The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1904-11-03
The Current Was Turned on the
Main Artery of Manhattan's
Great System.
FORMAL EXERCISES WERE HELD.
Estimated That Nearly 10000 Pso-
pie Rode on the Electric Trains
During the Evening.
They Ran at TImes at the Rate oi
Mile q Minute In the Halt
Darkness Of the Huge
Tunnel.

New York Oct. 2S.-"City Hall to
Harlem in Is minutes" became re-
ality Thursday when the main artery
Of Manhattan's great subway system
was opened to the public. The formal
opening exercises held in city hall
Thursday afternoon were attended by
invited guests. Mayor Mcclellan pre-
sided.
Following the exercises special
train left city hall for the 145th street
terminus, carrying invited guests. The
mayor turned on the current and the
trip was made without event.
The actual opening of the subway
to the travelling public took place
Thursday night. Long before o'clock
when the first train was scheduled to
leave city hall, the park surrounding
the hall was jammed with good ma
tured crowd. Thousands of persons
fought with one another for the privi-
lege of purchasing the first ticket.
Flying wedges, center rushes and al
most every means of progress known
in football tactics were adopted by
those ambitious to ride upon the first
train.
Promptly at o'clock the first Of the
crowd were admitted to the station
and when the first train dashed in
sight around the loop hearty cheer
went up. AS soon as the five cars
had been filed the train was sent
away
The people turned out en- masse to
christen the new road and it is esti-
mated that nearly 10000 rode during
the evening. Hundreds of policemen
had been stationed along the route,
but the crowd was so orderly that
many of the reserves were sent back
TO their precinct quarters.
The subway runs through some Of
the most crowded portions of the city
and il was in these places that the
first trains were given welcome in
keeping with the event.
The run to Brooklyn bridge was ac-
complished in 26 minutes, which in
cluded eight stops. Running at times
at speed of a mile a minute in the
half darkness of the tunnel, the train
dashed by stations which could only
and the black mass of spectators.
Brooklyn bridge was the terminus
of the express run and there a noisy
multitude recruited from Brooklyn and
Manhattan We'd with each other in
hailing the precursor of rapid transit.
Scarcely less noisy was the reception
given the train bearing Mayor McClel.
Ian and his party in the afternoon.
The mayor stood in the power box and
in Just 20 minutes piloted the train
through the catacombs of the subway
from city hall to Washington Heights
The construction of the tube has
volved difficulties of character prob
ably never faced in such a work. Por
tions of It passed under skyscrapers
involving costly and specially designed
supporting systems, and practically its
whole length lies under a crowded
city. requiring the solution of such
problems as those involved in the dis
placement of hundreds of sewers
many of them great trunk conduits
masses of intricate and interlaced
electric wires, gas, water and steam
pipes, and all without seriously in
ruptng the services of these essen
tials to the life of a great city.
Old foundations were encountered
in unexpected places and quicksands
strongly flowing springs and long-for
gotten streams frequently called into
play every device OF modern engineer
ing genius to meet perilous emergen
cies. About 100000 cubic yards Of
excavation were made for the tunnel
one-third of which was stone. Al
this required blasting another serious
obstacle was encountered in devisins
means for the safe use of explosives
particular in those portions of the
work which were in the form of oper
excavation, or ditching.