New-York tribune., 1918-07-02
City Officials Make First
Trip ON Newly Com
pleted Line
|
CostAbout$4O, 900, 900
Opens Way Of Trafhc on West
Side to Forty-second
Street

lie west leg OF Lnc ri OIL Lne neJ-
work of subways in Manhattan was
formally opened yesterday, on the
fiftieth anniversary of the establish
ment Of rapid transit in New York
City.
With the controller in the hand Of
Alfred Craven, more than seventy
years DID, former chief engineer Of
the Public Service Commission, a spe-
cial train of six cars ran north from
Chambers Street to Times Square,
back to South Ferry and up to Cham
bers Street
Mayor Hylan, with his secretary,
Grover Whalen, and officials of the
Interborough Rapid Transit Company
and the Public Service Commission
rode in the front end of the first spe-
cial train which started on its way
at exactly 1922 p. m.
At the end of the trip the Mayor
said:
81 am glad that it is OPEN
Frank Hedley, vice president and
general manager of the Interborough,
commented as follows on the opening:
"Passengcrs will find that there is
considerable work to be finished be-
fore this portion of the new subway
system is complete. However, a SER
vice can be rendered that will afford
considerable convenience to large
the construction work has been COM
pleted in Lexington Avenue and the
connections at Times Square and
Grand Central finished transfer at
Times Square will be necessary.
"When the new II is completed it
will cause almost a complete redis-
tribution of the passengers riding on
the subway and practically change the
ways in which about ] 100000 persons
move about the city daily. When the
H is put into operation it will be on
basis that will give the people OF
New Yorf much improved rapid
transit service"
The Seventh Avenue subway has
cost in the ncighborhood of S4OCOO,-
OOO 1t adds, with the portion placed
in operation from Times Square to
the Pennsy sylvania Station last summer,
about 167 track miles to the dual sys-
tenn now in use.
This voiced the sentiments Of 8
good many persons living or employed
on the lower West Side, who had their
first subway facilities yesterday
Greenwich Village by the opening got
direct subway connection from Sherl-
dan Square to Times Square.
At o'clock the first regular tram
service between South Forty and Times
Square began, with branch service east
and south from Chambers Street and
West Broadway to Wall and William
Streets. Trains Will be run on four
minute Roadway.
Many Officials on First Train
Among the other officials who made
the initial trip were Oscar S. Straus,
chairman of the Public Service Com
mission; Travis H. Whitney and
Charles Buckley Hubbell Public Ser
vice Commiss ssioners; former Commits
soner William McCarroll, Chief En-
gineer Daniel l.. Turner, James B.
Walker, secretary to the commission;
Robert Ridgway, chief engineer in
charge Of construction; John n. Mey-
ers, engineer in charge of the construc-
tion OF the northern end of the new
charge of the southern end, and H. Fl.
Vreeand. formerly Of the Metropolitan
Traction Company.
Only Local Trains at Present
Local trains only are operated at
present on Seventh Avenue, but the eN-
press tracks are ready for operation
as soon as connections are ,nauc at
Times Square for Broadway trains to
go directly south instead of turning
east to Grand Central, as at present
The four new tracks make a total of
twelve subway tracks south of Forty
second Street, including the four tracks
in the old Fourth Avenue Inte thorough
subway and B. R. I. subway on lower
Broadway, thus trebling the facilities
south of Times Square a year ago.
Through operation of the "H" system
Of subways, with the crosstown shut
ties on Forty second Street, is expected
in about n month. The now BROOKLYN
branch from Chambers Street now op-
crates only to Wall and William
Streets, but viii be connected with
Brooklyn by a new tunrel under tho
East River, which Will be ready for
operation by spring.
From Times Square south on Sev-
enth Avenue, West Broadway and
Greenwich Street, the stations on the
new subway are: Pennsylvania Sta
ton, Twenty eighth Street, Twenty
third Street, Eighteenth Street, -Four
teenth Street, Christopher Street,
(Sheridan Square,, Houston Street. Ca
nal Street. Franklin Street, Chambers
street, Cortlandt Street, Rector Street,
South Ferry
The branch from Chan bcrs Street
toward Brooklyn at present makes the
following stops: Park Place Wool
worth Buildng), Fulton and William
Streets, Wall and William Streets.