The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1908-11-26
BOSTON TO OPEN
an IDEAL TUNNEL
NEW SUBWAY WILL RELIEVE CON-
GESTION OF HUB CITY'S MAR
ROW STREETS.
LEASED To RAILWAY COMPANY
Pumping Stations Installed to Keep
Right of-Way Free from
Water.
THREE SOURCES OF POWER SUPPLY

BOSTON, Mass, Nov. 21.-What is
claimed to be the most complete and per-
feet tunnel for passenger traffic to be-
found anywhere in the world has just
been completed in this city and will be
opened for use during the coming week.
1t is known as the Washington street
tunnel and is designed to relieve the con
gestion of the narrow and crooked streets
of Boston's business section. The tunnel
will be Used to carry the trains of the
Boston Elevated Railway company,
through the down town section of the
city. The old tunnel, known as the Ire
mont street subway. which was the first
to be built in America, will be employed
exclusively for the so-called surface carr
traffic With both tunnels i'll use the
down town streets will be practically RET
lieved of all street cars.
Tunnel Is Fireproof.
The new tunnel is 5616 feet long. 1T
is tireprOof throughout. All the steel
construction is protected by concrete
from rust or fire. All the doors and
ticket booths and escalator balustrades
are encased in sheet bronze. The, tele,
phone offices and package rooms and
electricians closets have tiled walls or
masonry. The signs are of metal and
the seats and benches of cement. There
is not bit Of wood throughout the com
pletely tireproof structure.
The construction of the tunnel varies
in different places, being adapted to
the constantly changing conditions of
the streets and buildings above il. Some
times a vault is used, held together by
ties in some cases, and sometimes the
roof is spanned by girders, and i'll the
choice of these methods one factor was
the necessity of continuing traffic IN
the streets while construction was in
progress. In accomplishing this the en-
gineers achieved a great success. Inc
tunnel was begun and finished with no
disturbance to the traffic overhead.
To insure against the cutting off of
the current at any time and thereby
punging the stations into darkness,
three different sources of supply are ar
ranged for, each independent Of the 9TH
or. and all so arranged that should the
current be shut off from one source 1t
is instantly supplied from another source
automatically by an arrangement or the
main switches. To keep the tunnel at
all times free from water, pumping sta
tons are installed at three different To-
caltics. There are four fan chambers
to exhaust the foul air from the tunnel.
Stations Done in Colors.
The walls of the stations are OF
glazed tile. Where color is used III the
tile work, as in the borders and signs,
it is of n distinctive color for each sta
ton. and the columns are painted of the
same color. so that the traveller on look
ing out of the window recognizes his
position by the familiar color of the sta
ton. The platforms of the stations are
each $50 feet long, and are designed TO
accommodate trains of eight cars. At
the principal stations eXcalators are pro-
yided. besides the necessary stairs TO
the exits and entrances. Each station
is provided with package rooms, news
stands and public telephone booths.
The tunnel was built by the Boston
Transit commission. and leased to the
Boston Elevated Railway company for
twenty-five years from the beginning OF
its use. 1t is built through that section
of Boston which contains the highest
priced land, with due regard for the
beat feasible grade and alignment with
respect TO the nnrrOwncSS and crooked
ness of the streets. Its cost, together
with the cost of its approaches ana
equipment. is estimated mt over SlO,oOO-
600. The tunnel will increase the carry
ing capacity of the Boston Elevated
Railway company system through the
heart of Boston, it is estimated. about
10 per cent. Its stations are frequent,
and are in the midst Of the shopping and
theatcr districts.