The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-10-03
SAFETY OF The PENN TUNNEL
ENGINEERS SAY THAT HAS BEEN
THEIR FIRST THOUGHT.
Only Ono Train ut . Time In Each Tube
Channel to Keep . Derailed Train
From Running Wild--N0 Fire. Anyhow.
and Everything F1reprO0f-An Exit.

Only Ono Train at Time In Each Tube
Channel to Keep . Deraile<l Train
From Running Wild-No Fire. Anyhow.
and Everything F1reprO0f-An Exit.
The engineers who have planned the
Pennsylvania Railroad tunnel under Man.
haitian and the North and the East rivers.
for the construction of which bids have
lust been asked, went yesterday on a tour
of inspection to the shafts which have been
sunk on the Manhattan shore and in New
Jersey.
The shaft on this side of the river, at
the foot of West Thirty-third street, has
reached a depth Of about eighty feet.
and is practically completed. The shaft
on the Jersey side is causing little
more trouble because Of the poorer quality
of the work over there.
The engineers who made the inspection
yesterday were Charles M. Jacobs, Alfred
Mobiles, Lieut.. Col. Charles w. Raymond.
U. s. A.; Gustav Lindenthal, William H.
Brown and George Gibbs. They have been
working on the tunnel plans for two years
and collecting data OF tunnels all over
the world
ITO make it safe has been our prime
cOnHOeTAUlOu over DluC0 VIC DoShu lu0
work." said Col. Raymond last night.
Safety. regardless Of experience, has been
the sine q1d non with President Cassatt,
and the company has assured us from the
outset that no expenditure would be too
great that would add to security.
we have made study Of all sorts Of
accidents that ever have happened In tun-
nels. and we have considered all sorts
OF accidents that ever could happen, and
have provided against them.
A tunnel under a river is every bit as
safe as land tunnel.
4The tubes In which the trains will run
will be lined with shell Of concrete eighteen
inches thick, and the metal casing will be
cast iron IL inches thick-somewhat thicker
than that at the flanges. That construction
will stand any shock that can come to it.
AS there are two tubes, each equipped
with a single track, entirely separate and
independent of each other in their con-
struction there can Of course be no collisions
under the river. And no two trains going
in the same direction will be allowed In the
tunnel at the same time.
-The tunnel will be about mile long.
and it will take each train two minutes TO
pass through.
concrete built up to the level Of the car
steps. This concrete construction within
the tube has a three-fold purpose. It
will serve as a sidewalk all through the tube
which will provide quick and safe exit
in case of emergency. The conduits for
carrying the wires for light and power
and signalling will be carried in the con-
crete walks, and. what is mcst important
Of all. the two banks Of concrete will form
a channel in which the trains will run. 8
that in case Of a broken axle or derail-
ment from any other cause, a train can't
go banging against the sides of the shell.
THE greatest weight will be in the 100
ton electric locomotives, That weight is
distributed over a length Of thirty feet.
After providing adequately for that strain
the weight OF the cars is negligible guam
'ity,,,
borne by the shell or tube. The road bed
itself will rest on screw piles driven down
through the silt to solid foundations. The
tops Of these piles will come through the
bottom Of the tube and support the road
independently of the shell.
There is no danger from fire because
there will be nothing to ignite the cars
when they are in the tube The electric
locomotive will be f1reproof and, Of course.
there is nothing inhammable about the
tube ITSELF"