Arizona republican., 1904-10-28
SUBWAY OPENED
A Simple Ceremony for so
 Gigantic an Enterprise
YEARS SPENT EXPLAINING
Other Years in the Completion A History Of the Work and a Desrrip- ton of the Great Undsrground Transportation System.

New York. Oct. 27.-The great un- dergrOund railroad was formally de- olared open for business this morning. The ceremonies were very simple
 The actual opening of the subway to the travelling public took place to- night Long before . o'clock. when the
 hrst train was scheduled to leave The City Hall the park surrounding the hall was damned with a good natursd crowd Thousands of persons fouxht one another for the privilege of uur- chasing the first tfcket The peanle turned out ennasse 10 chrlstsn fse new road and 1t is estimated that near ly l5O.00O rode during the evening
 The subway is the consummatIon of years of study Of the Transportation problem on Manhattan Island and marks the completion Of the first stzE- of what will be the most comprehensfva system Of rapid transit in the world Considering the peculiar dIfHcuIries faced by its builders. the subway stands unique as feat or engineering and construction In the shape of an irregular '. with the stem resting al the city hall. the tunnel runs north 10 Forty-secOnd street where it bends sharply west to Broadway and o-- ttal tAOr0ughfare to 1G3rd street This portion of the tunnel is four track system, two tracks for local and two for express train servf-e. Al I0a-5 street two tracks diverge in a general " northeastern direction. cross under a corner Of Central Park and on to the Harlem river, under which it passes bg means Of tunnel made famous by the engineering skill called into play to rlIn~a river it continues to Third avenue anE l45th street. where the tunnel ends and the tre is continued upon a Fiaduct tsr Bronx Park The West Side brtnrrt of two tracks continues north from 1o3rd street to Hillside avenue and Eleventh avenue. where it eus--4. from tunnel and is continued .t.1ou FiadEct to its terminus at Spuvt-1 Duyvil- Nine miles of this total Of about fourteen were ready for trafu.s today, but it Is expected that the eazr side division and the remainder -lf the west side line will be ready in abour three months. The recently authorlz- ca line from city hall under the East r1Ver 10 Prospect Park. Brooklyn. vii not be completed for about tisr-e years. With that and other lines ur.- der construction and authorizs5. Greater New York will have between twenty-two and twenty-three miles ,sf subway and allied lines
 Grnund Was broken for the tunnel on March 25, 1900. after years Of a-t- tation and legislation out of v-hies the present project grew. T. had been decided by a municipal ballot that t,. city should own the system. but that II should be constructed under privafe contract on money loaned br the citv. to tbe repaid by the contractor win interest. IL required six years to lsy out the route and-plan the size and character of the tunnel and the via ducts. the work being under the super vision of commission of which Alex ander F. Orr was president and Wt- jam Barclay Parsons chief engin-er. This accomplished. bids for the rI- gantic work were issued There were but two responses. that of John B. Ne-- Donald. New York contractor. being the lowest at $35. .O00.OeO. In spite Of the splendid franchise involved. the enormous difficulties Of driving a great tunnel under the crowded city. fha. blasting and inevitable suits for da- images for injured property and tils possibility of a great catastrophe win its attendant liability. deterred an others than NfcDOnald and Andrer Onderdonk, whose bid was four r1il- lions in excess of the successful bfI- der. The contract under which Mo Donald undertook the work provided that he should construct the subway road In four years at a cost of Ss5. .oo1. GOO; that he should have the rfrht to operate 1t for fifty years vfsh a rfrAt Of renewal for twenty-five years that the city would furnish him with s3E-- ODO.OOo. by an issue of bonds bearing three and one-ha1f ue- m he should repay the S55. .0OO. 900 and ir- terest by annual instalments- Tke entire property would belong to she city, and at the end of the lease the city could release the system on Hs own terms to whom 1t pleased The contractor was to make his proht o-It Of the construction and operation O. the road.
 The construction of the tube has ln- Nolved difficulties of character prob ably never before faced in such a work Portions of it pass under szyscropers involving costly and specially dessen- ed supporting systems. and practical iy Its whole length lies under a crowd ed city requiring the solution of such problems as those involved in the diz- placement of hundreds of sewers many Of them great main trunk con duits. masses Of intricate and fute-- laced electric wires. Ess. water anI steam piTes. and all without seriously interruptlnE the services of these -s- sentials to the life of great city Old foundations were encountered ira unexpected places and quick sandz strongly flowing springs and ion- fo-- gotten streams frequently called Into play every device Of modern engineer ing genius to meet perilous emerren- cles- About three million cu5ic yar ls Of excavation were made for the tun- nel. one third Of which was stone. A this required blasting another serio-ss obstacle was encountered in devfsins .
 Continued on Pace 8