Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1911-07-05
PENNSYLVANIA DEPOT.
Largest Passenger Station in
World Located in the Heart
of New York. Covers
Eight Acres.

being asked, after weeks stay in
the metropolis, what one thing
stands out clearly and boldly as the
greatest sight, would find it diff
cult to give a clear cut answer.
Different sightseers would name
different things, being controlled by
varying tastes. In New York, as
elsewhere, one generally sees what
he or she cares most to see. For in
stance, one lady might find intense
delight in visiting the score or
more of big department stores that
employ from 5000 to 5000 per
sons, while another would choose
rather to spend much time visiting
and sstudying the large public
schools and public school system.
! However, be these personal
preferences as they may, one of the
first sights of the city is the passen-
ger depot which was completed last
year by the Pennsylvania railroad.
First, It's Enormous Size.
The figures which give the actual
dimensions of this colossal struct-
ure, so stagger one as almost to be
meaningless. The frontage on two
avenues is 430 feet, and on each of
two streets 7s4 feet. The average
height of the building above the
street level is SO feet, and the maxi
mum height is l53 feet. The entire
building occupies two city blocks.
Think of a building so large that
one roof covers an area of nearly
eight acres. About 500 houses in
cluding several churches, had to be
cleared away for the foundation to
be laid. The Pennsylvania station
ranks not only. as the largest but
also the finest structure in the world
that is devoted exclusively to pas
senger traffic.
Cost Fabulous Sum.
Though undertaken by private
railroad corporation, the tunneling
of two rivers and locating Of o pas
senger station of such proportions
in the heart of New York rivals the
construction of the Panama canal,
which has back of it the unlimited
resources of the national govern
ment. The building alone, which is
constructed of steel, granite and
marble, cost $l2,O0O,O0O. The con-
struction of the railroad yards on
Long Island and on the New Jersey
side, including the tubes or tunnels
under North and East rivers, cost
$lOO,OOo,OOO. So enormous are
these figures that one can scarcely
take them in.
Modern in Every Particular.
In planning the details of the
station nothing has been overlooked
that will contribute to the conven-
ience and comfort of the travelling
public. There are three distinct
floors, one being on the street level
and two beneath. On the street lev
ell are located shops and restaurants,
vestibules and entrances leading to
the ticket offices and waiting rooms
on the second floor. The general
waiting room, the largest in the
world is 277 by 1O3 feet, the ceiling
being $50 feet above the floor. The
entire interior of this room is con-
structed of Italian marble. Opening
into the main waiting room are two
others, one for men and the other for
women. These are So by 100 feet in
size. On the same level with wait
ing rooms is the spacious baggage
room $50 feet in length.
The Third or Track Level.
On the second floor a vestibule or
concourse 200 feet wide and extend
ing the entire width of the building
leads down by elevators, esculators
and stairways TO the track level,
where 81 tracks accommodate the
200 trains that enter and depart
from the station daily. Each gate
leading from the vestibule contains
a sign giving time of departure and
destination of the train to which it
leads, making it practically impos-
sible for ticket holder to board the
wrong train. No trains are left
standing on the tracks. AS soon as
the passengers leave. an incoming
train it is dispatched out under
East river to the yards on Long Is
land, where every part of it is
scrubbed and thoroughly cleansed,
and it is not carried into the station
again until just a few minutes be-
fore the time for departing. AS all
trains are handled in the station by
electric locomotives the air is not
polluted with smoke or gas of any
kind.
The tracks are 40 feet below the
street le 81, and the tubes or tun-
nels under North river are 70 feet
below the water level. The tubes are
twenty-three feet in diamerer and
the enormous excavation made for
the depot was cut from solid rock,
which added tremendously to the
coat