The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1904-11-01

| ed property and the Possibility o. a
great catastrophe, with its attendant
! liability. deferred ell others than Nc
! Donald and Andrew Onderdonk- whose
bid was four millions In excess Of the
| successful bidder. The contract under
which Mcdonald undertook the work
| provided that he should construct the
| subway road in four years at a cost
| OF $4,000. 900. that he should have the
right 10 operate IL for fifty years. with
a right of renewal for twenty-five
years: that the city would furnish him
with s35.o0c,Ooo by an issue OF bonds
bearing 81 per cent. interest. and hat
in fifty years he should repay the s35.-
100000 and interest by annual install
ments. The entire property would be-
long to the city. and at the ed CT the
lease the city could release the system
on its own terms to whom Il pleased.
The contractor was 20 make his profit
out OF the construction and operatiSn
of the road.
The construction OF the tube has IN
volve ed difficulties OF a character prob
ably never before faced in such 4
work. Portions of il passes under
skyscrapers. involving costly and spec
tally designed supporting systems, ami
practically its whole length lies under
a crowded city requiring the solution
| OF such problems as those involved IN
the Displacement OF hundreds of sew
ers, many OF them great main trunk
conduits, masses CT intricate and ir-
terlaced wires, gas, water and steam
pipes, and all without seriously inter
rupting the services of these ~senti
to the life Of a great city. Old foun-
dations were encountered in unexpect-
ed places and quick sands, strongly
flowing springs and long forgotten
streams frequently called into play
every device Of modern engineering ge-
MUS TO meet perilous emergencies.
About three million cubic yards of ex-
~cavation were made for h tunnel, one
third of which was stone. AS this re-
quiIed blasting, another serious oh
stacle was encountered in devising
means for the safe use explosives, par
ticularly in those portions Of the work
which were in the form OF open exCa-
walton. or %ditching. In preserving the
grade, the depths CT the tunnel under
ground varies largely, notably along
upper Broadway where 1t was driven
under the middle of the steet. Here
the roof of the subway is but a few
feet under the pavement. The detail
work OF constructing the tunnel was
done by means Of subcontracts. the
route being divided into sections which
were advertised by the chief contlac-
tor. AS extensive borings had been
made along the entire route. the con-
tractors We're enabled to judge very
accurately the character of excavation
to be made, but in some of the subdi-
visions unexpected obstacles and cor
ditionS were found.
The tragedy of the entire work.
which up to date has cost about 120
lives, lies practically in the division on
Park avenue in the Thirties and For
4 tfa- nc
cidents befell this section, causing a
number of deaths. entailing many
damage suits, and financially running
the subcontractor, who, to crown the
one dark chapter on the subway story.
finally lost mis- life in a blasting az
cident.
The history Of the subway is one OF
pluck, skill and energy. Even with a
full realization CT what it meant when
completed. New York has nathen,
tized it daily for four years, when
blocked streets. dirt End all the thous-
and and one inconvenience and annoy
anceS Incident to a work of such mag
nitude. have been forced upon them,
but today WI en- swiftly moving express
trains glide through the miles OF
brillia 1T. tiled lined tunnel. and the
dream of IRON the City Hall to Har-
lem in fifteen minutes" is a reality,
there emains only the pride in the ac-
coUplishment which was manifested
in the ceremonies at the opening.
The term tunnel with its generally
conveyed meaning Of a dark and I'M
foreground passage, is lily applied 20
the subway. 1t is not only a means Of
transportation, but a thing of beauty.
In the whole project the eSthetic mas
been kept in mind, and it represents
4 the highest TYNE Of CIrh work
Thu oughoUt it is lined with white glass
tiles, the iron work is testy and as far
as possible has been design ed with an
eye to the artistic as wei as strength
and dura bility, while TIE stations are
treated in color schemes with ceramic
thing. Each station has its own dis
tinctive color idea, and the decorative
scheme is varied i'll each. This was
done not only for decorative effect but
in order that the prevailing color ma
indicate the locality to the under
ground traveller, whose usual means of
knowing his whereabouts are not
available. The stations are commodi-
u and brilliantly lighted, and the
finishings are all of bronze, brass ami
other metal, woodwork being eliminat-
ed IS far as possible. The system s
electrical. one great Dower house de-
velopirg the &c luired energy. The Cars
are Of the latest type, being especially
designed for the system. and ale eitic-
copper or steel sheathed. Every known
device and every idea suggested by
skill n experience, have been p1 ovid
ed to insure cafe transpoT tation. A
complete signal system is in operation
and for weeks the trains have been
running ~resUlarly'iC order to train the
motormen and guards in their duties
and familiariZe them with the DAD
When Mr.. Mcdonald secured the
contract for constructing the subway,
q group of capitalists organized The
New York Rapid Transit Construction
Company with a capital of s6,0 00, GOO.
This concern furnished $4,000, 900 of Mr..
McDonald's $4,000. 900 bond TO the city
the other million being placed in secur-
ity companies. Two years later The
company formally took over Mr.. Nc
Donald's contracts. and it is under IL
that the subway will be operated for
tho Eff- 1-ao-c Drav-;dad IN tho 1890