New-York tribune., 1911-11-29
SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS.

ing, steam and smoke laden engines. and
when the architects suggested the use of
the up-air rights for building purposes
they were laughed at and their scheme
was called pipe dream" The railroad
officials did not consider Il possible 10
cover up the acres Of tracks and miles Of
trains with buildings from six TO twenty
stories I'm height and still accommodate
during one year for terminal purposes a
population equal 10 that Of the entire
United States.
The gigantic scale Of this undertaking
In the face Of SO many obstacles and con-
ditions gave the architects problem un-
equalled in the history Of tho world. The
expenditure for real estate and electrii-
cation and buildings VIII amount to $780,
OoOoO
All the work has been carried on under
conditions that seemed az times almost
Unsurmountable. Even under normal con-
dtions the colossal architectural and en-
gineering problem will be handed down in
history as one Of the great achievements
Of the century.
II vii, be interesting TO outsiders 10
know a brief history OF the New York
Centrars terminals. They owned what
was probably the first real terminal on
Manhattan Island This was located on
Centre street close TO the City Hall This
was about 1892.
I'm $50 the city's population and traffic
began moving uptown. The railroad then
decided 10 locate on 2Sth street and Fourth
avenue, on the present site of the Madison
Square Garden. This station was not large
and could have been housed In the main
concourse of the new terminal, with plenty
Of room to spare. At the time OF this sta
ton horses We're used TO haul the trains
from AID TO 26th street, as locomotives
were not allowed below 42d street
In 1869 Commodore Vanderbilt organized
the present y. y. c. & II. r. system, and
as the 26th street station had outgrown its
usefulness in less than fifteen years an
other move had 10 be made. The Commo-
dcre selected a site at 49d street, and
called the new station Grand Central" on
account Of not having 10 use a ferry 10
reach It, At that time wood was used for
fuel and a factory for saving this wood
was located across the street, on a site
next to what is now Belmont Hotel
The first Grand Central Station was be-
gun in 1859 and was completed in two
years. 1t was considered marvel in sta
tion buildings at that time. and was sup
posed TO be sufficient for ages 1t had If
teen tracks and eighty trains carried four
million people the first year of its exist
ence. In thirty years the travel had be-
come too great for il, and in 1900 IL was
decided TO enlarge II to accommodate Co.
coo passengers per day. or 2l,9o00c0 per
year.
The rapid growth OF the population and
immense growth of the suburban traff1c,
of which more than a million now come
into New York every morning, overcrowd-
ed the station almost before the improve
merts were finished. This opened the eyes
OF the railroad TO the fact that something
must be done TO relieve the congestion OF
traffic and the discomfort of the passen-
gers from the steam. gas and smoke Of the
tunnel and train shed. The accident in
January, 1902, decided the matter OF cleo
trifying the road, and a legislative act was
passed at Albany requiring the railroad
after a certain date to operate the trains
through the tunnel on Park avenue by cleo
tricity.
The problem that confronted the engi-
neers was what system TO adopt for the
eleClIlUCdtlOll. y CDllIlIIlSSIOll " 40 oRpO'iS-
ed, consisting OF the chief engineer, Mr..
Wilgus, and Mr.. Sprague. Mr. Gibbs and
Mr. Arnold. and after many months Of study
they decided on the scheme presented by
the General Electric Company, and the
system is IN operation to-day.
This electrihcatlon made an easy road
10 getting capacity in the terminal for the
increase Of traffic. Instead OF one level OF
tracks, two could be provided. and in some
places three, giving great possibilities for
expansion. Instead of the old head end
station, where all trains had TO come in
and back out again for storage, making
two operations for one train, a loop was
provided, so that ali suburban trafiic goes
around this loop and the cars are ready
10 load for the next outgoing passengers.
plenty OF space being formed for the stor-
age of extra cars
Most of the streets up 10 5th street had,
up TO this time, been closed to the public
since 1871, and It was necessary TO obtain
from the city sub-surface rights below the
streets from Madison avenue 10 LeXinS-
ton and from 42d 10 9th street This per-
mission was obtained June le, 1893. II was
about this date when the railroad officials
called for sketches for q new terminal
station. - aSx2HH
Given problem 10 build terminal sta
tion on piece Of ground half a mile long