The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1911-04-27

ing out a many Sldeu prODieLl IL
destructive and constructive en-
cheering as gigantic in these days
of big achievements as was the
laying of the blocks of the Pyramids
on the sands of Egypt.
Proud monuments Of the older New
York, which for years were pciated
out as show places, are being blotted
out that greater wonders in architec-
ture may rise from new made beds
deep dug in the city's rocky back. In
time they count three years or more
too little to carry the work through;
In money it will be millions-$300, 000,-
600 for n local improvement!
THIS change is being wrought be-
tween F~orty-second and Fiftleth
streets and Lexington and Madison
venue It is a railroad terminal prob
lem primarily, but nowadays q rail-
road station Is not simply a place
where one buys tickets and takes the
cars-it is a center, a heart Of munich
pal p~ulsations and within its zone
there must be everything suggested
by the center, after the manner Of the
side shows around the tapping canvas
on the circus grounds.
The Grand Central station lost its
grandeur and 1t had to come down.
Likewise the entire terminal scheme
became pathetically out Of date; also
the SOB accommodation and the S:04
suburban and the sos express were
forever engaged in a who's who con
troversy On the question Of right OF
way. And there were other annoy
ances, too. So the problem became
one of jumping from a quarter of a
century behind the times to a quarter
Of a century in advance Of things as
they are. 1t is being worked out-at
a cost in excess of the entire cost OF
the original railroad which made the
first Grand Central possible.
Just now 1t is a digging problem. A
channel is being dug in the rock from
Forty-second street north to Ffftieth
street as deep and as wide as the
Panama canal cut, and over its lower
end there win arch a terminal build
ing Of such grand proportions as to
make the old structure appear insig
nifcant. This will be the keystone OF
the general Improvement. On each
side of this building will rise two
others, each larger than the old sta
ton In its entirety. They will con
form tc ths general scheme Of archi
lecture. These buildings, with the ter
minals Looping beneath them, on diff
ferent levels, so that the SOB and the
8:04 may not get In the danger light
of each others red lanterns, are
itemized on the financial sheet al
$3.50, 900, 900. Considerable part Of the
work has already been done and paid
for. Brains, arms and machines are
carrying forward the work still to be
done. A work day begins every morn
ing; another begins at set of sun.
Remarkable as this group of build
ings will be, however, they will form
but a small part Of the great changes
that are to be made In connection
with them. The Park avenue altera
tons, considered in connection with
the terminal, will complete an i'm
provement more than half a mile long
This new Park avenue. beneath
which will be a perfect maze of rail
road tracks, forming a part Of the
great terminal system, will be 8
broad, beautiful street. brilliantly
lighted by electricity and lined OF
either side by massive stone struc
lures of uniform design In architec
ture.
One of the new buildings already IL
in the course Of construction. 1t II
the new amphitheater building, which
will extend from Forty-sixth street t.
Forty-eighth street and from Licking
ton avenue ON one side to Park ave
nue. on the other.
This will be one Of the most re
markable buildings in the world. Ii
It will be an auditorium greater ever
than that Of Madison Square garden
While the present plans do not pro
vide for The holding Of the horse
show or a circus in the new building
hut little change would have to b,
made IN its interior arrangement t.
make it suitable for such purposes.
The one other great structure tina
Is practically assured at the presen
time is the new opera house which 1
is planned to erect In the block be
tween Forty-ffth and Forty-sixtl
a.reets and between Madison avenu,
and Park avenue. 1t is expected tina
the new building will take the plac,
of the present Metropolitan oper;
house,
These two buildings. however. ar
only the leaders in the building tina
will be done along Park avenue. Boil
sides of the avenue as far as Fiftietl
street are owned by the New Yorl