The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-10-10
BOTH PENNA. TUBES ARE OPEN
SECTI ONS OF THE SOUTH TUNNEL
MEET EXACTLY.

This TIme the Jersey Gang Covered More
Distance . the New Workers ana
They and Their Bulldog Mascot, dewey.
Celebrate Under the RIVer's BED.
The south tube Of the Pennsylvania tunnel
under the North River was officially opened
at I O'Clock yesterday afternoon when
G. M. Jacobs. chief engineer Of the Penn
s~ylvania system. and John r. O'Rourko,
president Of the O'Rourke Engineering
Construction Company. took q small party
OF invited guests reporters ovSr the
0,oOO feet Of subway that reaches from
Thirty-third street and Eleventh avenue,
Manhattan, to Weehawken, where the river
tunnel Joins the extension that 10 being bored
through Bergen Hill.
Work was practically suspended In the
tunnels yesterday and the 600 men who have
been working under the rivers bed for so
long spent the day in having their pictures
taken and in decorating the tunnel for the
formal opening.
II wasn't very formal at that, but just
what ono would have looked for from these
engineers whose teat cf yesterday creates
a new record.
Promptly at 8 o'clock the 6at BARS bearing
the rubber encased guests over the tenn
porary tracks left Manhattan through the
north tube, going over the work completed
q few weeks ago. The return was made
through the south tube. There were cheers
ana congratulations and pictures were taken
by f1sshlight and that was about all the
Formally. The party came ON through to
Manhattan, crawled out of their rubber
coats and boots and left for an informal
feast at the Waldorf. Among those
an NkA kr1- HAn.-- --Ro.
George B. Fry, J. c. Sullivan, Mr.. Fry's
chief assistant, Patrick Fitzgerald, super
intendent OF the air tunnels, and LEROY TALL
man, Clinton Stephens, John Baron and
James Baron, the four assistant superin-
e%endents, who have had charge Of the build
ing OF half a tube each.
The meeting in the south tube OF the two
gangs OF tunnel workers that have been
drawing nearer together for a year took
place Monday night, just four weeks after
the completion OF the north tube. While
in the north tube the New York men, hav-
ing an advantage Of an earlier start, man
aged to pass about 300 feet hey ond the
centre line before the meeting occurred,
the New Jersey workers got even in the
south tube by getting a couple Of hundred
ieet ahead OF the gang starting from Man
haitian. They and their bulldog mascot.
Dewey, spent yesterday in a Wild oelebra-
ton under the river OF their victory over
the New Workers..
some days before the two shields were
brought together final measurements were
taken, as in the case OF the north tube, to
ascertain that the alignment was correct.
The result was a triumph for the builders
OF the tunnel that surpassed the one achieved
in the north tube, which was the subject
OF comment the world over. The deviation
in the north tube was found to be one-six-
teenth OF an inch, but in the south tube
event this slight deviation had been elimi-
mated and when the two shields met it was
found that the two steel tubes fitted as
exactly as IL they had been made in one
piece.
To the lsyman the two tubes seemed to
be ready for the laying OF the tracks, but
Mr.. Jacobs said that they would not be
ready for trains for another year. A lin
ing OF cement a foot and a hall deep must
be put on and spiles have to be inv every
fifty feet under the tunnel to solid rock.
All thisC Chief Engineer Jacobs said would
be delicate work and require some time
for completion. After this work has been
accomplished the interior will be finished
and the permanent tracks laid.