curves
alone is a most serious undertaking,
because il is necessary to pass under
buildings in order to get space for the
turns. At both Of these corners, how
ever, the Rapid Transit Commission
has purchased property which the ex-
cavations might have injured, and it is
understood that a big hotel will be To-
Gated over the stations at each of
these turns.
Within the limits of this mile have
occurred the most disastrous accidents
of the subway. The dynamite explosion
came first, wrecking two hotels and
several houses; then, two blocks below,
followed the cavern of three houses
The Rapid Transit Commission has re-
Gently purchased this property in or
der to save itself from costly damage
suits. It is said that up to date five
million dollars have been spent by the
commission in making similar pur-
chases of damaged property
Naturally enough in such an up
heaval as this, there has been, and is
still. much litigation to be feared
Herein came another development, the
official photographer. 1t is the duty
of this gentleman to make Photographic
records at stated intervals over the en-
tire line. 1t was the good fortune of
the writer to make trips over portions
of the subway with this official.
The Subway's OmciaI Photographer.
do you see the long crack down the
side of that building?" he inquired. We
were standing in an excavation sixty
feet below the surface of the street,
and the bare wall of building lowered
$50 feet above. Suppose the owners
claimed that the excavations here had
caused that crack. I would go over my
photographs taken here before the
work was begun at all, and I would
show picture Of that building with
the same crack In 1t. l have taken
hundreds of pictures just as a matter
of record to show how buildings,
streets sidewalks, etc, looked before
we began work, and how these have
actually been affected by the ercava-
ting You would be surprised at the
number of damage claims which we
can stop In just this way"
a year from next fall. when trains