Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-08-20
TUNNEL PLANNED
Subway Under River Bed Novel
Engineering Feat in New
York City.
CONNECTS TWO ISLANDS
Not Only Tubes for Cars but Car
riage Road as Well-Will Take
Year TO Build 1t.

= New Yorl1's latest plan to tunnel IN
der the Narrows by laying tube on
instead of under its bed and so con-
meet Staten Island and Brooklyn has
surprised and interested tunnel ex-
perts. 1t was n new way of tunnel
building, but they admitted that it was
feasible, provided a sufficient depth of
water for navigation was left over the
tunnel
At the point where the New Jersey
and Staten Island Junction Railway
company proposes to build the tunnel
in the Narrows the depth at mean low
tide is declared to be fifty-six feet. AS
the tunnel is not expected TO rise
above the bed of the Narrows more
than eleven feet at any point. this
would leave a depth of at least forty
five feet
There can be no possible interior
ence with navigation" said Stephen
NJ. Hoye, president Of the company.
Even if the depth over the tunnel at
mean low water was only forty feet it
would still be deep enough to allow
the very largest ships that will be
built TO pass over it in perfect safety.
There are to be larger ships fOated
than are now being navigated. it is
true. but they will not be built deeper
than they are. but longer and with a
greater beam.
The franchise permits US to build a
tunnel under the Narrows from Staple
ton, in Richmond county. to Eighty
sixth street, Brooklyn. On the Brook
Ign side the bluffs rise some fifty feet
above the water. Now. the depth of
water at low tide off Eighty-sixth
street is fifty-six feet 1t can be seen
at what a depth we would have TO lay
the tunnel to place it under the bed of
the Narrows. 1t would mean grade
at the shore ends of at least four de-
grees. which would make the under
taking impracticable.
Our franchise permits the building
not only of a railroad but a post road
under the Narrows. The value of a
post road in a tunnel would at first
glance appear absurd, but the man
who drew up the application for a
franchise was farseeing. 1t needs lit
tie thought now TO see the value OF
such a road in view Of the vast num-
Der of autos in operation in New York.
''Our tunpel will not he entirely upon
the bed Of the Narrows. In places the
level of the tunnel will sink below that
of the bed of the strait.
cit is a well known fact that spiles
under water do not decay. II is where
they are exposed part OF the time to
the air that they disintegrate Now.
we propose to build This tunnel by
first sinking double rows of spilcs for
the side foundation walls OF our tun-
mel. The tops of these are then sawed
Off under water and the spaces be-
tween filed with concrete.
Building Tedious Work
Next we build the upper halves of
the tunnel in sections. These upper
halves will consist OF inner and outer
frames of steel filled in between with
concrete, and each section when com
pleted will be foated and with the
water end closed will be sunk 10 it's
position. the sides of the upper sec
lions resting on the spiles and concrete
foundations
Probably the shore ends of the up
per sections will be placed first The
water end of these upper sections vii.
be closed. and there will he a. tempo
rary door in each. so that the water
can be pumped out and allow workmen
to enter.
Then the water end of the lower