New-York tribune., 1919-01-29
Tribune Woman rs First
OF Ser TO See Neau Tube
Writer v aII>s From BROOKLYN TO Manhattan in
Clark Street Tunnel, Under East River and
Gels All splashed Up, but Doesn't Mind 1t Bit
BY BRIGGS

guide, and mine had nothing to do but
keep me from whacking my head
against the third rail Imagine i'm
proving upon Alice,
Four or five hundred women lust
then flashed past in a stupid, matter Of
tact Atlantic Avenue train. stood at
the head of the new tunnel and watched
them 20 by 1t is just beyond the
Borough Hall station that the new
tunnel Will connect with the old sub
way tracks. the New York bound trains
IN one tube and the Brooklyn bound
IN another on a lower level to avoid
a grade crossing.
Then we pulled out cur electric flash
lights and turned our backs on the
world of women. Down where I was
before
The long, round cavern stretched out
ahe%d Of us, growing smaller and
smaller N the distance, until the end
was hidden in the blackness.
"Calamty Jane" Present.
Hope we don't have cave-in," | re-
MAJ htu III jne darkness.
The reassuring voice of Engineer
SNOW answered promptly:
The tube is made Of steel plates. AN
inch and onc-half thick. It is lined
with cement, fifteen inches thick. There
are 1903 bolts in every plate"
nat seemed to make it safe enough
from the tides, and plodded on.
ne engineer continued his lecture.
reflected on my brothers and other
vase persons who would have been able
to ask intelligent questions about the
power cables and hrw the compressed
ar was pumped in, and the operation
OF the tunnel shield
Wasn't 1t fro,o this tunnel that a
sandhog was Ut up through the
water?' | asked.
"Yes,' said Mr.. Snow, but he wasn,t
killed. YOU know. End he came hack
mere and worked fp' two years.
isn 1t awful unwholesome 10
work down here - asked again as we
passed group OF workmen bendina
over cable splicing in a closet off the
main channel.
stood 1t Eight Years
"lVc been in tunnel work eight
years. and I'm still hale and hca,.t, ;,
was the answer. al ~
The walking was good now .rd
was able to listen at least intoli;o%o,t,,. %
even II didn't venture anv onect;o,,
dIdnt need rubbers nearly So m,,ch
as and IN walking on dry" land IN
o'heE portions of Brooklyn. The suhl
WAY tracks were all laid, and was
aole TO mop rhythmically from ono tic 20
afoOher, keeplng time with the bohhino
-. nHy hashllght and listening to the
S~no'nE Volcc OF the engineer as he
Da
ton '"e 0o"S'ruc-
hey say the Panama Canal ;s tho
greatest engineering feat in thc v,or,d :,
ne ne SAID but believe that these New
loiA I Sup"ays arc much more remark
aple. Down there it was mostly p onos.
'ion OF removing earth. OF con1eo
mere was lots of it, but they had i al
20 lhemseiVes They could make all tbn
luss they wanted to and not be in dan
ger ol nothering other people.
Many Difficulties Faced
Here we have to be on guard all tho
'ilne against interfering with nrivate
property. We can't obstruct trafic ana
we nave to take precautions every font
oi the way against gas mains and Sow
crs' elevated pillars and tho FONDA
tons of buildings. If we mako ono
silght error we MAJ bring down untold
o'sas'er to hundreds of people"
Ahead OF US circle of light grow
gradually brighter. The noise Of of ,.'Sa, snc"
ing clattered through the tunnel
1aint sound Of an ambulance sircn
came through the confusion.
BACK IN little old New York.
1t isn't every pioneer that breaks
INTO Wall Street from the mud under-
meath 1T. but that's what did, stun
bling, up another rickety ladder and
Splnshing through Il couple of pud-
Let me brush you off, said the
engineer gallantly
Not at all | chirped This mud
IS historic. Maybe | can sell these
old clothes to "A museum for the mud
that is on them"