New-York tribune., 1908-02-25
HUDSON TO-DAY
Al Ready for Opening of Tunnel
IN 4ldermanc Slight.

Public transportation from New York to Ho-
| boken through the first of the Hudson & Man
haitian Railroad Company's tunnels under the
North River will begin midnight tonight
Before that. however, there will be formal
opening this afternoon in which President
Roosevelt, by touching button on his desk in
Washington, will turn on the power to put the
system in running order. 1t will be the greatest
day in Hobokens history for Governor Hughes
of New York and Governor Fort of New Jersey
will speak at the public ceremonies in front of
the Lackawanna station and beside the tenn
porary subway kiosks in that picturesque city.
The official train will be waiting in the station
at 10Th street and Sixth avenue at 80 this
afternoon. Chief among the many distinguished
passengers will be the two governors. Presi
dent MCGOWAN of the Board of Aldermen. Mayor
Steil OF Hoboken, Mayor Wittpenn of Jersey
City and William G. McAdoo, the who built
the tubes The train of eight cars will undoubt
edly be filled if all the invited travellers appear
The train will be lighted when they go aboard,
because each car has a storage battery of its
own keep about half its incandescent lights
glowing. The power, of the system, however,
will be shut off. At fash from New York
President Roosevelt is to turn on the power from
Washington and the train will start. No stops
will be made at the three stations between
Nineteenth street and the river. At the divid-
ing line between New York and New Jersey
midway under the Hudson, the trains speed
Will be checked and decorations of red white
and blue ncandescent lights in the tube will
mark the state boundary.
At the Hoboken station the guests will have
an opportunity 70 see the great underground
structure, part of which is beneath the Della
ware. Lackawanna & Western terminal A
stand has been erected for speakers facing the
plaza back of the railway station, and all Of
Hoboken's police VIII be marshalled to handle
the crowds that expected to gather from the
scores of Jersey towns and cities which will be
brought into easy reach of New York by the
tubes
Surface cars that ordinarily run down to the
plaza will be held up during the exercises Mr..
McAdoo will read letter from President Roose-
Welt and will make a speech. although his
friends say he much prefers building tunnels TO
talking. There will be addresses by Governor
Hughes. Governor Fort and the two mayors.
well as by Mr.. MCGOWAN. who will represent the
New York City government.
After the ceremonies of opening the party will
return by the tube to Manhattan. At 7:3o to-
night there will be dinner given by the con-
struction companies at Sherrys. There will
then be more speeches and q general review of
the work and what il means to both states
1t was because of this dinner Sherrys and
its necessarily limited number of invitations
that Jersey City's celebration tonight Will be
frosted Der by aldermanic gloom Although
Mayor Wfttpenn and several other members of
sthe Jersey City government, including few al
dermen. invited TO the dinner. all Of the
twenty-four members of the board not
similarly remembered. Alderman Herman chair
man of the special committee Of ten. announced
last night that the fund of $500 raised by sub
scriptfon for a celebration would be returned
and that there would be speaking tonight in
the adermanic chamber. Nevertheless. there
will be fireworks in front of Jersey Citys city
hall and they will be paid for of the special
appropriation. s will the expense Of the bunt-
ing with which the building has been draped-
At the offices of the Hudson and Manhattan
company last night, it was said that no word
had been. received of the adermen's disappoint-
ment and that it was impossible to invite the
entire city government. owing to the limitations
of Sherry's
AT the public opening of the tubes tonight
there Will be an eastbound train from HOboken
and a westbound train from 18th street and
Sixth avenue that will each start at midnight
There will be trains every five minutes until
the rush hour when they will be put three
minute headway. Just when the rush hour will
begin on the new line will be determined by
experience but ii is expected to be about s a
The stations at 14th street and Sixth
nue. Sth street and Sixth avenue and Christie
pher and Greenwich streets, where the passenger
finds himself beneath the Ninth avenue elevated
The distance in the tube from 18th street to
Hoboken is 2.S5 miles. The schedule will be
twelve minutes for the This has been tried
out by trains of nine cars loaded with sand bags
more heavily than they would be with passen-
gers The trains start tonight will be of
eight cars. and it is expected that the size of
the crowds on the ferries from Hoboken will be
materially diminished during the rush hours to-
morrow.