The sun., 1919-09-12
JACOBS, BUILDER OF
TUNNELS HERE, DIES
English Engineer Solved the
Problem Of Under River
Tube Construction.
OVERCAME DIFFICULTIES
Took Personal Charge of Work
When Others Failed-In-
vented Safety Devices.

The British engineer to WHOSE genius
net work Of tunnels under the rivers
connecting Manhattan with New Jersey
and Long Island was made possible,
Charles Matthias Jacobs. died on Sun
day at his residence in London, accord
ing to a cable report received yesterday.
He lived in America from 1889 to 1909.
designing and taking charge of the con-
struction of the six tubes under the
Hudson for the Pennsylvania and Hud-
son and Manhattan railroads, and rum
ming a small tunnel under the East
River to Astoria for the East River Gas
Company. While he was still an un-
known engineer in London he had
studied the problem OF Hudson River
tunnelling, and believed he would see the
day when there would be an under river
connection with Jersey.
Mr. Jacobs after completing his work
here returned to England in order TO d.
rect the construction OF a tunnel for the
French Government under the River
Seine from Rouen to Havre. He had
| designed 1t several years before. His
engineering feats in this city had earned
him Il worldwide reputation and brought
him into connection with the most diff
cult engineering projects in many foreign
lands in an advisory capacity.
"Discovered" by Corbin.
Mr.. Jacobs was "discoverd" in London.
where he had been connected with a
tunnellng project under the Thames
| River by Austin Corbin. president OF the
Long Island Railroad, at whose invita-
| ton he came to America in 1889. He
was to become adviser to Mr.. Corbin in
| the planning of complete rapid transit
| system connecting Manhattan with
| Brooklyn and New Jersey, The plans
| were submitted to the City Rapid Tran
sit Board, and many borings were made
| for line that was to run from Cort-
| lendt street to Atlantic avenue, Brook
| lyn, with a branch across the North
| River 10 the Pennsylvania terminal in
Jersey City. Approval was withheld for
some reason and the borings were
stopped.
The first river tunnel link which Mr..
| Jacobs designed and superintended was
| the gas tunnel under the East River.
| The contractors to whom the undertake
/ ing was assigned failed and Mr.. Jacobs
assumed personal charge. He drove the
| tunnel simultaneously from both sides
of the river. the headings meeting at
midnight July II, 1894 Beside the
piping was run a narrow gauge railroad
! track.
| In 1901 Mr.. Jacobs designed and su-
perintended the construction OF the twin
tunnels for the New York and New Jer-
sey Railroad and the Hudson and Man.
haitian Railroad. The system consists of
| two sets of two parallel tunnels under
the North River. He planned the extern
sion of tn service from Broadway and
Thirty-third street to the Grand Central
Terminal and from Sixth avenue at Ninth
street to Fourth avenue, projects which
have not been continued. He also de-
signed an extension from the Pennsyl
vania station in Hoboken to Newark
While he was engaged in these oper
atoms for the McAdoo interests he re-
tanned membership in the firm of Jacobs
& Davies, reslgning when he left fol
Europe
Invented Many Devices.
In the construction of the McAdoo
and Pennsylvania tunnels, a work which
required over six years. Mr. Jacobs in
addition to drawing the plans and solv
ing the technical problems invented
many of the devices used to safeguard
the lives of the workmen. The inven-
lions operated so well that not life
was lost from compressed air pressure
the most dangerous factor of the con-
struction. in any of the six tunnels
Mr. Jacobs succeeded in the Hudson
River enterprise where twenty-e eight
years before men had failed
He was born in Hull, Yorkshire, Eng
land, June S, 1850, studied at Cam
bridge University, and obtained EN-
ployment in the firm of Charles &
William Earle, engineers and shipbuild.
ers of Hull. He obtained a thorough
mechanical training in the shops, finally
becoming superintendent in the con-
structior Of marine. works. He opened
an office Of his own in 1874, and gaining
in reputation moved to London.
| He was a member of the leading
engineering societies OF this country and
England including the Engineers and
Railroad clubs of this city, and the
Royal Societies. Royal Automobile and
City of London clubs OF LondUIn He
was married in England in 1876,