New-York tribune., 1908-11-29
NEW FORKS THICKNESS.
Extends Into Au and Under Ground
Quarter of a Mile.

Though much is being said and written about
New Yorb's growth in length and breadth in
the number of its inhabitants and the height Of
its sbyscrapers, one does not often hear the
question: How thick is New York." Now.
there may be more answers than one to this
query. If the person 10 whom it is put is in
clined to the use of slang he may translate
chick" into stupid" and reply: New York IS
Just thick enough to let a succession Of Tam
many mayors waste her wealth until bank
-uptcy stares her in the face" But if he takes
the word thick" literally he might answer with
truth that New York City has an extreme thick
ness Of 1000 feet. In other words from the
Ippermost tip Of the terminal light on the big
Metropolitan tower which is 700 feet above the
street level, the highest point permanently
reached by man in his activities above ground
IN New York, TO the extreme depth Of the ele
vat0r pIunge- cylinders beneath the City Invest
ing Building a point 800 feet below the level Of
Broadway. the point of greatest depth thus far
reached by man in his activities below ground
in New York. the city is over one-quarter Of a
mile thick. Reduced to yards, this thickness Of
New York is 363 yards and foot. and in
inches the total thickness is 1880. Extended
over 4 horizontal plane. this thickness Of New
York would little more than equal the distance
from the Battery to Rector street or from the
City Hall to Leonard street.
And if, by some giant knife. Manhattan Island
could be cut like pie, down through the lofty
Metropolitan tower, to the extreme depth Of the
elevator cylinders beneath the City Investing
Building. all unbelieyers would be offered ample
ocular proof that within the last few years
underground life in New York has developed at
almost unbelievable rate.
Following the trail Of the elevator shafts. sub
Ea ant hay
in turn been followed by sub-sub- Easements
until beneath the Hotel Belmont at 42d street
and Park avenue elevator service has been ex-
tended down to the fifth level. a distance of IS
feet and inches below the level of the street
True, it is only the freight elevator cars which
descend to this bottom level at present bu,
passenger elevators even now descend to the
third level story below the street on which
the hotel laundry is and they will probably
descend the entire distance to the fifth level
some day. better idea of the depth To which
activities are carried below the surface Of New
York at this point is afforded by the fact that
the subway, il swings from Park avenue into
42d street, passes through the second level OF
story Of the hotel building below the street. and
that business is daily going forward in the three
levels below the subway, if the situation were
the most commonplace in the world. There are
numerous other buildings in the city. especially
among those recently constructed. in which the
elevator service is extended beyond the base
nent to the sub basement.
An Illustration of the growing tendency ia
develop the underground possibilities Of business
life in New York was given when plans were
recently filed for a new skyscraper. to 60 up
the site Of the Tower Building the original
New York skyscraper. at No. so Broadway The
plans for this new building call for six stories
below the level Of the street.