The Washington herald., 1908-02-23
By FREDERIC J. HASKIN.

river tunnels than any other man. II was
he who lad charge OF the construction
Of the gas tunnel under East River many
years ago. The lessons he learned there
have been Of the greatest value in all
the work that has followed
When all the tunnel and subway sys-
TENS now under construction are c0mplet-
ed II viii be possible for person 10 go
TO any portion of the city, north. south,
east. or west. without having tunnel
after he has once entered II. Likewise,
he VIII be able TO get of the city subway
cars and take a train 10 any station in
the United States without again coming
above ground The fight Of the Penn
sylvania 70 get into New York was al
most without parallel in history. The
most powerful railroad in the world for
years knocked at the doors Of the city
government in vain. but once they got IN,
New York became free from the dOmina-
ton Of the New York Central
But not all Of the underground railroads
Of the world are to be found in New
York The most famous underground
railroad in the world to-day is the Sim
pion tunnel Il is nearly thirteen miles
long. and brings Milan eighty miles closer
to Paris by rail. 1t cost nearly I6.0oo.0e9.-
600. II was the plan Of the railroad 20
run steam trains through IT, But an
enterprisping Milan electrical house asked
TO be allowed TO install an electrical
haulage system The only terms upon
which they would be allowed TO install
IL were that they should bear the expense
OF its installation. and take II out II It
was not thoroughly satisfactory. More
over, they were 10 have il ready Cor Oper-
i
than half the time that would ordinarily
be allowed for the same sort OF work in
this country. Il was % be ready for
opening by the time the gates OF the
Milan exposition We're thrown open. II
was a big task, and a heavy outlay OF
money. but the Milan electrical firm was
game. and tie job was ready for delivery
on the appointed day.
With such an experience as this before
them, Congress talked about requiring the
railroads to operate electrical engines in
the tunnel and approaches 10 the new
Washington Union Station. the railroad
people replied that electricity I'm train
/ haulage was still in the experimental
stage. and that Congress ought not 10
require them 10 make such costly expert
mentS. And this in face OF the fact that
one Of the protesting roads operates an
elecS-ical tunnel in Baltimore and the
other IS going To use electricity IN New
York.
The first underground railroad tunnel
ever built was in London in 1876. II was
under construction more or less OF the
time from Is25. The drst underwater tun-
mel 10 be constructed was that OF the
city Of Chicago. which tunneled under
Lake Michigan for some distance TO get
pure water supply
Not all Of the tunnels OF the country
are for the use Of railroads In one
instance a mountain has been tunneled
TO carry a part Of a river through out
in Colorado the irrigation service is build
ing six-mile tunnel through the Gunni-
son Mountain so as 10 carry part
Of the wafer Of the Gunnison
River down into the valley OF the
/ UncompahgTe- This valley is lower than
that of the Gunnison- The UncompehEre
River is but a little stream that loses
itself every few miles and furnishes but
! little water for irrigation purposes.
There are tens OF thousands Of acres OF
land in its valley. however that but
await the coming OF the waters Of the
Gunniston TO be transformed into verfta-
bic bowers Of fertility land flowing
with more milk and honey than was
known 10 even the Canaan of old The
project IS an expeEsivef one. but when IL
/ is remembered that each acre Of land that
! had been worth less than a solitary brass
I tack. win be worth from 500 I'D 10 S5ol.
I Il viii be seen that Il viii be worth a
heavy expenditure from Uncle Sans
money box
Many strange and amusing things hap
I pen in the course Of the construction OF
underground railroads. Some time ago
I in New York, where the deadly third rail
/ is being rendered harmless by being 50
covered and protected that one can only
/ touch. il intentionally, a group OF Italian
/ laborers were trying 20 solve the mys-
/ terry Of motive power without steam
/ For days they tried 10 comprehend the
new force and where IL came from. At
/ last they concluded that the third rail
must have something TO do with H. One
/ Of them took his crOwbar and struck the
rail. OF course he received a severe
shock, but somehow he escaped with his
I life. lie threw the croWbar away with
a scream OF pain and ran from The
place Ike a wild man. He ran over a
steep embankment and broke his leg In
falling. his crowbar made a short circuit
I between the third rail and another and
a disastrous FIRE occurred. putting the
electrical apparatus out OF commission
I for sometime. That Italian never put
I IN his appearance again
The underground railroad as q means OF
urban transportation has come 10 stay
While there are many little annoying
details. such as ventilation, that have rot
been solved entirely 10 the satisfaction
OF the travelling public. Yet, in the main
the engineering difficulties have been
solved As a satisfactory means OF trans
portati0n in the cities II has surpassed all
others It's first cost IS heavy. bus the
cost Of maintenance IS rot 20 be compar-
ed with that Of elevated roads
At Thirty-fourth street and Fcurrn ave-
nue. New York. is perhaps the most re-
markable railroad spot in the world
Down deep under the ground runs the
/ Pennsylvania tunnel. Above that is the
subway. Above that is the subway sur
/ face ear line. And over them all is the
/ surface line itself. No where else on the
planet are such traffic facilities demand
ed as in New York. No where else. not
even in London or Paris. could such stu
| pend6us undertakings be financed As
/ the United States leads the world in the
great projects IL undertakes and the won
derfUI engineering fests performed. so
New York leads the United States Il
spends more money per capita. probably.
than any other city on earth, for public
improvements, and certainly for under
ground railroads.
TO-mOrroW-The Story of Arizona.
4 Mammoth II YOu Like.
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