The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-11-26

the history OF the world-wil bC thrown
open to the public at 1901 o'clock to-mor-
row morning. The operation OF trains VIII
begin Immediately with a full schedule
Of 81 trains westbound and s. trains east
bound every twenty-four hours. This
does not include IS eastbound and IS
westbound Long Island Railroad trains
which are already IN operation.
For many years the Pennsylvania con-
templated gaining entrance 10 New York
City, and in 1884, a proposition was en-
tertained to build the North River
Bridge" across the Hudson River. with
a span twice that of the Brooklyn Bridge.
The panic of that year. however. put a
damper on all new undertakings In
1892 the subject was again revived, but
the silver panic of 1883 prevented the
adoption of any particular plan.
In 1860 tho control of the Long Island
Railroad was acquired by the Pennsyl-
vania Railroad Company, and il then
became desirable that the Pennsylvania
should have a physical connection with
the Long Island Railroad AS the other
railroad lines using ferries TO carry
passengers into New York City did not
approve Of the construction OF the Hud-
son River Bridge, and as II was i'm
possible to obtain a charter for bridge
to be used exclusively by single COM
pany. a tunnel scheme was adopted by
the Pennsylvania Railroad.
VIII Benefit Suburbs.
With the opening OF the Pennsylvania
station, the railroad management ex-
poets to see the population of the sec
ton in and around New York City in
crease more rapidly than it ever has.
Railroads on the western bank OF the
Hudson River opposite New York City
carried. a. nearly 59000.0O people
In 1890 L $ arrled over 72O00. 900, in
1895 more ehay $4,000 and IN 1905 about
100000 people
In 1890 the population gathered within
a circl z nineteen miles radius. with
city "a Manhattan. as the center.
was 3 S26, S9S: in 1900 il was 4,6l2,15S. ami
I'VE years later IT was 5.4O4,63S, an IN
crease in ten years OF IS per cent. In
1913 IL is estimated that the population
of this territory will approximate 6,O00,000
people, and IN 1890 100000
The franchise from the city OF New
York authorizing the tunnels and station
was granted October 8, 1902, and the first
work on the tunnels was begun on June
10, 1903
Work on the Pennsylvania Station was
started May /. 1901. so that practically six
years and seven months were consumed
in making the excavations for the foun-
dalton OF the building and In constructing
It, To clear the eight acres OF ground
occupied by the station meant the raZing
of some five hundred buildings, among
which were number or churches.
Covers Twenty-efEht Acres.
The area q he station and yard is
twenty-eig.-. - .es, and In this there are
sixteen nile Z track. The storage tracks
alone VIII h i SS6 cars. The length Of
the twenty-one standing tracks at the
station is a.50O feet. There are eleven
passenger platforms. with twenty-five
baggage and express elevators. The high
est point of the tracks In the station is
nine feet below sea level.
The station building is 7s4 feet long
and $50 feet wide. The average height
above the street is sixty-nine feet. while
the maximum is 153 feet. To light the
building it takes about 500 electric arcs
and 20, OoO incandeseents.
More than $4,000 cubic yards OF con-
crete We're required for the retaining
walls foundations. street bridging. and
the substructure. There are $50 columns
the station building. and the
greatest weight on any one of these Is
l COS tons.
The stone work OF the station was COM
pleted on July 81. 1909, To inclose this
vast area has necessitated the building
OF exterior walls aggregatiHg 2,l5S feet
nearly half a mile-in length. and has re-
quired 10000 cubic feet OF pink granite
In addition. there have been utilized IN
side Of the concourse 60. 700 cubic feet OF
stone. total or $4,000 cubic feet OF
Milford pink granite" have thus been
utilized IN the construction and orna-
of this building. II took 1140
freight cars 10 transport these 1900 tons
Of stone from Milford. Mass
In addition to the granite, the cOnstruc-
ton Of this building has called for the
use of 27.OOO tons OF steel. There have
al been set in place some 1900 600
bricks. Weighing a total OF 5000 tons.
The first stone Of the masonry work on
the building was laid June Is. 1908. The
entire masonry was thus completed in
approximately thirteen months after the
work was begun.
Tunnels Many Miles Long.
The river tunnels leading TO the station
are, all told, e.s miles long, and the land
tunnels have the same length. From the
Bergen Hill portal in New Jersey to the
Long Island entrance of the tunnels Is
So miles II is sc miles from Harrison.
n. j., to the station in New York. while
from the latter point TO Jamaica the dis
lance Is 1LS5 miles.
The maximum capacity in trains per
hour OF all of the Pennsylvania tunnels is
IA. The initial daily service Will consist of
2S9 Pennsylvania and Long Island trains.
Passengers for Pennsylvania trains will
find shops of various kinds In the arcade
leading from the main entrance to the
station at Seventh avenue and Thirtv-sec-
Dnd street At the end of this arcade are
the restaurants. buffet, and Iunchroom.
Continuing. one steps down the grand
10 the general waiting room. |
and finds ticket Offices, a bureau of infor- |
nation. telephone booths, the telegraph
office. baggage and parcel checking facili- |
ties. This immense waiting-rOom contains /
no. seats. as separate waiting rooms for
men and women are provided with seats
and retiring rooms. IN planning the sta
ton. the company endeavored to arrange
all facilities so they could be used with /
the minimum effort Signs in profusion /
lirect the passenger to his train. to the |
different streets. stands. and TO all other |
objective points.
The first inbound passenger train will /
arrive at the Pennsylvania Station at 80 /
/. m, tomorrow. This train win leave /
at 1912 O'clock this evening. /
rhe first outbound train 10 leave the /
pennsylvania Station will be a Perth |
Amboy acco podation. departing at |
2:02 a. m.
A number o. nsylvania Railroad Off /
,ials viii probably go through the tun- |