New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-11-13
LACKAWANNA IMPROVEMENTS.
The Tracks Elevated in Newark at Great
Expense-Grade Crossings Abolished

Without interEypting its service, except for
one single period of few hours the Lacka-
wanna Railroad has just about completed
vast improvement in the city of Newark. In
little than year it has accomplished the
elevation OF one and six-tenths miles of track.
the depression of two miles of track, the moving
and remounting of a 1,0OO-ton bridge, the con-
struction of three passenger stations. a freight
house and express building and the enlarge
ment OF four freight yards, with their equip
ment of warehouses and coal pockets. The cost
of the improvement is between 100000 and
100000
The purpose Of this great work was threefold.
Formerly the Lackawanna tracks had eight
grade crossings IN Harrison and twenty-six IN
Newark, 4 besides a steep climb westward
through Newark and two heavy curves BY tho
Improvement the tracks have been Strengthened
throughout. Through Harrison and the eastern
part of Newark they have been elevated and in
the western part they have been laid in a deep
cut. Consequently the westward ascent has
been reduced TO a small angle that is easy for
the lightest engines. the curves have been elm
mated and all of the Harrison grade crossings
and all those IN Newark, with only one excep
ton, have been carried either under or over the
tracks or closed up entirely.
Never in previous railroad construction has
concrete been used to as great an extent as In
the Lackawanne Improvement The walls that
have been built up on each side OF the cut in
western Newark are Of solid concrete. that.
with the concrete flooring. the cut is little more
than great concrete trough. The abutments
on which the elevated tracks rest in eastern
Newark and Harrison also of solid concrete.
instead Of the old fashioned piles OF stone
brick In the estimation of engineers concrete
is even durable than stonework that lis
held together by mortar. In the course Of years
concrete harders more and more, so that IN time
ii practically resembles bed rock. stonework
tends at last TO disntegrate. In the whole work
1890 cubic yards of concrete we're used. which.
II laid in a wall yard wide in Broadway, would
extend from the Battery to the Harlem River
and reach height Of twenty feet Except for
the brick and stone in the stations. about
the only other material utilized In the work
steel Of which 6,294 tons were used.
New passenger stations have been built at
Newark and Rosevtlle. and one is now In process
OF construction at Harrison The Newark sta
ton is especially ornate. and is surnounted by
tall clock tower, which may be for long
distance round about. subway connects the
platforms skirting each track. At Rosevie
the station is half above and half below ground,
for II stands in a triangular bit of ground with
the cut Of the main line side and the cut
of the Montciair branch the other On the
latter side the passenger platforms extend in
the form OF n fiat crescent for more than
quarter OF a mile.
Trains were kept running throughout the lift
ing and sinking OF the tracks by carrying tenn
porary tracks wooden falsework In this
way trains rolled back and forth overhead while
worl1men dug out the earth or at times blasted
away the rock for the cut, or while they built up
solid masonry and laid steel framework for the
elevated structure. The only time that the
operation Of trains, was discontinued was when
the 1Oo0-ton steel bridge across the Passaic be-
tween Harrison and Newark lifted by
scows, from which ballast water was pufaped
out foated to it's pivotal platform and
then sunk into place by means of sandjacks, OF
boxes from which the sand allowed slowly
to escape, In its new position the passenger
trains are run over two upper tracks and freight
over the lower one. Before there had been no
upper tracks. The method of handling the great
structure was originated by l.. Hush, the chief
engineer Of the Lackawanne.