New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-09-15
SUBWAY NEARLY READY
Completion of Fourth Avenue
Line Expected by Years End.

The Fourth avenue subway y AT 'hs'
practically done. with the exception OF
relatively short strip in Ashland Place
and another I'm fulton street. Tho road
extends from the end 81 the Manhattan
Bridge, through the Flatbush avenue eX-
tension. Fulton street. Ashland Place and
Fourth avenue 10 43d street.
II "a four-track subway and It's
length Is four miles It's width varies az
places 10 mike room Tor eight tracks.
There are eight stations. and each is de-
signed 20 Accommodate tcD-car trains.
The contract FOR the work was let In six
sections and the entire cost OF the work
will be 100000
! A report recently fled ny acting Chief
Engineer Robert Rldgway Of the Public
Service Commission shows that there are
| now thirteen and half miles Of subway
under construction in accordance with the
| iual subway plan. The Fourth avenue
route is part of this system. The entire
! construction now under way will cost the
city 100000.
Under the arrangement made by tho
city with the car lines, the Fourth ave
nue. subway will be operated b. tho
Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company 10 con-
| meet rs South Brooklyn lines with Man
haitian by way Of the Manhattan Bridge
and a tunnel connection under Montague
street The authorities are now planning
10 extend the subway to seth street. and
provision is 10 be made TO connect the
~. IL. -. 81
other tunnel. The completed sections OF
tho route were built I'm little more than
two years, and the entire line Will be COM
pleted, ~ Is expected, by the close OF tho
year.
Many difficulties developed in the con-
struction OF the subway. The contractors
had TO tunnel under the present subway
at Flatbush and Fourth avenues. The
present subway was also encountered at
Fulton street and the Flatbush avenue
extension, and had 10 be held up while
the now tunnel was under construction
Al this place. as at F!atbush and Fourth
avenues, the surface and elevated car
lines had TO be supported by underplnning
as well az the old subway.
The largest, deepest and most difficult
work was I'm Fulton street. No more dir
flcult undertaking In subway construction
was ever met with anywhere, according
TO the authorities. Before subgrade was
reached ground water was encountered
and, az the soil was sand, the big bust
ness houses along tho way had to be UNI
derplnned in advance. Some Of the piers
extended s. feet below the level OF the
sidewalk.
The roof Of the tunnel is being con-
structed strong enough to support the
foundations OF future buildings. To add
to tho difficulties, two elevated railways
had TO be tunneled under at Fulton street
and Hudson avenue. on the same sec
ton, the front portions OF the Majestic
and Crescent Theatres had to be shored
up These are some of the difficulties
that have held back the work here. In
Fourth avenue tho construction was
child's play I'm comparison, and was car
ried on more rapidly consequently.
Fourth avenue has assumed much OF It's
old appearance. Most OF the pavement has
been replaced and one decided blemish
has been done away with-the old park
ing system. Some years ago, the city
placed strips Of grass through the middle
OF the avenue, but no efforts ever sue
ceeded in keeping the plots OF verdure in
condition and the result was that the
parking system became little more than
a series OF mud patches.
The avenue runs through poor neigh
borhood, and while tho future will prob
ably bring changed conditions through
the necessary advance in the value OF
real estate, years will elapse before the
neighborhood will be OF sort that will
appreciate and protect any parking
scheme. Now a narrow line OF venti-
lsting openings extends down the middle
OF the avenue. These will allow more
street room than the old grass plots. The
ventilating openings are not ut all beau
tiful but at least they look sanitary and
useful. In Ashland Place the street will
be made 70 feet wide by adding a strip
IN IA wesfern eide