New-York tribune., 1906-11-07
THE PARIS SUBWAY.
Problems SolCed By the Netropof-
tan RaiIzcay Com pany.
Paris. October 26.

Paris. October 26.
i would be hard 10 find more striking ex
ample Of triumph due 10 stubborn perseverance.
over apparently insuperabIe difficulties than 1.
afforded by the story Of the Paris Metropolitan
Railway whose inception. development and hnal
execution have been one long struggle against
obstacles Of al kinds. chiefly technical. Of course
though political and typographical barriers wers
perpetUal'y cropping up as each step in advance
was made. r was il the heydsy OF the Second
Empire just after the victorious Crimean War
thar the idea rrst arose IL France OF construct
iuE a metropolitan railway for Paris: but Il
took forty years-Untl 1S96-to secure state
consent and recognition OF the principal scheme.
which comprised six electric traction lines for
the conveyance Of passengers only: and II was
rot Until five years iater-in 1901-that the full
concession 70 construct eight lines was accorded
ny the g0ver1u-ut-
These years had been consumed in vearisone
discussion. mostly provoked by subtleties OF
ra-tv politics between representatives OF the
state and rh- city os Paris as 70 which Of these
-zo authorities should control the lines. and
whether The lines should be purely local and
Partisan -- in Junction with the great trunk rail-
vs~s that have their Jernlini in Paris and are
Partially under state control. Finally. the city
i-self except for TWO lines FOR which a supple
r.er-zry concession has since been granted. all
The subscruc-u-al work such tunnelIing. erec-
rfor of viaduc-s. bridges and so forth. Il con-
ceded 70 joint stock company, largely financed
In Belgium. namely the Paris Metropolitan Rail-
way Company e thi-Jv-five years lease for the
commercial exploitation OF the line and the con-
srruction and furnishing of the rolling stock and
stations and all the electrical apparatus and
building works above ground. A notable spirit
q democracy appeared IN the terms Of the lease
and excited much controversy al the time they
we're promulgated. The company was obliged 10
grant irs employees ten days holiday each year
and whole holiday each week. If q workman
fell I'll full wages had to be paid 10 him for at
east year. and in the event Of his being the
victim Of sn accident occurring q { the works he
was 10 receive fun wages until he had entirely
recovered Workmen who were undergoing their
annual military training with the cOlors were
also 70 ne retained on the full payroll. All acci-
denis had 70 be insured against a. the sole cost
n the company. y orklneu on completion Of
TWO years service were 10 receive q bonus and
pensions were also fixed on q liberal scale. These
conditions created great deal Of opposition Oh
political grounds. but II IS certain that unless
the concezsionary company had acceded 70 them
the Paris Metropolitan Railway would never
have been constructed.
some idea Of the magnitude of the task which
vas undertaken may be gathered from the fol-
lowing figures The total length Of the
lines Is - kilometres OF 46 Is miles The total
cosr kt.ouer-e is 100000 francs. or S9S0ooo
which works out Al 81. .GJ0.OO0. approximately. a
nile. When all the lines have been CONSTRUCTED
2 TOTAL az JpO0ooO cubic metres Of earth vii
have been excavated. $4,000 cubic metres OF
masonry VIII have beer built Up and $1,000 ton:
n metal VIII have been utilized. Il is estimated
s- # al The earth taken out we're heaped TO-
--er r. would I'll up the entire space Of tbs
Place de- Ia ConcorIe TO q height Of seventy
metres which would be three metres higher
than the towers of No-re Dame. The masonry
would AL up the same space % a height OF
twenty metres which IS three metres higher thar
-1at o. the o5eHsk I'm The centre OF the place
while the metal employed, = transformed into
rails such as are laid down on the Metropolitan
would sUfHce for the construction OF a doubl'
line ~ 5lo Kilometres IN length. which is the
distance from Paris 10 Brussels The average
total number Of workren employed week in and
week orr has been $500
The 1rsr problem which the engineers Of tn
Paris Metropolitan Railway had 10 deal wifi
VAS thar - ire geological structure Of tht
ground or which Paris IS built. In this connec
'0n r1ere IS no doubr thar they had z Huci
easier task than the engineers of either the NeT
YORK or the London subtsrra-oan railway. anc
owing 10 the special nature u the strata through
which rhe b0rings had 70 be made they ver
s6e 20 decide in favor of constructing The line
relatively small distance from The surface
Paris is uunt on plain. srrf-rred by n,
heights ct Passv. M7ntmartre. Be,Ieville an,
- ,feriInontanr 20 The north and vest. and O
-iontParrasse and the Montague s.. Ceneviev
IN the south and east The general character q
ne geological strata is sandy or chaIky. Wher
ssnd IS found ir IS generally fine and nearly al
Ways iupregnared with water The df@7c,,Itie
'1 construction in the case OF sand. especialI,
-eA taiilel-lng in the nelghborhood Of houses
great buc the chalk strata are ir every wa,
''.'ahie 10 the engineer. II IS interesting .
.. ' hen excavsung At the argle cr the Ave