New-York tribune., 1907-11-28
TRAININBATTERY TUBE
FIRST TRIP TO BROOKLYN.
Visitors Ride from W0N Street to
Borough Hall Station.

r.ceded with capitalists, engineers. Public Ser
Rtcs commissioners, tunnel experts, bankers
BROKERS ard newspaper men, the first train of the
rnterboreuEh Rapid Transit Company 10 make
trip 70 Brooklyn under the East River TO the Bor-
cugh Hall went through the tube yesterday be
tween 11-S0 and O'Clock. starting from the wan
street station. The speed was greatly reduced 70
silow the to look at the walls roadned ana
safety devices along the route
The train consisting Of three steel cars. car 5ell
being IN front was operated by G. Morrison. vet
eraa subway rnotoTman. who ran the hrst train
through the Manhattan subway Otto Hayes was
fhe trainmaster. The train left wall street AZ
1885, o'clock and the Bowling Green station three
and one-half minutes later crowd OF enter
prising" persons who wanted 20 see everything
first quickly hled the forward end OF the hrst car
The Joke was on them when the train went part
way around The loop a. Bowling Green, reversed
and switched 70 the north tube, known as the New
York rubs. All the "enteTprising' persons were
then ST the end Of TIE last car Brooklyn Borough
Hall was reached at 12;55 O'Clock.
When the train drew slowly into the station the
hell on Borough Hall. which used 10 sound the f1re
slsrn when the late Hugh Mclaughlin was 4
young man, pealed out a salute To those who were
zighting and the church bells all around brooklyn
Heights Joined in the brazen melody
On the platform in the roouny station at Borough
HALL q table containing salads and safo-
-0sches. Whether sle edIbles were regarded as
honest graft whether the visitors wanted 70 I'M
prove an opportunity 10 get something at the eH'
pTnEe OF q pUblC service cOIpOIdliyl Nci''1ii- -
vss that the ticket holders fell upon the sutler
supplies ike Joshuss shifting the Edornites'
FROM the way the supplies disappeared II nlsnI 90
G COED fdea for the management TO have lnhcheon
there every day TO boom the trafhc. August be.-
mont who is not big Of stature, had struggle 70
set up TO the table. Some Of his engineers had 70
lend q hand before he got hold Of sandwich
This is colers show" said Brooklynite TO
S-ontroller Metz the bell doomed out ifs well
gone LESSON IN STRAP HANGING.
Yes" ssid Metz. true 70 his ruling passion. as
p. reached for a sandwich: "yes. some one foio
Eoier ana coler tolled the bell
gorougn President CoIer the station plat
form with his right hand working gladly. One Of
-he 6rst 20 leave the train Timothy L. Wood
run who lives IN Brooklyn in the hest of political
campaigns.
This is 8 great day for Brooklyn" said Mr.,
r-cIer "AW thev need 10 do now is 20 move the
city Han over here. It's the only right place 70
live"
The observing trainmaster. ss soon IS the re-
freshrnsnts gone, yelled 'An aboard for the
return trip which was made in much better time
seven and a half minutes
Some Of those on the inspection trip we're August
Belmont. Ralph Peters, president Of the Long ISL
end Railroad, Cornelius vanderbilt, Walter G
oakrnan, Theodore P. Shonts. r \. - Smith Wal
ter Crawford, +. H Vreeland, Nelson P Lewis,
chief engineer Of the Board OF Estimate and Ap-
portionment: Borough President Cromwell Of Rich
mend Controller Metz Public Service Commits
Eioners Bassett. Maltbie and Eusts. :. L. n Deyo,
X. r. Reeves N ". Galloway. William Barclay
Parsons, n. ". AIcWilliams, Don Seitz. James
Rsscovar, r. .. z. Brown. Thomas Peters Fl. II.
Smith, John 7. Hettrick. John Peirce. Edwin W
Winter, Of the Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company:
John B. Mcdonald. the subway builder; Andrew
freedman, E P. Bryan. Max z. Schmidt, General
James Jourdsn. Joseph Auerbech Frank Hedley
George Il. Pegram T. J. Brown and many more
was greatly pleased with the inspection" said
August Belmont THE engineers tell me that the
Gse mill h
of the year as faC as the Borough Hall, and TO
Flatbush by April ]. I understand that the run
ming time between Bowling Green and the Borough
Iisn viii be about four minutes"
The trip VAS . great success" said Cornelius
Vanderbilt 7 was glad 10 find the tunnel so dry.
Whatever seepage. there is now will disappear in a
feT- months as II does in all tunnels"
On the way back nearly al stood Up and hung
fast 70 the straps
That shows that even intelligent men prefer to
stand W and hang 20 straps said August Bel
mont 10 Genera Iourdan-and winked.
The tube was lighted with incandescent lamps
and in various openings between the two tubes
we're crowds OF workmen watching the first train
At intervals were largo notices printed in Italian
warning thsss men 70 beware of the third rail
and wires
HOW THE TUBE is EQUIPPED.
The Brooklyn statien is counterpart, in large
measure OF stations Manhattan, with some i'm
provenents as 10 width Of platforms and ventila-
ftoa. The following facts in relation 70 the t1n-
uel we're made known after the trip:
The distance from Bowling Green 20 Borough
Hall is l6 miles and the length OF the tube proper
Tbs distance from centre centre Of the two
tubes IS e feet.
TIE inside diameter of the tubes is 10 feet
inches.
The lowest part Of the tube N the centre is 90
The grade from New YORK % the bottom of th,
tubs and from the bottom Of the tube 70 Brook
lyu IS g. per cent which .s the same grade as
that under the Harlem River, through which cars
have oeen operated for more than two years.
Ventilaung shafts have been provided the
these VIII be equipped with large capacity venti-
istng chinery.
The venrilating shafts viii also be eourned with
emergency stairways.
The tubes are Lighted BY independent lighting
systern- This is not IN any way oonneoted with
The third rail Therefore, should the power or cur
rezt be turned on the third ran, the lights in the
cars viii be extlngu!shed, but the lights OF the
tunnels or tubes, which are arranged On each side
VII still continue 70 burn. This Independent light
ing circuit IS arranged on two separate crciits so
that If short circuit occurs on one OF the light
ing mains the other one VIII continue 20 burn
The alignment Of the tunnel necessarily has been
made with considerable Curvature but great care
hss been taken In the construction end elevation
q the tracks 10 meet the conditions Of these cur
vztures- Accordingly passenger riding in one
OF the cars would hardly know that Il was curved
THE SIGNALLING SYSTEM
About ons-hsif the distance down the graas
toward the centre Of the river from tbs New Yort,