Palestine daily herald. [volume] (Palestine, Tex.) 1902-1949, 1908-11-23
TO OPEN IDEAL TUNNEL
Most Complete and Perfect Tunnel In
the World to Be Opened In
Boston This Week.

Boston. Mass. Nov. 23.-What is
claimed to be the most complete anc
perfect tunnel for passenger trafflc
to be found anywhere in the world
has lust been completed in this city
and will be opened for use during the
present week. 1t is known as the
Washington street tunnel and is de-
signed to relieve the congestion OF
the narrow and crooked streets OF
Boston's business section. The tun-
mel will be used to carry the trains
of the Boston Elevated Railway COM
pany through the downtown section
of the city. The old tunnel, known
as the fremont street subway, which
was the first to be built in America,
will be employed exclusively for the
so-called surface car traffic. With
both tunnels in use the downtown
streets will be practically relieved of
all street cars.
The new tunnel is 1915 feet long.
It is fireproof throughout. All the
steel construction is protected by
concrete from rust or fire. All the
doors and ticket booth and escalator
balustrades are encased in sheet
bronze. The telephone offices and
package rooms and electricians clos
cts have tiled walls of masonry. The
signs are of metal and the seats and
benches of cement. There is not bit
of wood throughout the completely
fire-proof structure.
The construction of the tunnel
varies in different places, being adapt
ed to the constantly changing condi-
above it. Sometimes vault is used,
held together by ties in some cases,
and sometimes the roof is spanned by
Orders, and in the choice of these
methods one factor was the necessity
of continuing traffic in the streets
while construction was in progress
In accomplishing this the engineers
achieved a great success. The tunnel
was begun and finished with no dis
turbance to the traffic overhead.
To insure against the cutting off of
the current at any time and thereby
plunging the stations into darkness,
three different sources of supply are
arranged for, each Independent of the
other, and all so arranged that should
the current be shut off from one
source it is instantly supplied from an
other source automatically by an ar
rangement of the main switches. To
31oess the tIlnnei at all times free f fr;sssdr
water, pumping stations are installed
at three different localities. There
are four fan chambers to exhaust the
foul air from the tunnel.
The walls of the stations are of
glazed tile. Where color is used in
the tile work, as in the borders and
signs, it is of distinctive color for
painted of the same color, so that
the traveller on looking out of the
window recognizes his position by
the familiar color of the station. The
platforms of the stations are each
three hundred and fifty feet long, and
are designed to accommodate trains
of eight cars At the principal sta
lions excalators are provided besides
the necessary stairs to the exits and
entrances. Each station is provided
with package rooms, news stands and
public telephone booths.
The tunnel was built by the Boston
Transit Commission, and leased to
the Boston Elevated Railway COM
pany for twenty-five years from the
beginning of its use. 1t is built
through that section of Boston which
contains the highest priced land, with
due regard for the best feasible grade
and alignment with respect to the
narrowness and crookedenss of the
streets. Its cost, together with the
cost of its approaches and equipment,
is estimated at over ten million dol
lars. The tunnel will increase the
carrying capacity of the Boston Ele-
waited Railway company system
through the heart of Boston, it is esti-
mated, about one hundred and seven
SSM =