The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-08-22
Ky HOLLAND

New York, August 21.-(Special.)- )-- When the working men few days
 ago put the spade into the ground
 upon the Manhattan side of the Hud-
 son river. so that in that way there
 could be beginning of the construction of. the shaft which is to be used in
 building the worlds largest tunnel
 under the Hudson, they symbolized by Ethat act the magnitude of artificial | facilities for transportation which are | to be undertaken within a few years, some of which have already begun. From the broad point of view these
 bride tunnel and canal activities
 demonstrate the faith which not oriy
 capital, but the people of the United l States have in the wonderful growth
 of this country. Many hundred mill ! lions are to be invested in the con , struction of gigantic bridges. great
 tunnels and some canals. This in- ] vestment means conviction that the
 transportation facilities of the United !, States must be so greatly increased
 within few years as to be adequate | for the enormous demands which will ] be made upon them.
 1 Just as the contractors who are 1 now digging the first shaft for the new Hudson river tunnel were say ] ing that they would complete the l shaft early in September. the au- | thoritative committee of New York l city was preparing for the construc-
 tion of tunnel under the Narrows | of New York harbor by means of | which Staten Island and Long Island i will be brought into physical con | tact. The state legislature has au- i thorized the construction of this tun- ] nel but this authority was obtained
 many years after the suggestion was 1 first made by the late Austin Corbin
 that Staten Island, which is the [ greatest in area of any of the bor-
 oughs which as a whole make up
 Greater New YNrk. should no longds be isolated by water. but should be
 brought into physical touchs with Long Island.
 William J. wilgus. who is the con | sulting engineer of the city board l which has authority for giving out
 the contracts for the construction oi i this contemplated tunnel, has been SC
 successful in some of his earlier un- dertakings that his opinion Is ac- cepted as worth needing. He has nc l doubt about the ability of moderr engineers familiar with tunnel con z struction to prepare adeduate plans
 whereby this artificial union betweer ! Stalen Island and Long Island can be l secured. For it was Colonel Wilst' :. who as vice president of the New i, York Central Railroad company in ltiated upon absolutely original lines ! the identification of that railroads l.- Av-- kral tp ,I ton. There has never been flaw discovered in this work Afterwart he worked out the plan whereby thu construction of the tunnel under thu ! Detroit river could be economically and easily carried on and that tunne ! stands today as a monumen ito Col onel Wilgus' ability Now he Is abou X to direct the construction of the tun nel under the Narrows of New Yorl ,harbor which will bring Staten Island
 and Long Island and Manhattan al
 well into physical contact.
 Day of Bridges and of Tunnels Il Some 20 years ago General Serrel Il said that If he were 30 years younger i, he would have part in the construc- I tion of bridges and tunnels which would bring the various sections oi
 the city of New York; into complete touch. He went farther than that saying that in time majestic suspen' sion bridges and new tunnel would be constructed east and west ant north and south in the United States General Serrell spoke with some au . thority. although he was 80 years o age at the, time he referred to thu inevitable construction of tnnnel' : land bridges which would make ths I Greater New York compact city , He was the engineer who surveyed . the original Panama railroad. H' vas called to Massachusetts to un' i de.take to complete the long un ! finished IIoosac tunnel. And Mass chrsctts did not grudge the pay:.en which was made to him. Tor f' | brought the eastern and westerr shafts of that mountain tunnel taci
 two niles in length, togeth,r ~t 1l'
 cestral rcii.t without a >a:i..lcr C
 more han an inch. He sussr -ise' the ct .truction of the iso.nsioi
 bridge ever the Niagara yer. ant
 a. ;h~ time ot his death he IS I ;lu
 ninr tn. building of tunn-l uroi
 tn. IstnmLa of Panama thrpish ant
 under great mountain, confiden t,ha, a turnel of this ki1i wer't
 mal.. lcssible a sea leve. raral il
 winch no locks would b. nsrdfd q ls'.nerai Se-rell foresaw the futrr'
 Of very g, ,eet bridge and tunnel con