New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-07-17

Transportation. and shows the system Of under
ground tracks as we'll the proposed rapid
transit subway. with sectional view OF the in
terror Of the mammoth station. even to the
huge chandeliers which depend from the vault
ed ceilings of the main waiting room of the sta
ton.
1T is also elevated from the platform on which
it rests by means of supports of wood in such
a way as to show the two levels of the under
ground tracks Of the road and the transit sub
way with the elevators for baggage and the
staircases that lead from the track levels to the
main floor of the station the street level
McKim. Mead & White are the architects Of
the station, which is to occupy the two blocks
bounded by West Thrty-frst and West Thirty
third SITS. and Seventh and Eighth aves. The
dimensions of the station above ground ap-
proximately 100 by 500 feet.
The external treatment of the great structure
consists of a Roman-Doric order of architecture,
with columns and pilasters thirty-five feet high
and surmOunted by attic story. The general
roof level is sixty feet above the sidewalk. Mid
way between Seventh and Eighth aves.. and
running from Thirty frst-st to Thirty third-st,
| is the general waiting room, the walls of which
rise above the general roof level to a height of
80 feet above the street level.
Tit structures principal front is that facing
Seventh-ave.. and the main front entrance is at
the centre of this facade. facing Thirty-second-
st. Entrances and exits are placed at either
side Of the main entrance. and carriage en-
frances are provided for the extreme ends OF
the main front
Passengers reach the general waiting room
from the main entrance the Seventh-ave-
side through an arcade similar 10 the well
known galleries of Milan and Naples. Broad
stairways from the arcade and from the Thirty
frst-st and Thirty -third-st- sides descend to the
general waiting room. the floor OF which is sew
enteen feet below the street level
Thirty-dve thousand square feet is the area
Of this general waiting room. the lofty ceiling OF
which is 100 feet high. Contained in the room
are the usual ticket offices and conveniences OF
a great railway station
Smaller waiting rooms. e.ch with
of 6.OOO square feet. for the use of men and
women, respectively, connect with the general
waiting room and with the concOurse. or glass
rooted court. to the west of the general watt
ing room. from which the train platforms are
reached
The concourse is 100 feet wide. and forms a
bridge all the tracks, extending the en-
tire width OF the station from Thirty-frst-st
TO Thirty third-st. Stairs and escalators from
the concourse lead to each OF the train plat
forms beneath, the arrangement being similar
to that In the new DUAL dOrsay station in
Paris. and such that il is not necessary to cross
one track ,r order to reach another.
Exits lead directly TO Thirty -frst-st and
Thirty-third-st-. and to Eighth-ave.. from the
concourse- From the Seventh-ave.. or main,
| front carriage entrances lead by an easy grade
| to carriage courts at the level OF the general
waiting room. which is also the level of the tran
sit subway, connecting directly with the wait
| ing room. the concourse and the baggage rooms
| The arrangement IS such that the currents Of
arriving and departing passengers are separated
| one from another and congestion prevented.
The baggage has an area of A., 600
square feet. and Is situated under the arcade
and restaurants which at the street level
Elevators connect the baggage room with the
track level.
Twenty-one tracks traverse the underground
area Of the station from Eighth ave. to Seventh