The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1904-10-28

/ a
| two minute for expresses
Express trains ran at times at a
speed of a mile a minute and were
received everywhere along The route
| with noisy demonstrations, ringing Of
bells ana blowing of steam whistles
THE STORY or THE SUBWAY.
New York, Oct. 27.-The subway is
the consumation OF years of study OF
the transportation problem on Man.
haitian Island and marks the com
pleton Of the first stage Of what will
be the most comprehensive system Of
rapid transit in the world Consid-
erig the peculiar difficulties faced by
its builders the subway stands unique
as feat Of engineering and construc-
ton. In the shape Of an irregular Y,
with the stem resting a. the City
Hall, the tunnel runs north to Forty
second street, where il bends sharply
west TO Broadway and out that thor-
oughfare to One hundred and third
street. This portion OF the tunnel Is
a four track system, two tracks for
local and two for express train SER
vice AT l03rd street two tracks di-
verge in a generally northeastern dir
ection. cross under corner of Cen
tra Park aud on to the Harlem river,
under which 1t passes by means OF a
tunnel made famous by the engineer.
ing skill called into play 10 complete
it, After passing under the river il
continues to Third Avenue and l45th
street, where the tunnel ends and the
Bronx Park. The West Side branch
of two tracks continues north from
l03rd street to Hillside avenue and
Eleventh avenue, where ii energies
from tunnel and Is continued upon
viaduct TO its terminus at Spuyten
Duyyil.
Nine miles Of this total of about
fourteen were ready for traffic today,
but il is expected that the East Side
division and the remainder of the
West Side line vii be ready in about
three months. The recently authoriZ-
ell line from City Hall under the East
river to Prospect Park, Brooklyn, will
not be completed for about three
years With that and other lines nm
der construction and authorized,
Greater New York viii have between
twenty-five and twenty-ihree miles of
subway and alien lines
Ground was broken for the tunnel
On March %, 1900. after years of az
itatiOn aud legislation out Of which
the presen' project grew. II had been
decided by a municipal ballot that the
city should own the system. but that
il should be constructed under private
contract on money loaned by The city,
10 be repaid by the contractor with
interest. Il required six years to lay
out the route and plan the size and
character of the tunnel and the via
ducts. the work beingu nder the sup
nryision OF commission of which
f. Orr was president and
William Barclay Parsons chief engi !
neer. Tais accomplished. bids for the 1
gigantic work were issued. There |
we're but two responses that Of John |
B. Mcdonald. a New York contractor |
being the lowest at $35.00O,000. In |
spite OF the splendid franchise in |
yoIyed. the enormous difficulties of /
Irving a great tunnel under the |
city. the blasting and 1nevi- |
able suits for damages for injured |
property and the possibility Of a great |
withs is attendant liabil !
ty. deferred all others than Melon /
I'D and Andrew OnderOnk. whose bid /
.cssful bidder. The contract under 4
which Mcdonald undertook the work /
provided that he should construct the
subway road in four years a. cost
lf s25 900 600. that be should have
he right to operate il for fifty years.
with a right Of renewal for twenty
i've years. that the city would fur
fish him with SIS 900 900 10y an issue
4 bonds bearing 3ia per cen. inter
ST. and that in fifty years be should
epay the SIS 600 900 and interest by
nnuai installments. The entire prop
.rty would belong TO the city. ami
d the end II the lease he city cDuid
olease the system on IFS own terms
% whom 10 pleased The contractor
ras % make his profit out 81 the con
tr1ction and operation Of the read.
The construction Of the tube has in
olvoi difficulties Of a character prob
idy never before faced in snch a
fork- Portions Of it pass under sky
crapers involving costly and spec
illy designed supporting systems.
M practically its whole length lies
lder a crowded city. requiring .he
aluiion Of such problems a. hose