The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1905-12-28
A 1oADED CAR IN THE CHICAGO TUNNEL

A LOADED CAR IN T
having branch lines which run direct
| IL into the Easements of their build
ings, to bring in goods, raw material,
| etc, and take out that intended Tor
shipment These facilities enable the
business houses to build downward as
we'll as upward, and Easements are be-
ing constructed several stories deep.
The goods are taken from the railroads
in these by specially designed eleva-
| tors, which will carry as much as 5O,-
| 900 pounds.
1t may be stated that the business
district of Chicago comprises about one
and a half square miles of territory
and is completely surrounded by the
passenger stations and freight depots
of the rs trunk lines which make Chi
1 cago the greatest railroad center In
the world. 1t is estimated that the
freight handled daily at the freight
depots in Chicago amounts to more
| than 10000 TONS and with the pres
ent facilities afforded by the tunnel will
relieve the congestion and facilitate
the transaction of business in the bust
ness section, removing about 80 per
cent of the heavy teaming from off the
streets. This underground electric
railway system consists OF subway
and track construction, the tunnel as
4
concrete. The walls are 10 inches thick
with IA inches bottom. They are six
feet wide and seven feet six inches
high, inside measurement, and are at
an average depth OF 40 feet below
/ grade.
| Advantages Of Concrete.
The concrete tunnel Is said to have
a great advantage over a brick one, as
| there is no chance for settling OF the
streets. In using brick it is impossi-
BILE to dig a tunnel so true that the
| brick will fit snug, consequently they
are obliged to back fill with clay.
BIS or other material that Is handy.
This leaves voids, which are bound to
cause settlement. In the use of con-
crete 1t is necessary to lamp the con-
crete tight to get perfect bond, and In
so doing 1t fills up every void no mat
ter how uneven, making 1t an tmpos-
sibility for any chance Of settlement.
1t is with just pride that the manage
ment can say that from the time the
work was started, up to the present
date, the company has not received one
complaint Of any damage having been
done to the streets of Chicago or ad-
joining property.
! More than It's, 900 lineal feet of tun-
mel has already been constructed up
to the present time The system now
reaches every passenger depot and
freight house, and connections are be-
ing made with these as well as the
| warehouses;, wholesale houses, retail
houses, manufacturers, etc, as fast as
the alterations necessary in the builG-
ing can be made The first railroad to
make provisions to use the subway was
the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern,
in their new freight house at Clark and
Taylor streets.
i The Track.
The permanent track has a gauge of
pany 4A Inch 56-pound rail was
adopted as the standard rail. The rail
is fastened by U-bolts to a specially
designed cast-iron chair embedded in
the concrete floor of the tunnel. The
great number of crossings and switch
es in use necessitated by all the street
intersections, turnouts or by-passes
leading to the different buildings made
it imperative that this part of the track
system be as near perfect as could be
made. The crossings in use are all
bolted to steel plates that extend over
the entire crossing, and this embedded
in the concrete floor.
1t is intended that automatic section
insulatOrs and throw-offs will be in use
at all street intersections. This arrange
ment enables the current to be cut out
in any block during temporary repairs
without shutting Off the current from
any other part of the system.
The cars are IL feet six inches in
length over all and Al inches in width
They are of steel and iron cOnstruc-
ton throughout, and can be used either
as gOndola or a fiat car, and every
car is equipped with the NJ. C.. Il. coup
Ter. The weight capacity of the car is
10000 pounds. The double tracks are
so built that the cars readily operate
upon curve Of 15-foOt radius.
weIi-Lighted Throughout.
The tunnel is we'll lighted through
out by electricity. The current for
light and power is supplied at pres
ent by the Chicago Edison Company.
Power for the trains is furnished by a
5,000-hOrse-power generating plant.
Direct current at ESQ volts, the rails
furnishing the return. Is the system in
use.
The Northwestern University has
deed a tract of land on the Chicago
River at Twenty-fourth to the Tunnel
Company, where 1t erects its own pow
er house. The company also erects
large warehouses where II will be pos
sibIe for merchants who have only q
large supply Of goods drawing upon the
same as needed. These warehouses the
company erects on its own property on
the west bank Of the river at Taylor
street.
At each street intersection of the
tunnel there is an automatic tele-
phone, and all trains are operated by
this system. The cables for the tele-
phone system are hung from the roof
Of the tunnel with q specially designed
adjustable strap. Guards are sta
toned at street Intersections and every
precautfon II taken to avoid accidents
The many connections already made
; with the tunnel tnsures thorough ven.
tilation. The door OF the tunnel II dry