The Washington times., 1904-08-28


followed out step by step that full
realization obtains Of just what has been
done and what obstacles were overcome
in doing II.
To dig more than thirty-one miles of
tunnels large enough in all places II
contain two trains running abreast. for
seven miles broad enough to contain
four tracks and in several more three
tracks. all beneath the principal high
ways Of the city, propping up the street
surfaces and a maze Of pipes, wires,
sewers, rails, vaults and adjoining build
ings. interfering as little as possible with
their constant use day and night by
swarming population, has been the great
task set for the subway builders That
such a difficult work could be accom-
plished without damage was not among
reasonable expectations. but careful
plans and execution have avoided injury
TO property wherever possible and re-
paired IL in others. In several instances
the subway construction company has
purchased property on which IL found il
necessary 10 demolish buildings in or
der to increase the radius Of the curves
in the road in rounding street corners.
In Manhattan borough the amount Of
damage has been Iessened by the fact
that much Of the tunnel has been blast
ed through the bedrock which lies close
TO the surface. affording a firm founda-
ton for buildings. In the sandy sell Of
Brooklyn much trouble is being encoun-
tered, and the resulting damage prom
ises to Offset the decreased cost Of ex-
cavation. The reopening of old springs
in that borough along the subway route
h-l
buildings. The progress Of the road
here is marked by brick walls. cracked
and out of plumb, and long lines Of
doorsteps at all angels. Property own
ers are combining to exact compensa-
ton from the contractors.
Sewers a Great Obstacle.
Greatest Of all the obstacles encoun.
tered, however, was the sewer system
in Manhattan. The path Of the under
ground, running generally north and
south the length Of the island, is crossed
by a dozen big sewers and hundreds Of
smaller drains. To close one of these
sewers. even for one hour, was. of
course, forbidden. A failure to comply
with this condition might have involved
an intolerable nuisance or perhaps an
epidemic OF disease. That this task
was handled without slip is 3 feat Of
which the subway engineers and con-
tractor are proud
Two of these large sewers crossing the
island and the subway from, river to
river-One at Fourteenth Street, the other
at Bleecker Street-was each more than
six feet In diameter At the crossing
points these sewers were lowered so as
to pass beneath the subway. Conduits
were built at the new level for a dis
tance of several hundred feet. the old
sewers meanwhile being supported on
props. Then. when all was ready, the
flow was diverted TO the new drains by
cutting the old sewers and joining their
ends with those of the new ducts.
A more expensive solution was re-
duired in dealing with the great Canal
Street sewer, which had TO be entirely
replaced. The old sewer. more than six
feet in diameter, drained an East Side
tenement districtof several square miles.
including the most thickly inhabited res
idential section in existence. It car
ried the drainage Of this section iowa I'd
North River. To lower the sewer near
Broadway, where II crossed the subway
route, would have brought IT below
tidewater level, which would have Sc
riously reduced its already overtaxed ca
pacity and would have resulted in dam
ages from overfiOws during transforms.
This was avoided by the building of the
new sewer with a pitch in the opposite
direction, toward East River, draining
all the section east Of the subway. Ieav-
ing the western portion Of the old sewer
TO handle only the drainage of the terri
tory surrounding II. Thus the city's
drainage was greatly improved
Propping Street Traffic.
While operations have been proceed
ing beneath the surface it has also been
required that all street railways must
be allowed to continue operating with
out interference, and that a path must
be kept open for wagon traffic. This
provision OF his contract Mr.. Mcdonald
met in many cases by practically erect
ing n temporary platform at the street
level, over which all traffic proceeded as
usual, while underneath the platform
the cellar diggers." as the contractor
once termed them, with the aid Of ar
tificiaI light worked on, propping the
platform with great timbers as they
went down deeper. These props re-
manned in place until relieved Of their
burden months later by the completion
Of the steel and concrete structure of
the tunnel, on which the weight Of the
street finally rested.