Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1908-02-01


| through the rock and sand far be-
meath the river bottom and 80 care
fully were the details calculated and
worked but that they were not q
fraction Of an inch on when the sepa-
rate sections from Manhattan and
Brooklyn met ninety-hve feet below
the middle of the rive. tar,,
- - ANA
Some Of the Safety Devices. -
George H. Pegram, chief engineer,
declares that the tunnel is perfect
ly safe and durable. Most Of It bores
through solid rock. In the middle
of the river there is a stretch of sand,
but the tubes rest on a foundation
of reinforced concrete that gives them
solidity almost equal to that Of the
rock foundation.
Beginning at the Manhattan side,
the tubes go through rock for dis
tance of 1000 feet, then through sand
for 700 feet, and then through rock
again for 400 feet, entering sandy
foundation second time.
There are two tubes-ene for
eastern travel and one for western
travel. They are entirely separate.
being connected only at intervals by
drainage canals. The net inside
diameter of the tubes 10 fifteen and
one-half feet. The outer covering
OF the tubes consists of eight sheets
of steel plates. In reality the tunnel
is formed of succession of rings OF
steel. Inside the steel there IL con-
crete lining which varies in thick.
ness.
Pathway Along Sides.
Along each side of the tubes are
what the engineers describe az duct
benches" but which the lay mind
would call islands or pathways for
safety. These benches are about on
the level of the floor. Taft could
step from train and pass along the
side of the car. There is plenty of
room for employees or passengers to
get out in case Of blockade.
And to guard against flre there Is
reel of hose and a water connec.
tion every 500 feet, also telephone
connecting with the operator at
Bowling Green. In addition to all
these precautions there is an auto.
matte fire alarm connecting with the
city fire department that also shuts
off all the power.
D>apite the fact that the tube has
no opening for ~ l1il4,, @O,I1inaAro- aA-
clare that the ventilation is perfect.
The trains are the ventilators-they
act as pistons, force the foul afr be-
fore them and draw the fresh air
in behind them Every train clears
the tube of foul air and replenishes
it with new air.
Two Emergency Exits.
There are two openings--one at
the Battery and one in Joralemon
street, Brooklyn. These exits sup
ply air, and have stairways which can
be used in emergency.
At three points there are cham.
bers connecting the two tubes for
drainage purposes. They are sunk
below the tubes and contain power.
full pumps. There is bound to be
some water in the tunnel and these
pumps will be used to force It out.
One of the most interesting dc.
tails of the river tubes is the system
of lights. The trains carry their own
lights, of course, the power for which
is derived from the third rail. Then
there is row of lights along the
sides of the tubes. They get theii
power from separate source and
are automatically connected with still
another source of power. The light
system seems to be perfect.
There is a map at the Bowling
Green station, worked by system OF
lights, that enables the operator who
controls the running of the trains
to tell exactly the location OF every
train in the tunnel. And in addition
to this precaution a system of sig.
nails is arranged so that II the mo-
torman should either misconstrue or
fail to see danger signal "tripper"
attached to the signal puts ON thu
airbrakes of his train and stops IL.
Human ingenuity has been heavily
taxed to safeguard the patrons OF thS
tunnel.