New-York tribune., 1909-07-18
A VAST UNDERTAgn
QUICKLY CARRIED r
Manhattan and Jersey Shore, D.
ly Linked by Hudson CONS.

ftff1
In 1902. when the New York & New I.r..
road Company acquired the franchise 49, 49,
erty Of the original tunnel COMPANY - II
tunnel OF the Morton street routs -
built for 2 distance OF about thrse 80 20
from the New jersey end The shield .--s-at s--sst
the English company was continued ~ olss
was found necessary 70 change it sonoA,ss.s y
Il was approaching a spur OF rock vr,t--
project about half way through the ,ur1.-
ing would be necessary, and provIslo, e. =
made for the men to work outside % So.
the shield in order TO drill the roct q
apron extending six feet in front or ~, n
clear across it at the centre line. was go
apron was thoroughly well braced. an5 -
protection drilling and blasting vsr. .,-.
without danger 70 the men and vfthcp+ - - \
the shield
This was the first time in the bI,.,-.
aqueous tunnel work that rock rad 49, Fl
and blasted ahead Of a shield. with nor - =
fourteen feet Of this silt overlyinz Tia - -
above that sixry-f1ve feet OF water, The ai---
being at least thfrty-eight pounds a so-.S.
At times, due TO blows AMI the consao-...
OF cover. the river bed was bIankstes -
over and ahead OF the shield. Prog~s,.
section was necessarily slow. requiring a -
eleven months to pass through the rock -
eastern end Of this reef abruptly rose Ia
Of seventeen feet above the cutting saz. ].
shield. resulting IN q serious blow at nj, :.
The bed Of the river was washed IN. ana =.
which had been deposited from scovs ~.
down into and through the pockets OF Tia -
becoming Uncomfortable
Overlying the rock vas q rnixtrrs =. :.
sand. which offered little resistance 70 -
OF the air. When the air pressure was 49,,
order to overcome this, the MKT 1rs vrssrls
down and effectually stop all operat.o5,
apron acted TO keep cut much OF the hov =.
sufficient TO permit uninterrupted work -.
stacIe was o5viatsd in the following noval -
The exposed clay was heated with blow -
which vitrifed IL 20 such a degree as 70 u-.g-
further flow into the excavation, thus aiIo7S
rock 70 be reached and drilled and blasta4 :
usual manner. AS soon as this high utnrss,r
been passed the rock rapidly disappeared a.
shield passed IN the sand beds.
BUILDING THE SOUTH TUNNEL
Changes OF considerable tmpo-tancs wsr. -.
the design OF the south tunnel The sz. -.
duced 70 a diameter OF Is feet 3 inches IN ts.s
The plates lining the tube were 81 feet Io5z ~
wide. 7-16 inches thick. inches ehrsr,s
hsnges. which were 2-t inches thick tar5vr j
section at the bolt holes As usual in al =.
this kind. the edges OF the plates wers aa---,
faced. the long ores being in q pIans AZ u
angles with the axis Of the tunnel. and n.
ones on a radius. so that they fitted togs.s.,
fectIy- The plates insured the trus ci-cula. -
OF the tunnel. while with the shield II was .,u
70 follow tbs exact grade and aIizrrsst
plates were raised and held IN position UNI "A
could bs boIted 70 those already n ulss. :
hydraulic erector carried By the srIsd
II extending this tunnel. and also The p---
vanta and COrtla1dt street tunnels by IA
engineers. 10 material at al was excaratsd
silt IS tenacious 70 4 certain degree II can :.
aside by continued and powerful pressurs Ia
advantage OF this property. the shield was =
pushed through the SILT which moves 20 ors Il.
permit its passage Il IS precisely similar "a "A
inE stake in r1a ground The earth zvss T57
the-stalze enters
Since the charter OF the company -ass n :
sion for connections in the ctr. appEcaHr
made TO the Rapid Transit Commission. m
Public Service COrnissioc. for pe-mlssisn,s
tend the line to SD street This was srantss
the following conditions Beginning whsn "a
tensions shall have been finished. ard ending =
tyfve years from the completion OF the zcz
company is 20 pay 50 cents a linear foot Or q
track and OF station platform for the first IN n
and 81 year a linear foot during the nsrt T.
years An additional sum o. 8 Per osnt q
gross receipts for the first ten years and p=
afterward- These gross receipts are estimate
the agreement. az 100000 g year for the sz
years; after that they are 70 be ds-ermi1st D
actual traffic return Al the end of rEs,rs
years the rental Is 70 BE rsadtustsd-
REINFORCED STEEL CONCRETE CAIss
Three caissOns were sunk az the points
curves just west OF the shaft These caissc-s
the first OF the kind ever built When t.sg
required steel could not be obtained vita1
reasonable time. and vocd vas 10. 6szz
Therefore reinforced concrers vas adopted
structure was found TO be cheaper 70 5u-3
10 serve the purpose much better than eitssf
or wood Two OF the caissons measured d s
by 3 feet, and at The shoe were & feet Z
high These caissons were each built On ta
face and sunk coupIets under ar pressrs
feet below tide They weighed 1000 tons sa@
are double decked, so as 70 allow TIE vss1
tunnel TO be superimposed on the sast6oZ7-
wide end Of the caisson allowing for sEi'7a
permit the trains to pass to the north OF ne
on each deck