The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-07-25
DEEPEST HOLE IN NEW YORK.
TIE new York Herald says:

TIE new York Herald says:
Broadway has been provided with .
new spectacle. The throngs which con-
srartly move up and down the thorough
fare may watch the progress OF perhaps
! the most interesting engineering feat 10
been seen anywhere on Manhattan Island
The problem consists in digging at end
street and Broadway the deepest hole
in New York Stand on either side OF the
| great triangle which is being sunk in the
earth at this point and the great depth
! OF the excavation and the many mech
anical appliances scattered on every hand
cannot fail TO take peculiar hold upon
ones imagination.
The corners which surround the great
excavation are such busy ones and the
streams of traffic on all sides so contin-
uous that the contrast OF the rough exca-
walton is the greater. The difficulties Of
such work, literally in the heart Of the
city. are OF course enormous IL has
been necessary 10 carry on the work
continuously without for an hour inter-
rupting the travel on three of New
York's busiest streets. On all sides OF
the triangle rise great buildings which
would be endangered by violent blasts
The enormous volume of rock 20 be re-
moved has been raised 10 the surface
anu carIea away without appreciable
nin-erance TO the surface cars. which
constantly rush along all three boundaries
Of the excavation.
The peculiar setting of all this activity
renders II strongly picturesque. Were
such q hole TO be drilled in some great
quarry IN the open country it would
still be interesting from the mechanical
point of view. " hen such work is under
taken practically under Americas busiest
thoroushfare. the interest is naturally in
ha a
speed along the dizzy edge of the exca-
walton. one can look directly down into
tI.is deep, artificial valley.
Never before. doubtless. has a similar
undertaking been watched by so great an
audience. The excavation is especially
interesting by night. Tine brilliant iilum-
ination of Broadway scarcely reaches to
the well-like depths OF the great shaft.
The jagged rocks stand out in striking
relief against the shadows. The great
throug which surges along the brightly
illuminated sidewalks OF Broadway look
down at an abrupt angle into what
appears TO be a bottomless abyss
The work of excavation at this point
is being carried on by the firm of contrac-
tors who are excavating the subway for
the rapid transit roda between Fourth
and Seventh avenues. Were this hole
merely being dug for the foundations Of
Il bGhOtDS the piQDItiu WOulu HdNe bSCu
considerably simplified; as IL is. the rapid
transit tunnel must enter the great hole
on the east and pass out again at the
north.
1t has therefore become necessary 10
transform both And street and Broadway
into bridges to span the necessary exca-
walton. The intersection of Broadway and
and street is one of the busiest crossings
both by day and night. 10 be found any
where in New York City. possibly in the
entire country. Despite these difficulties.
however, the traffic on these streets has
not been impeded for a single hour
throughout the work OF excavation and
the worst is now past.
The problem of detaching so great a
volume of rock from the earth is prac-
tically identical along And street and In
the especially deep excavation at the
intersection. The rock 20 be removed is
as solid at this point as at any place
along the entire subway route. II could
only be loosened by violent blasting. IN
carrying on this work only the most
skilful rockmen have been employed. The
danger. which is necessarily great has
been reduced to a minimum.