New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-03-09
NEW JAMAICA STATION
Opening To-day Marks Begin
nina Of Brisk Realty Epoch.
FIVE LARGE PLATFORMS
Four Eastward and Four West.
ward Trains May Start at
the Same Moment.

: Tn" opening Of the new Ions Island
Railroad station at Jamaica to-day
marks the dawn Of new epoch IN the
transformation of Jamaica into greater
residential and business centre. vast
sums have already been spent on TINS
brilliant engineering feat. and similar
amounts will bc expended TO complete this
great railroad undertaking.
. IN lS2N. when the greater city became
,ealitv. there we're erected in Jamalca,
Inc uh Ward OF Queens. 22l buildings. at
an estimated cost of $5lS.,5i Last year
There wcr, nat up i'm Jamaica 2oc5 build
ing II an estimated cost Of So Sole
~ predict for Jamaica. as we'll as for
Gil other portions Of tho Borough Of
puccus." recently said John w. Moore
Superintendent Of buildings of that hor-
oush. unprecedented building operations
In the next few years adding an increase
Of land values second TO none in inc
greater city
The now jamaica station is only part
of tho vast railroad construction work
at jamaica begun i'm recent Years the
entire undertaking being called the ia
maica improvements. 1t will be several
years more before even the original plans
Of this project are completed.
The platforms of the new station are
ljttlc over twenty-five feet above the
street level In other words. great
railway viaduct has been built and the
platforms SO laid that the car floors Will
10 flush with the platform level rms
will expedite the transference OF passeh-
gcrs and also make il easier for AGED and
infrm persons To go from ole train 10
another.
The railway viaduct is many hundred
feet long. ami some distance west OF the
station it has double deck. permitting
Lone island City and Pennsylvania trains
10 run below trains from Brooklyn. Yet
every train At the station platforms Will
ne AT the same level. 4 short distance
west Of the station some of the tracks
will run below the grade of others.
Briefly. some Of the principal features
OF the station and Improvements are:
Elimination Of all street grade cross
inrs eventually. Many have already been
removed
Spacious undergTade thoroushtares Tor
heavy and light vehicles. with wide Side
walks parallelng the Toadways Some OF
the most important have been built.
New public streets opened: Guildford
street. which is about two thousand feet
south of the old station. 10 he the main
approach to the new station. Two others
OF the big new thoroushfares will he
Foley and Mature avenues.
No trains will have 10 he shunted back
ward to get on the proper tracks; the
movement Of trains will be ever forward.
Nt the old station some electric east
bound trains after reaching that point.
have to be backed so they can be
switched 10 tracks which will bring them
t. their destination.
The five platforms Of the new station
arc each 991 feet long. An idea OF their
length may he had from the fact that II
the southerlv end of one of the platforms
were AT 2eth street and Madison avenue
the northerly end would he about a hun
bred feet south Of 31st street. Thus each
nlatform is about four and a half blocks
cong. their total length being nearly a
mile.
The average width Of the platforms is
twenty-five feet All Of them are made
IF concrete spileS which form OF construc-
ion is considered rather novel.
The cost Of maintenance of the new sta
ton platforms is practically nothing COM
pared 10 that Of the composite type OF
wood stone and steel Moreover. they
are 50 laid that there will he no jar OF
approaching or passing trains
Eight trains-four eastward and four
westward-may he dispatched at the same
,..tt fffgfn
sons seeking trains Al Jamaica.
The train viaduct is reached from the
station proper by steps leading to nez-
canine floor ON the mezzsnine floor are
short flights OF stairs. each fight opening
on 20 different platform At the base Of
tho stairs will he boards indicating the
stations At which the trains will stop.
Every feasible plan has been adopteo
which will help persons 10 board quickly
and safely the trains they want