The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1907-01-07
N. VS. Tunnels
|PRocREs MADE IN THE ENoR.
NOUS PROJECTS.
Holes Bored Through Rocks and Nine
Years Required to Complete
the Enterprises.


the Enterprises.
So extensive are the ramifcations
of subway construction beneath Man.
haitian Island and the adjoining rivers,
that 1t becomes increasingly difficult
to keep in close touch with the pro.
gress OF the work on the individual
enterprises. Commencing with the
most important of the schemes. that
OF the Pennsylvania Railroad Com
pany, the present conditions are that
the two tunnels under the Hudson riv-
er have been completed as far as the
driving Of the tubes is concerned, and
there remains now the work of carry
ing the supporting piles down to bed
rock and the lining OF the tubes with
two feet of concrete. 1t Is expected
that these two tunnels will be In con.
dition for the passage OF trains by the
fall Of 1908. The four tlbes which
the company is building below the
East river are known as tubes A, B.
c and D. The most difficult portion
Of the driving, in which there has been
a great deal OF delay due to the OBJ.
struction of wharves and docks, has
been accomplished. Tube A has been
constructed for $50 feet, tube B for l.
100 feet, tube C for 700 feet. and tube
u for 1000 feet. The tunnels are be.
ing driven from both sides of the East
river, and 1t is expected that all four
OF them will be put through before
the close of 1907, and that they will
be concerted before the close of the
following yeara nd ready for use.
The work on the cross town tan.
nels connecting the river sections is
proceeding without any serious diff.
Guilty and they are expected to be com
pleted by the end of the year.
The Hudson companies have beer
making remarkable progress with
their four tunnels. The two tunnels
from Jersey City to Morton street
were completed several months ago,
and the Cortlandt street tunnels have
been advanced 5000 feet beyond the
Jersey shore. The Morton street tun-
ne has been driven up to Sixth ave
nue. and north along the avenue to a
point between Ninth and Tenth
streets. This tunnel will be extended
to Thirty-second street, where 1T will
end in a commodious terminal station.
1t is anticipated that hlis section,
with the branch below Ninth street
TO Aston place will be ready for ser
vice towardt he close of the year, and
that the Cortland street tunnel will
be completed about ~ months later.
The Steinway tunnel, which is being
built from the Grand Central station,
Manhattan, to Long Island City, is al.
so making remarkable progress.
About four weeks ago the headings,
which were being driven from Man.
haitian and from a shaft sunk in Man.
o'-War's reef in the middle of the riv.
er met and at the present time con.
~siderably more than half of this tun.
mel has been completed. Unless some
unforeseen obstacle arises, this tln
mel should be driven through early in
February, and should be ready for use
by the late summer or early fall.
The first of the East river tunnels
to be completed will be that of the
Rapid transit system, extending from
the battery to Brooklyn. The bore
was broken through on the %northerly
tunnel two weeks ago and connection
will be established next month be.
tween the two headings Of the south
tunnel. There will the remain only
the work Of completing the concret,
ing and track laying to put this tun.
mel in condition for service, and it is
probable that in April or May trains
will be running from Manhattan Ia
the Flatbush avenue station In Brook
Ign. When we bear in mind the in
herent difficulties of this tunnel work,
due either to the depth at which It
has been carried on below the water,
or the treacherous nature of the ma
terial which has been encountered. It
will be agreed that the contractors
and the companies are to be %congratu-
lated upon the great progress which
has been made, and upon the promise
OF such early completion.
REFLECTIONS OF A BACHELOR.