New-York tribune., 1903-03-22
SUBWAY TRAINS IN FALL.
Bright Hopes for Underground
Rapid Transit IN October.

Just two years ago last Thursday the actual
work of construction on the rapid transit sub
way of New-York was really begun by the
breaking of ground for the change of grade OF
the Bleecker-st. sewer. The vast work Is now
nearer completion than most persons imagine.
wherever the pavement is intact in the street
over the workings" said Chief Engineer Far
sons the work OF tunnel construction has been
{, -3pleted. You are perfectly safe in saying
that the unfinished portions OF the tunnel are
Oily such as are still OPEN"
observation shows that not more than one
ll,il,. and half of the subway remains yet to be
cA;-avated upon Manhattan Island above the
City Hall, and that only about three miles anu
ON. half of excavated tunnel remain yet to be
1colcd
Asked whether or not the report that trains
u,I,. to be run as early as october was true, MI
Parsons replied Il have never made or au-
II ur,iZcd that statement" Mr.. Parsons, when
l.. sscd for a categorical answer to the question:
q, ,rliled to say that the commission expected u
run trains as early October, OR that it did
not. From sources outside the engineers de-
Iartment however, it WAS learned that there Is
= .rneral belief on the part of ali concerned that
trains will be regularly run through the greater
part of the tunnels length 10y the date men
toned Mr.. Parsons stated that when trains
are ruD they will be operated On both the West
Side and Lenox-ave lines from One-hundred-
aud-forty- -ffth-st to the City Hall
An inspection of the route discloses the fact
that most of the gaps in actual tunnel construc
ton are being rapidly closed. That under the
site OF the old Hall Of Records, near the Brook
lyn Bridge entrance, Is one OF the most note
worthy downtown. The next in Importance Is
at Eighth-St-, where the tunnel IN Fourth-aVe
and that In Lafayette Place are to be connect
fbn e}fo of buildiDPS rpCpntlV QenOl-
shed. There is comparatively little still to be
done In Fourth-ave., except at Union Square
and at the entrance to the old Fourth-ave. tun-
mel at -fourth-st- There Is still a consid-
era ble amount OF work to be accomplished IN
Forty-second-st between Fourth-aVe and
Broadway, and some in Broadway north Of
Fifty-ninth-st- The via6uct across the Manhat-
tan valley Is built, with the exception of a con-
Meeting link at Manhattan-st., where it is hlgh-
est, and the masonry Of the approaches at both
ends Is partly built. The deep section under
Washington Heights is completed throughout
the greater part of its length The viaduct from
the point where the tunnel energies from the
hillside near Dykeman-st. to Kingsbrdge is still
to Ie built On the Lenox-aVe. line little in the
wav Of construction remains to be accomplished,
except a short stretch at One-hundred-and-
twenty -ffth-st-, and the portion beneath and a
part of that beyond the Harlem River. The
river portion, which was recently flooded, has
been pumped dry, and the work IS proceeding
raIf,iIy This working extends at present under
only half the width Of the stream. The construc-
tion under the other half cannot begin until
the half now In work is completed. as part of
tn. stream must be kept open for navigation
That is the situation as far the actual
building Of the underground channel OF travel is
concerned The stations are nearly all well ad-
ranced. many lacking only the details Of decora-