The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-02-26
Sixty Million Dollar Tunnel
Linking New York and New
Jersey Formally Opened.
PRESIDENT SIGNALS
FOR TRAIN TO START
Eight Hundred Distinguished
Guests Make Trip on the In
augural Train-Governors
OF Two States and
Others Make
Speeches.
LEW YORK. February 25.-Rear

n EW YORK, February 25.-Bear-
| M ing 500 distinguished guests.
including Governor Charles e
Hughes and Governor John f.
Fort. and their staffs. an official train
| of eight cars. marking the formal open
ing Of the sso.ooo,ooo tunnel and sub
marine, linking New York and New
Jersey. rolled out OF the Manhattan
terminal at twenty minutes to 4 O'Clock
! this afternoon, two minutes after Presi
| dent Roosevelt, at the White House
had flashed the starting signal. Ami,
cheers from the throng assembled or
the platform OF the station at Nine
teenth Street and Sixth Avenue. the
train rushed away on It's Journey under
ground beneath the hitherto uncon-
| querabie Hudson to the Hoboken sta
ton, where there were for an hour
much vocal fireworks and enthusi-
asnl.
Ten thousand persons, perhaps, wit
messed the start. At $3.50 o'clock VIII
liam McAdoo, president of the Hudson
and Manhattan Railroad Company. sent
the following message over special
wire to the White House:
ITO Theodore Roosevelt, President or
the United States:
THE first official train OF the
Hudson and Manhattan Railroad
Company awaits your signal and
pleasure"
yInrrimun HnnEs by Strap.
Six minutes later the signal to start
was received. Chief Motorman James
Winkley had set his mechanism and as
he felt the electric current flow into
the controller, notched up the lever.
Slowly at first. but gradually gain
ing momentum, the train swept down
the inland mile to Christopher Street,
where the plunge beneath the Hudson
was made. AS the train passed under
the red. white and blue lighted signal
marking the dividing line between New
York and New Jersey, the two Cover
nors lose and clasped hands while the
railway officials, who, with the State
executives, occupied the first cars.
shouted mutual congratulations.
on the crowded train was but one
woman-Miss Grace Bigelow-who ac-
companied her father, John Bigelow.
the publicist and former Ambassador
10 Great Britain. In spite of his
eighty-n!ne years, Mr.. Bigelow appear
ed to hugely enjoy the occasion.
Men of millions and traction pro-
moters themselves swung from straps
as the train dipped deep at the centre
of the river. Among the number were
E, II. Hartman. who clung gamely to
strap, and Cornelius Vanderbilt, who
kept firm grasp on door iamb.
Governors Make Speeches.
The inauguration of the system was
made holiday in Hoboken, where
stores and industrial plants had closed
to allow employees to attend tho open
Ing exercises, while the trains from
all parts of New Jersey brought ex-
cursion crowds.
Twenty thousand persons crowded
about the new station of the Della
ware, Lackawanna and Western Rail-
road. where the formal exercises were
held. The feature was the reading Of
a letter from President Roosevelt re-
GREETING that he could not attend the
opening, and referring to the under
taking as the greatest subqueous
tunnel in the world.
Governor Hughes, Governor Fort.
Mayor Steil, of Hoboken. Mayor Witt
pen, of Jersey City, and Acting Mayor
MCGOWAN, of New York, spoke.
Governor Fort congratulated the
people of both States on the success
ful Inauguration of the tunnel, and
those who We're responsible for it. at
means much.' he said, ito New Yorl,
but more to New Jersey"
Governor Hughs referred to the
opening of the system as "thc we'd
ding OF two great States"
To-day" said Mr.. Hughes, 1--WE haya
the rare privilege OF congratulattne
ourselves on the bond of union between
two States. whose destinies run so
closely together
we are gradually emancipating our.
selves from prejudices. State lines are
no distinction All are one in irving
to realize the great ideal OF hinestv
and freedom. and to receive the honest
reward of industry"
Open to Public.
Promptly at midnight train left
Nineteenth Street Station. IN this city.
and at the same moment another left
the Hoboken terminal, and the use
of the new system by the travelling pub
lice began.
The tunnel opened to-day Is but the
first step in tho development Of di-
rect under-river transportation. Be
fore the end OF the summer the remains
Ing sections of the Hudson and Man.
haitian Railroad, comprising In all
eighteen miles of tunnels and sub
ways, Will be finished and In opera
ton.
Then passengers from any part OF |
the country may be landed at almost
almost any point in the greater city
without the delay of ferries and with
out having to come In contact with
street traffic.
Miss Whitlock to Wed Saturday
TSpecial Cable to the Central News and The