Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-10-28
NOW OPEN.
New York Subway Ready
for Business.
Over One Hundred Lives Lost
in Its Construction.
It Has Cost $4,000, ooo-The OPENING
Exercises.

New York. Oct. 27.-New Yorks
great underground railroad, the
latest step in the movement
towards rapid transit for the old
city was formally declared open
and ready for business. Thursday
The last shovelful of earth had been
turned, the last riNet set, and the road
bed, rails and cars and mechanism had
feet condition by experts who had
watched the growth of the subway
from the beginning to its completion.
The ceremonies connected with the
opening of tn. tunnel. which were set
To take place in the afternoon were
very simple. a civic celebrat iOn was
planned to be held in City hall where
addresses were 10 be delivered by
Mayor Mcclellan ard men who had n
prominent place in carrying out the Ell
, terpriSe and where the mayor would
formally declare the great tunnel ready
for the public.
Th1. subway is the contamination OF
years Of study of the transportation
problem on Manhattan island and
marks the completion Of the first stage
of what will be the most comprehen-
sive system OF rapid transit in the
world. Considering the peculiar diff
culties faced by its builders. the SUBJ
WAY stands unique as Il feat of engi
neering and construction.
In the shape Of an irregular
y, with the stem resting ut
the City hall. TIE tunnel runs
north to 42d street. where it bends
sharply west 10 broadway and out that
thoroughfare to 103d street This por-
ton of the tunnel is Il four track sys-
tenn. two tracks for local and two for
express train service. At 103d street.
two tracks divergt in a generally
northeastern direction. cross under
corner Of Central park and OH to the
Harlem river. under which it passes by
means of Il tunnel made famous by the
engineering skill called into play to
complete it. After passing under the
river it continues to Third avenue and
145th street. where the tunnel ends and
the line is continued upon viaduct to
Bronx park
The West Side branch of two
tracks continues north from 103d
street to Hillside avenue and 18th
avenue, where it energies from a tunnel
and is continued upon viaduct to it's
terminus at Spuy ten Duyvil Nine
miles of this total of about II were
ready for traffic. Thursday. but it is
expected that the East Side division
and the remainder of the West Side
line will be ready in about three
months. The recently authorized line
hsl 1n
Prospect park Brooklyn. will not be
completed for about three Years. With
that and other lines under construction
and authorized, Greater New York will
have between % and 23 miles of sub
way and allied lines.
Ground was broken for the tunnel
on March %. 1900, after years of agita-
ton and legislation out of which the
present project grew. 1t had been d.
cided by a municipal ballot that tho
city should own the system. but that
it should be constructed under priva te
contract on money loaned by the city
to be repaid by the contractor with in
t"rest. 1t required six years to lay out
the route and plan the size and char
acter of the tunnel and the viaducts,
''iN WI n p'tiiS hiid'i tiic supervisor
Of a cOmm ission of which Alexander
+. Orr was president and William Bar
clay Parsons chief engineer This ac.
complisned. bids for the gigantic work
were issued. There We're but two re-
sponsns. that of John b. Mcdonald. a
New York contractor being the lowest
at 35E0G,000. In spite of the splendid
franchise involved. the enormous diff
culties of driving great tunnel under
the c0owded city. the blasting and in
eVitabin suits for damages for injured
property and the possibility Of a great
catastrophe with its attendant liability,
deferred I'll! others than Mcdonald and
Andrew Onderdonk. whose hid was
$4,000, 900 in excess of the successful bid
der
Inc contract under which Nc
Donald undertook the work provided
th"t he should construct the subway
road in four years at cost of $50. 000.-
ooo; that he Should have the right to
operate it for so years, with right of
renewal for 25 years: that the city
would furnish him with S35 DOC, 900 by
an issue of bonds bearing 3h per cent.
interest and that in 80 years he should
repay the So, 900 and interest by
annual instalments. The entire proper-
y W"uiG belong to the city. and at the
ehd OF the lease the city could release
.ie system on its own terms to whom
IL pleased. The contrac tor was 10 make
ms profit out of the construction and
operation of the road. Al
Ia" construction of the tube has in
,oi'ed diifculties of character proha-
Dis never before faced in such q work.
iort,ons of it pass under skyscrappers,
involving costly and specially designed
supporting systems. and prac tically its
"hoie length lies under crowded city
recurring the solution Of such problems
as 'nose involved in the disp' acement of
nui.ufeos Of sewers, riany of them
sieat man trunk conduits. masses Of
intricate and interlaced electric wires.
sas, water and steam pipes, and all
without seriously interpreting the SER
vices OF these essentisi is to the lift of
great city. Ore fousdations were en-
countered in unexpected places and
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