New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-08-12
\. Y. c. CONTRACT SIGNED
O,ROURKE co. GETS 1T.
Nep Trackage Project to Cost More
than $4,000, 900.

tftUH e@fsOOOsNOO|
work on the terminal improvements of the
>rau,-York Central viii be begun in a few days.
contracts for the work were signed on Monday
nv the New-York Central and the O'Rourke
Engineering Construction Company The
O'Rourke contract has nothing TO DO with the
new terminals that are in contemplation by the
railroad but refers merely 10 the trackage neces-
sary TO accommodate the increasing travel and
TO enable the company to abandon steam for
electricity as its motive power
AT the Office of the New-York Central yester-
day the following statement given out by
A II. Stahl. of the engineering force. repre-
sentng vice-President w. ]. Wilgus:
The contract for the Grand Central Station
yard improvements Of the New-York Central
and Hudson River Railroad has been awarded
20 the O'Rourke Engineering Construction Com
paDy. Of New-Tork City. who the lowest
OF nine bidders The time for the completion OF
the work Is two and a half years. under penalty.
John F. O'Rourke. the president of the con-
strucuon company. when seen at his Office. No.
20 Nassau-st-, declined 10 discuss the terms
he said that II was true that his company had
received the contract. but that the figures at
which it was given should be made public if at
all, by the party of the first part-the railroad
company. To a direct question. however, Mr.
O'Rourke admitted that the figures exceeded
100000.
VIII you get the work done in contract time ?'
he asked.
III beat the life out of IT," he replied
Vice-President Wigus and the terminal en-
gineer, A. B, Corthel, have devised plan to
provide for a minimum of interference and a
maximum OF economy and speed. I'VE can at
tack the work in dozen places at once" he
said
The work will be done in three sections, and
each section, under the contract is to be in
operation before the next section is begun The
first section comprises the area from Forty
fifth 70 Fiftieth St. east of the present yards
and the subway under the east roadway of
Park-ave
TO BUILD INTERCEPTION SEWER
As the depression of this section. twenty feet.
below the street grade Will intercept all the
sewers which drain to the eastward. an inter
ception sewer is TO be constructed on the west
side Of Park-ave.. and a sewer built at the
lowest level in Fifty-fourth and Forty-eighth
sts TO drain the new yards The gas pipe and
water pipe systems will also be changed to ac-
commodate the change OF level While this is
being done all the buildings between Fiftieth
and Forty-1fth SITS. and Park and Lexington
aves, will be demolished and the wreckage car
RED away. That will give the contractor room
IN Which TO start the work Of depressing the
present yards While one force Of men Is at
work there another force will start excavating
on the west of the present track in order that
the tracks may be moved over temporarily to
continue traffic while the work Of permanent
improvement is being done.
The second section extends from Forty-second
20 Fifty-seventh St, and is about two hundred
feet In width from Forty second TO Forty-eIghth
st. This section includes a portion of the sub
station which provides at Forty -second-st. for
connection with the rapid transit tunnel and the
storage yards. which reach to Fifty-secondst
On completion OF this section all the tracks will
be accommodated in the completed portion of
The terminal and the balance of the area, known
as 'he thlrd section, VIII be begun. That will
include the western side Of Park-ave
When completed the structure in Park-ava
VIII show as it were, double railroad. The
present tracks running to Fifty -sixth-st. where
NE present tunnel begins will reach the ter
HlihaI through an open cut That line four
tracks vide will accommodate the main line
frame While about thirty feet below tunnel
zen tracks wide viii accommodate the suburban
business handled by The New-Yory Cantrai
me underground tunnel tracks viii reach the
surface al about Fiftieth-st by a = ner cent
sIalt. ana VIII reach the four track tunnel now
tIty-seventh st&.
PLANS FOR STATIONS.
The main station-that is. the terminal for tho
Ieel lower than it is at present. and will extend
lIoin Forty second to Forty-fifth ST The sub
aroaR station below will extend from Forty
thlro 20 Forty-ffth st. The low level tunnel
VII extend about three blocks beyond Fiftietb
81 and the space and tracks there made will he
utilized as storage yards for cars and the cleo
INC motors The suburban station thirty feet
underground. viii be about two hundred feet
W'ae. The demolition Of the buildings east of
ne tracks viii give the contractors a chance tn
make progress. =" 0ii0''4Oe I"
II IS SAID that between two thousand srd tI,ra.
tnousAia Worknen will be put on the iob ana
S.ues that dozen OF more big steam ehoovale
-3'H "i Whlcn can do the work of a bur5raS
men, VIII De operated A line Of tracte Co. orn -
sfucloh purposes only will be laid on The sr,ono
70" occupied by buildings and the pro,,r5 &c
eAcaFated VIII he loaded up into the go - 80 90
carried away at night. when the co,,,,' r arta
tracks are comparatively free An tba 80 ,ti
ne done by excavation, because = fs to.t " -.
cheaper and. in the case of such hea1,,, .ts 4tl'
safer i'edFY raf1c.
The main track will as now lie an ,,z
iolnoatlon the new tunnel tracks r,,nrio1 ~
either side Of that foundation The Nag s 9I
me new bridges are the same as those srro.a5 -
by the Board Of Estimate and Apnorti in,l.
when the franchise granted 'e'i'