East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1908-02-26

ton the doors on the side toward the
platform for outgoing passengers will
open automatically A few seconds
later. as the car is emptying, the
doors on the other side will open.
There are no bells on any of the cars.
When the last door is closed the mot
rman will get a flash signalling him
to start; but until every door Is shut
he will not receive the automatic sig
nal. One important feature of the
system is that none of the stations is
on curve.
Work is now being pushed rapidly
on the other sections OF the system.
When completed there will be direct
communication between the Pennsyl-
vania and Erie stations on the New
Jersey side and both the upper and
lower tubes, and the underground
route will extend as far west as Sum-
init avenue in Newark.
On the New Jersey side of the great
terminals at Hoboken. Jersey City and
Newark Will be transfer points for
passengers from the various railroads
and trolley lines, that have stretched
their web OF steel over the state, and
when all sections of the new under
ground system, with its IS miles of
tunnels, are in operation these points
will have direct rapid transit connec-
tion with Herald square, with the
subway
This new under-river system repre-
sents an expenditure of nearly $780,
100000. 1t is one of the worlds
greatest engineering accomplishments
and is certain to have a marked in
nuence not only upon the future de-
velopment of northern New Jersey,
but also of certain sections of Man
haitian.
What is declared to be the largest
office building in the world, with 25
acres of floor space and room for
10000 tenants, rises, above the ter
minal of the southern tubes at Church
and Cortlandt streets. It is known
as the Hudson Terminal Buildings. It
Is 22 stories high and has so eleva-
tors The mailing division of the New
York postoffice will occupy an acre
of space in the building when II is
opened on May /, and lhe United
States Steel Corporation will use 9TH
er acres. After crossing the Hudson
the tunnels come under the building
about 80 feet below the street level.
forming a loop with platforms and
approaches of sufficient dimensions
TO accommodate 1000 people a min
ute, or half million during the day.
The scheme of tunneling the Hud-I
son was first put forward in 1878 by
ID. c. Haskins, a civil engineer. A!
company was organized and lot OF
money spent on building a solid brick
tunnel 1900 feet long. The company
failed and the work was abandoned
In 1850. Ten years later English cap
italists engaged the firm of Pearson
q Son, who are now constructing the
East River section of -the Pennsyl-
vxania tunnels, to extend the hole.
This time 1900 feet were built be-
fore the job was given up. Com
pressed air was used in construction.
The fatal flaw in the enterprise was
felt to be the impossibility Of using
steam locomotives, with all their out
put of smoke and gas, in the bore
when it should be completed. The
electric motor was in its infancy.
William G. McAdoo, a lawyer. saw
the possibilities in 1901, and organ
lied a company, which acquired the
$500 feet of the old tunnel and COM
pleted 1t by means of the steel ring
method. \ second parallel tube was
built These are the tunnels opened,
while other sections of the system will
be in operation next summer
While the governors of New York
and New Jersey are extending felici-
tations under the river bed the ferry
boats above, unhonored and unsung.
shrek mournfully. 1t is their death
wall, as 1t is predicted that with the
opening of the tubes, the antiquated
vessels will soon need a place in the
museum The ferryboat must go, be-
cause ice, fogs storms and collisions
with other river craft will never i'm |