AMERICAN SOCIETY OF CIVIL ENGINEERS

INSTITUTED 1852

TRANSACTIONS

Paper No. 1150

THE NEW YORK TUNNEL EXTENSION OF THE PENNSYLVANIA RAILROAD. 

BY CHARLES W. RAYMOND, M. AM. SOC. C. E. [A]

Some time before the appointment of the Board of Engineers whichsupervised the designing and construction of the New York TunnelExtension of the Pennsylvania Railroad, the late A. J. Cassatt, thenPresident of the Company, said to the writer that for many years he hadbeen unable to reconcile himself to the idea that a railroad system likethe Pennsylvania should be prevented from entering the most importantand populous city in the country by a river less than one mile wide. Theresult of this thought was the tunnel extension project now nearlycompleted; but it is only in recent years that new conditions haverendered such a solution of the problem practicable as well asdesirable. 

Previously a tunnel designed for steam railroad traffic, to enter NewYork City near Christopher Street, was partly constructed, but the workwas abandoned for financial reasons. Then plans for a great suspensionbridge, to enable all the railroads reaching the west shore of the NorthRiver to enter the city at the foot of 23d Street, were carefullyworked out by the North River Bridge Company. The Pennsylvania RailroadCompany gave this project its support by agreeing to pay its _pro rata_share for the use of the bridge; but the other railroads declined toparticipate, and the execution of this plan was not undertaken. 

New operating conditions, resulting from the application of electrictraction to the movement of heavy railroad trains, which had been usedinitially in tunnels by the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad and wassubsequently studied and adopted by railroads in Europe, made itpossible to avoid the difficulty of ventilation connected with steamtraction in tunnels, and permitted the use of grades practicallyprohibitive with the steam locomotive. The practicability of the tunnelextension project finally adopted was thus assured. 

The acquisition of the control of the Long Island Railroad by thePennsylvania Railroad Company, which occurred in 1900, introduced newand important elements into the transportation problem, from a freightas well as a passenger standpoint. Previously, the plans considered hadfor their only object the establishment of a convenient terminus in NewYork, to avoid the delays and difficulties involved in the necessity oftransporting passengers and freight across the North River. When theLong Island Railroad became practically a part of the PennsylvaniaSystem, it was possible and desirable to extend the project so as toprovide, not only for a great prospective local traffic from all partsof Long Island, but also for through passenger and freight traffic tothe New England States, and to and from all points on the PennsylvaniaSystem, thus avoiding the long ferriage from Jersey City around theharbor to the Harlem River. 

This paper has for its subject the New York Tunnel Extension project, and is intended merely as an introduction to the detailed accounts ofthe construction of the various divisions of the line to be given insucceeding papers prepared by the engineers who actively carried out thework. The project, however, forms the most important part of thecomprehensive scheme adopted by the Pennsylvania Railroad Company forconducting its traffic into and through New York City, and a briefdescription of this general plan is therefore necessary in order thatthe relations of the tunnel line to the other parts of thetransportation project may be clearly understood. 

GENERAL PLAN FOR TRAFFIC FACILITIES AT NEW YORK. 

The component elements of the general plan outlined by the late A. J. Cassatt, President, in his open letter to the Board of Rapid TransitRailroad Commissioners of the City of New York, dated January 18th, 1906, are indicated on Fig. 1, and may be briefly summarized as follows:

_1. _--The Pennsylvania Tunnel and Terminal Railroad, generally referredto as the New York Tunnel Extension of the Pennsylvania Railroad. Thisline begins near Newark, N. J. , crosses the Hackensack Meadows, andpasses through Bergen Hill and under the North River, the Borough ofManhattan, and the East River to the large terminal yard, known asSunnyside Yard, in Long Island City, Borough of Queens, New York. Theline will be more fully described elsewhere. 

_2. _--The electrification of the Long Island Railroad within the citylimits. 

_3. _--The Pennsylvania freight terminal yard and piers at Greenville, N. J. , connecting by ferry with the Bay Ridge terminal of the LongIsland Railroad. 

_4. _--The Bay Ridge Improvement of the Long Island Railroad from EastNew York to Bay Ridge. 

_5. _--Yards for increasing the freight facilities in the Boroughs ofBrooklyn and Queens. 

_6. _--The Atlantic Avenue Improvement in Brooklyn, involving the removalof the steam railroad surface tracks and the extensive improvement ofthe passenger and freight station at Flatbush Avenue. 

_7. _--The New York Connecting Railroad, extending through a part of theBorough of Queens and crossing the East River by a bridge at Ward's andRandall's Islands to Port Morris, N. Y. 

_8. _--The Glendale Cut-Off of the Long Island Railroad. 

_9. _--New piers and docks in Newtown Creek at its confluence with theEast River. 

_10. _--Electrification of the United Railroads of New Jersey Divisionfrom Newark to Jersey City. 

The parts sustained by these elements in the work of transportation anddistribution are briefly as follows:

The New York Tunnel Extension is essentially a passenger line, althoughthe Company has not only the legal powers but also the facilities formaking it a through route for freight if desired. It will transportpassengers to and from the centrally located station at 33d Street andSeventh Avenue in New York City, joining the Long Island System atSunnyside Yard, and, by means of the New York Connecting Railroad, itwill form a link in the through traffic line, connecting the wholePennsylvania System with the New England States. This line has beendesigned for the safe and expeditious handling of a large volume oftraffic. The requirements include handling the heaviest through expresstrains south and west from the main line as well as the frequent andlighter local-service trains. For through service the locomotiveprinciple of operation has been adhered to, that is, electriclocomotives will take up the work of the steam locomotives at theinterchange yard at Harrison, N. J. , and, for excursion and suburbanservice to nearby towns, provision will be made for electriclocomotives, or by operation of special self-propelled motor cars intrains, the project being planned to give the greatest flexibility inmethod of operation to meet the growing demand in the best way. 

The New York Connecting Railroad has important functions both forfreight and passenger service. When constructed it will be about 12miles long, and will form a part of the line to the New England Statesfor through passenger and freight service, and also carry local freightto and from Sunnyside Yard and Brooklyn, and all points on Long Island. By means of this line it will be possible to make the Brooklyn stationat Flatbush Avenue a station on the through System for New England aswell as the Western States. 

[Illustration: FIG. 1. (Full page image)

MAP OF THE PENNSYLVANIA R. R. CO'S NEW YORK TUNNEL EXTENSION ANDCONNECTIONS. ]

The initial equipment of the Western Division of the Long IslandRailroad for electric traction has been made in advance of the openingof the tunnel line in order to take care of the requirements of theAtlantic Avenue improvement. This improvement involved the eliminationof grade crossings within the City of Brooklyn and the conversion of therailroad line which was previously on the surface of the streets to partsubway and part elevated line from the Flatbush Avenue Terminal to EastNew York Station, a distance of 5-1/4 miles. One of the requirements ofthis improvement was that the motive power should be changed to someform of power not involving combustion. This led to the adoption ofelectricity, and, in order to meet operating necessities, involved theelectrification of connecting lines beyond the improvement proper, sothat local service could be handled to the end of the runs withoutchanging the motive power. The extent of the electrification thusrequired was found to be about 100 single-track miles. This extensiveelectrification work was undertaken and completed in the summer of 1905, upon the completion of the Atlantic Avenue improvement proper, and sincethat time has been in successful operation. On the near approach of theconstruction of the New York Terminal improvement, plans for additionalelectrification on the Long Island Railroad were made, and the work isnow in progress on the extensive additions required to couple up thetunnel extension with the various lines centering at the Long IslandCity terminus. 

The Bay Ridge Improvement of the Long Island Railroad comprises thereadjustment of the right of way and the establishment of new grades inorder to do away with grade crossings from the freight terminal at BayRidge to a junction with the New York Connecting Railroad at East NewYork, a distance of 10. 4 miles. It also provides for the re-location ofthe line and the elimination of grade crossings on the branch running toManhattan Beach, a distance of 3. 7 miles. The work is being executedwithout interrupting traffic, and in all about 75 grade crossings willbe abolished. This improvement became necessary in order to provide forthe rapid extension of population into the suburban districts and forthe present and future requirements of the section, to establishmunicipal conveniences and facilities, and to open additional streetsacross the right of way. To accomplish these ends, the line has beenbuilt in cuts and on embankments, there being about 6. 4 miles of theformer, 3. 3 miles of the latter, and a tunnel, 3, 500 ft. Long, where theline crosses the Atlantic Avenue improvement. 

The Atlantic Avenue improvement, as mentioned above, involved theremoval of the railroad tracks from the street surface for a distance ofabout 5-1/4 miles. This was done by constructing a series of elevatedand subway structures, there being about 2. 1 miles of the former, 2. 4miles of the latter, and 0. 8 mile of approaches, eliminating more than90 grade crossings. In the light of recent developments, it may be ofinterest to note that one of the reasons for establishing a combinationelevated and subway line was that, at the time the improvement wasprojected, no underground railroad in the country, of similar length andcarrying a heavy volume of local traffic, was operated by electricity, and public sentiment was against the operation of the entire length ofthe line underground by steam power. This improvement also provided fordepressing the entire Flatbush Avenue station and a freight yard. As thework progressed, the original plans for the station were greatlyenlarged, the remodeled station covering about 61 city lots. 

The main point of passenger distribution is the New York station. Otherimportant stations will be Flatbush Avenue, Brooklyn; Jamaica, LongIsland, where the changes to and from electric motive power will bemade; and Newark, N. J. Many other places, including the seaside resortson Long Island and in New Jersey, will feel the benefits of the directtunnel railroad into and through New York City. The Glendale Cut-Offwill materially shorten the route and running time from New York throughthe tunnels to Rockaway Beach. 

The plans contemplate that passengers to and from the lower part ofManhattan will be carried by the steam line between Newark and JerseyCity and cross the North River by ferry or the Cortlandt Street tunnelsof the Hudson Company. Eventually, the old main line will be electrifiedand supersede the steam service between Newark and Jersey City. 

The Greenville Yard is the most important point for the receipt, transmission, and distribution of freight. From this point freight canbe transported, without breaking bulk, by a comparatively shortcar-ferry to the Long Island Railroad terminus at Bay Ridge, and thus avery large part of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company's floatage in NewYork Harbor and the East River will be abolished, the floatage distancebeing reduced in the case of the New England freight from about 12 to 3miles. This traffic will be routed from Bay Ridge _via_ the Long IslandRailroad to a connection with and thence over the New York ConnectingRailroad to the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad at PortMorris, N. Y. 

As the facilities for the handling of freight in the Boroughs ofBrooklyn and Queens had become insufficient for taking care of theprospective traffic, eleven new local delivery yards, having a combinedarea of about 2, 153 city lots, have been established, and three existingyards are to be improved and enlarged so as to give a combined area ofabout 687 city lots. Of these new yards, the Bay Ridge freight terminal, containing about 790 city lots, is the largest; its functions have beendescribed above. There is a freight terminal at East New York 200 ft. Wide and a mile long, containing about 566 city lots, which will be thedistributing point of freight for the entire East New York section. Thisyard is depressed, and will be crossed by six viaducts carrying citystreets. The North Shore freight yard, containing 109 city lots, isconnected with the Montauk Division by an overhead construction, knownas the Montauk Freight Cut-Off, whereby all freight traffic to Jamaicamay be kept out of the way of the Jamaica passenger traffic from thetunnels. 

It may be of interest to indicate briefly how much has already beenaccomplished in the execution of this general plan, and what stillremains to be done for its completion. 

The larger part of the electrification of the Long Island Railroad andthe elimination of grade crossings within the built-up city limits, theAtlantic Avenue improvement, and the yard and piers at Greenville, havebeen completed. The Sunnyside Yard and the Glendale Cut-Off will becompleted during the next twelve months. On the Tunnel and TerminalRailroad the embankment and bridge work across the Hackensack Meadowsand all the tunnels and excavation from the west side of Bergen Hill toLong Island City, except a short section near the eastern end of theline, have been completed. The New York station and other buildings andfacilities connected therewith are well advanced. The laying of thetrack, the electrification of the line, and the installation of thesignaling and lighting systems are under way. It is anticipated that theline will be ready for operation in the spring of 1910. 

Report has been made to the Public Service Commission that a large partof the right of way for the New York Connecting Railroad has beenobtained, and more than $3, 000, 000 has been spent by this railroad. Thepiers and docks at Newtown Creek and the electrification of the linefrom Newark to Jersey City are not yet actively under way. 

ESTIMATED COST OF THE IMPROVEMENTS. 

As appears from the foregoing statement, only parts of the improvementscontemplated in the general scheme have been completed, others are inprogress, and others have not yet been commenced. It is thereforeimpossible at the present time to make a close estimate of the totalexpenditure involved in the execution of the entire scheme. Thefollowing estimate of the cost of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company'simprovements in the New York District when fully completed is based onthe best information now available:

New York Tunnel Extension and Station, includingInterchange Yards at Harrison, N. J. , and Sunnyside, L. I. , P. T. & T. R. R. Co. $100, 000, 000

Long Island Railroad electrification, BayRidge and Atlantic Avenue improvements, Glendale Cut-Off, freight yards, and new equipment 35, 000, 000

New York Connecting Railroad, to be builtjointly by the Pennsylvania R. R. Co. And the New York, New Haven andHartford R. R. Co. , about 14, 000, 000

Pennsylvania Railroad improvements in theState of New Jersey, electrification ofline from Jersey City to Park Place, Newark, Greenville freight line and terminalon New York Bay 10, 000, 000 ------------ Total $159, 000, 000

CORPORATE ORGANIZATION AND FRANCHISE CONDITIONS. 

As the tunnel extension lies partly in the State of New Jersey andpartly in the State of New York, it was necessary to charter twocompanies, each covering the territory within the State to which itbelonged. The New Jersey corporation was entitled the Pennsylvania, NewJersey and New York Railroad Company, and the New York corporation, thePennsylvania, New York and Long Island Railroad Company. Theseorganizations were completed early in 1902. Subsequently, after thetunnels had been joined under the North River, the companies wereconsolidated, on June 26th, 1907, and thereby formed the present companyunder the name of the Pennsylvania Tunnel and Terminal Railroad Company, a corporation of both States. 

Mr. Cassatt, President of the Pennsylvania, New York and Long IslandRailroad Company, made application in its behalf for a franchise toextend the lines of the Pennsylvania Railroad by tunnels under the NorthRiver to a passenger station to be erected in New York City and thenceunder the East River to a connection with the Long Island Railroad, onMay 5th, 1902. 

The franchise for that part of the tunnel line which is within the Stateof New York, that is, from the boundary line between New York and NewJersey, in the Hudson River, to the eastern terminus at Sunnyside Yard, Long Island, is contained in the certificate issued by the Board ofRapid Transit Railroad Commissioners of the City of New York on October9th, 1902. 

The essential features of the franchise have been summarizedsubstantially as follows in the report of the Committee of the Board ofRapid Transit Railroad Commissioners of the City of New York, dated June14th, 1902:

_First. _--A grant by the city in perpetuity of rights, subject, however, to a periodic readjustment of payments at intervals of twenty-fiveyears, as follows:

 (_a_) To construct and operate a railroad of two tracks from the boundary between New York and New Jersey under the Hudson River opposite the westerly foot of Thirty-first Street, Borough of Manhattan, thence running under the Hudson River and Thirty-first Street to the East River and under the East River to a terminus in Queens Borough. The Company is permitted on notice within ten years to give up the right to these two tracks. 

 (_b_) A like right for a railroad of two tracks beginning near the same point under the Hudson River, thence running under Thirty-second Street to the East River, and under that river to the terminus in Queens Borough, with a right for two additional tracks in Thirty-second Street, west of Ninth Avenue, and one additional track between Seventh and Fifth Avenues in Manhattan. 

 (_c_) A like right for a railroad of two tracks beginning at the station terminal site at Thirty-third Street and Seventh Avenue and thence running under Thirty-third Street and the East River to the terminal in Queens Borough, with a right for one additional track on Thirty-third Street, between Seventh and Fifth Avenues. 

 (_d_) A right to maintain a terminal station occupying the four blocks bounded by Thirty-first Street, Seventh Avenue, Thirty-third Street and Ninth Avenue, the lots on the east side of Seventh Avenue between Thirty-first and Thirty-third Streets, and the underground portions of Thirty-first and Thirty-third Streets, between Seventh and Eighth Avenues and between Eighth and Ninth Avenues, the Company having itself acquired the land included in such four blocks and lots on the east side of Seventh Avenue. 

 (_e_) To occupy for such terminal facilities all of Thirty-second Street lying between the westerly side of Seventh Avenue and the easterly side of Eighth Avenue, and between the westerly side of Eighth Avenue and the easterly side of Ninth Avenue. As soon as the statutory right of the city authorities to make the conveyance shall be put beyond doubt the Railroad Company is obliged to buy such two portions of Thirty-second Street, which will then become completely dedicated to the purposes of their station. (These portions of Thirty-second Street were subsequently purchased by the Railroad Company. )

 (_f_) To have along such routes the necessary facilities for the operation of passenger and freight trains, including telegraph wires and the various wires and cables for the distribution of power, heat, and light. 

_Second. _--The requirement of the consent of the Mayor, the Board ofAldermen, the Board of Estimate and Apportionment, and the otherauthorities of the city having control of the streets. 

_Third. _--The obligation of the Pennsylvania Company to beginconstruction within three months after obtaining the necessary consentsand complete the railroad within five years after construction shallbegin, except the route under Thirty-first Street, for the completion ofwhich the company is allowed ten years after the completion of theremainder of the railroad. 

_Fourth. _--Payments by the Pennsylvania Company for the firsttwenty-five years, as follows: A rental of $200 per annum for the rightto occupy land under the Hudson and East Rivers outside of pier lines. Arental for ground within pier lines and for underground portions ofstreets in Manhattan Borough, at fifty cents per linear foot of singletrack per annum, for the first ten years, and during the next fifteenyears one dollar per annum per linear foot. A rental for ground withinpier lines and for underground portions of streets in Queens Borough atone-half the rates payable for Manhattan Borough. A rental forunderground portions of Thirty-first and Thirty-third Streets, betweenSeventh and Eighth Avenues, and between Eighth and Ninth Avenues (suchportions extending almost up to the surface, except under the southsidewalk of Thirty-first Street and north sidewalk of Thirty-thirdStreet) at $14, 000 per annum for the first ten years, and at $28, 000 perannum for the next fifteen years. 

For the portions of Thirty-second Street, between Seventh and EighthAvenues, and between Eighth and Ninth Avenues, when the statutory powerof the city to make a sale shall be put beyond doubt, the city is tosell and the Railroad Company is required to buy such portions for thesum of $788, 600. The rentals for river and track rights begin at thedate of operation. For the underground spaces under Thirty-first andThirty-third Streets, used for station extension, the rentals begin atthe commencement of construction, or when the company entered thereon. 

Such annual payments may be summarized as follows:

+===============================================+=========================+| | First 10 | Next 15 || | years. | years. ||-----------------------------------------------+------------+------------+|For river rights | $200. 00 | $200. 00 ||For tunnel rights in Manhattan Borough, being | | || 44, 341 ft. (partly estimated) of single track | 22, 170. 00 | 44, 341. 00 ||For tunnel rights in Queens Borough, being | | || 8, 100 ft. (partly estimated) of single track | 2, 025. 00 | 4, 050. 00 ||For street rights on Thirty-first and | | || Thirty-third Streets, north and south of | | || terminal | 14, 000. 00 | 28, 000. 00 |+-----------------------------------------------+------------+------------+| In all, per annum | $38, 395. 00 | $76, 591. 00 |+===============================================+============+============+

If the route under Thirty-first Street be availed of, these amounts willbe increased by $16, 652. 50 for the first ten years, and by $33, 305 forthe next fifteen years. 

The amounts to be paid are to be readjusted at the end of twenty-fiveyears; and thereafter at intervals of twenty-five years. If the city andthe Railroad Company shall not agree upon the readjusted rates, they areto be determined by the Supreme Court of this State. 

_Fifth. _--The railroad to be entirely in tunnel except where itapproaches the surface at its eastern terminal near Thomson Avenue, inQueens Borough. The uppermost part of the tunnel is to be at leastnineteen feet below the surface of the street; but this limitation doesnot apply to the portions of Thirty-first and Thirty-third Streetsopposite the terminal station between Seventh and Ninth Avenues, wherethe Company may occupy the underground portions of the street under theroadway to within thirty inches of the surface, and under the sidewalkson Thirty-first and Thirty-third Streets opposite to the station towithin five feet of the surface, the company to properly care forsewers, water, gas and other pipes and underground structures lawfullyin the street. 

_Sixth. _--The company to make good all damage done to property of thecity by its construction work or operations, and to abutting owners alldamage done through any fault or negligence of the company, or of anycontractor or sub-contractor engaged upon its work of construction oroperation. The Tunnel Company to keep Thirty-first and Thirty-thirdStreets opposite the station well paved with smooth pavement and inthoroughly good condition. 

_Seventh. _--Tunnel excavations to be done without disturbing the surfaceof the street, except in the portions of Thirty-first and Thirty-thirdStreets, and Seventh, Eighth and Ninth Avenues in front of the terminalstation, and except in Queens Borough, with the power to the RapidTransit Board, wherever conditions elsewhere make surface excavationnecessary for efficient construction, to grant the right for suchexcavation, subject to conditions to be then prescribed by the Board. The tracks are to be constructed of the most approved plan so as toavoid noise or tremor. All plans for, and the method of doing, the workare made subject to the approval of the Rapid Transit Board. 

_Eighth. _--The motive power to be electricity, or such other power notinvolving combustion as may be approved by the Board. 

_Ninth. _--The company to have no power to carry on merely local traffic, except with the approval of the Board and for additional considerationto be paid the city. Traffic is defined as local which begins and endsin the city within five miles of the terminal station on Seventh andNinth Avenues. 

_Tenth. _--The railroad to be diligently and skillfully operated, withdue regard to the convenience of the traveling public. 

_Eleventh. _--The city to have a lien upon the franchise and realproperty of the company to secure the payment of rental. 

_Twelfth. _--The rights of the city to be enforceable by action, forspecific performance, or mandamus, or otherwise. 

_Thirteenth. _--The company not to oppose the construction of any rapidtransit railroad along or across the same routes which do not actuallyinterfere with the authorized structures of the company. 

_Fourteenth. _--The city to have an ample right of inspection of therailroad, and to enter upon it for examination, supervision, or care ofcity property, or for other purposes. 

_Fifteenth. _--The company to be bound to maintain and strengthen allparts of its railways under streets or avenues so that the same shallsupport safely any structures superimposed or which may hereafter besuperimposed thereon by the city or under public authority. 

_Sixteenth. _--The company to have the right to convey or mortgage thefranchise, but every grantee, whether directly or under a mortgage, toassume the obligations already assumed by the Railroad Company and theRailroad Company not to be relieved of such obligations by the grant. 

This franchise was passed by the Board of Aldermen on December 16th andapproved by the Mayor on December 23d, 1902. 

Subsequently, an agreement, dated June 21st, 1907, was entered into bythe City of New York, the Tunnel Company, and the Long Island RailroadCompany covering the construction of the Sunnyside Yard, which forms theeastern terminus of the line. 

In pursuance of this agreement, the map or plan of the City of New Yorkwas changed by discontinuing or closing portions of fifty streets oravenues, and by changing the grades of sixteen streets or avenues, inthe Borough of Queens, and the portions of streets and avenues thusdiscontinued and closed, most of which were not opened for public use, were sold to the Railroad Companies. The agreement, however, reserved tothe City permanent and perpetual underground rights and easements tomaintain in a reasonable manner, not inconsistent with the constructionand operation of the railroad facilities of the Companies, its existingsewers, drains, and other sub-surface structures in, under, and throughthe lands within the lines of the discontinued portions of each of suchstreets and avenues, including the right to repair, rebuild, and enlargethe same, and to construct in a reasonable manner, not inconsistent withthe construction and operation of the railroad facilities of theCompanies, such additional sewers or drains in, under, or through thelands as may be hereafter required by the City, together with the rightto enter upon the premises from time to time as may be necessary for thepurpose of inspecting, repairing, constructing, or rebuilding thesub-surface structures. 

The agreement required the Companies to construct at their expense, fourviaducts or bridges over their tracks and terminal development, threewith roadways 42 ft. Wide, one with a roadway 60 ft. Wide, and each tohave two sidewalks 10 ft. Wide, the work to include the paving of theroadways and sidewalks. 

The Companies are further required to pay one-half the cost of theconstruction of the foundations, abutments, piers, superstructures, andapproach of an additional viaduct or bridge over the Sunnyside Yard, tohave a roadway not more than 60 ft. Wide and two sidewalks each 10 ft. Wide, and to grant the City of New York a perpetual easement for thecontinuance of the same in the location upon which it shall beconstructed. 

The agreement further provides that the Companies shall not injure thesewers or other substructures now existing or hereafter constructedunder the streets and avenues, and, in case of injury, that they shallrepair them or pay the cost thereof; that the viaducts shall becompleted within the shortest time consistent with their safe and properconstruction, and that during their construction temporary streets shallbe provided for the accommodation of traffic. 

The Companies are required to bear all the expense of changes of gradein the streets and avenues, except those made necessary by theconstruction of the viaduct or bridge to be paid for in part by theCity; to indemnify the City against all liability for any and alldamages which may accrue on account of any street which may be closed orthe grades of which may be changed in pursuance of the agreement; toassume all liabilities by reason of the construction or operation of therailroads, or the construction of the viaducts, and to save the cityharmless from any liability whatever, to either persons or property, byreason of the construction or operation of the railroads or theconstruction of the viaducts. 

The Companies are also required to indemnify the City against and paythe cost of all alterations which may be required to the sewerage ordrainage system or to any sub-surface structures and pipes laid in thestreets or avenues on account of the construction and operation of theterminal, passenger yard, or freight yard of the Companies, or onaccount of the changes in grades or street system. 

The Companies are authorized, if they deem it necessary to theconstruction or to the efficient operation of the terminal passengeryard or freight yard, to depress, at their expense, any pipes or othersub-surface structures now under the surface of any of the portions ofthe streets or avenues discontinued or closed, or to elevate and carrythe same upon any of the viaducts or bridges, the plans of suchdepression or elevation to be approved by the Board of Estimate andApportionment. 

All works within, upon, or over the public streets and avenues aresubject to the supervision and inspection of the proper municipalofficer or officers, under such regulations as he or they may determineand be authorized by law to impose; and the plans for the constructionof viaducts or bridges are to be approved by the Board of Estimate andApportionment. 

The Companies are required to cede to the City of New York perpetualeasements for the right to continue and maintain the viaducts or bridgesover the streets and avenues, sufficient for their control by the Cityfor the purpose of police regulation and other control contemplated bythe City ordinances for the case of streets or highways; reserving, however, the right to construct and maintain, at their own expense, suchconnections between the viaducts or bridges and their property as shallnot interfere with the use of the viaducts or bridges for streetpurposes. 

The Companies are also required to cede to the City, grade and curb, portions of five existing or proposed streets or avenues, and to paveportions of two other avenues. 

Mr. A. J. Cassatt, President of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company, wasPresident of the Companies constituting the New York Tunnel Extensionuntil his death on December 28th, 1906, and Mr. James McCrea, Presidentof the Pennsylvania Railroad Company, was elected his successor, and isnow President of the Pennsylvania Tunnel and Terminal Railroad Company. 

Mr. Samuel Rea, Second Vice-President of the Pennsylvania RailroadCompany, has served as Vice-President since the incorporation of theenterprise. 

Mr. A. J. County has been Assistant to the President since June 26th, 1907, and prior thereto and from the incorporation of the tunnelenterprise served as Secretary of the Pennsylvania, New Jersey and NewYork Railroad Company and as Assistant Secretary of the Pennsylvania, New York and Long Island Railroad Company, which, as heretofore stated, constitute the Pennsylvania Tunnel and Terminal Railroad Company. 

ENGINEERING ORGANIZATION. 

Mr. Rea, Vice-President, has general charge of all matters involved inthe designing and execution of the project. 

_The Board of Engineers. _--Before the beginning of the work, theManagement appointed a Board of Engineers which was instructed toexamine into the New York Tunnel Extension project; to pass upon thepracticability of the undertaking; to determine upon the best plans forcarrying it out; to make a careful estimate of its cost; and, if thework was undertaken, to exercise general supervision over itsconstruction. 

President Cassatt's letter appointing the Board contains the followingfurther instructions:

"You are requested to procure all additional information that may beneeded, sparing neither time nor any necessary expense in doing so, forI am sure it is not necessary for me to say that, in view of themagnitude and great cost of the proposed construction, and of the novelengineering questions involved, your studies should be thorough andexhaustive, and should be based upon absolute knowledge of theconditions. "

The Board was organized on January 11th, 1902, when it held its firstsession, and continued in the performance of its duties until April30th, 1909, when it was dissolved, its work having been completed. 

The Board held regular and special sessions to receive progress reportsfrom the Chief Engineers in direct charge of construction, and toconsider questions relating to the plans and details of the worksubmitted by its members or referred to it by the Management. It thenreported its conclusions to the Vice-President for approval before thework was undertaken. 

The Management earnestly impressed upon the Board throughout the wholeperiod of its labors, that the Tunnel Extension and facilities were tobe designed and constructed without regarding cost as a governingfactor, the main considerations being safety, durability, and properaccommodation of the traffic. No expenditure tending to insure theseconditions was to be avoided. 

The Board, when organized, was composed as follows: Col. Charles W. Raymond, Corps of Engineers, U. S. Army, Chairman; Messrs. GustavLindenthal, Charles M. Jacobs, Alfred Noble, and William H. Brown. 

Mr. George Gibbs was appointed a member of the Board on April 9th, 1902. Mr. Lindenthal resigned on December 15th, 1903, and Mr. Brown resignedon March 1st, 1906. Mr. Rea and all the members of the Board are membersof the American Society of Civil Engineers, and Mr. Noble is aPast-President of the Society. 

Mr. William R. Mead, of the firm of McKim, Mead, and White, Architectsfor the Terminal Station, was associated with the Board for theconsideration of architectural subjects. 

Mr. Robert H. Groff, Secretary of the Company, was also Secretary of theBoard until his resignation on January 31st, 1907. Mr. William Couperwas Acting-Secretary from April 15th, 1907, to April 30th, 1909. 

S. Johannesson, Assoc. M. Am. Soc. C. E. , was Engineer Assistant to theChairman from December 1st, 1905, to April 30th, 1909. 

_Division of the Work. _--For the purposes of actual construction, theline was divided into four parts: the Meadows Division, the North RiverDivision, the Terminal Station, and the East River Division. A chiefengineer appointed by the Management had charge of the construction ofeach Division. The chief engineers exercised full authority in theorganization of the working forces, and in the general conduct andmanagement of the work of construction on their respective Divisions, inaccordance with the plans for such work approved by the Board ofEngineers and the Management. 

Architects were employed to design the Terminal Station building andsuperintend its erection; and structural engineers to design and erectsteel structures and facilities, and carry on the work under thedirection of a Chief Engineer of the Company. 

Committees, consisting principally of officers of the PennsylvaniaRailroad Company, co-operating with the regular engineeringorganization, were appointed to consider the operating features of theproject, so that the experience of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company'sorganization might be utilized in the work. 

[Illustration: PLATE I. --Pennsylvania Tunnel and Terminal Railroad. Mapand Profile. Bergen Hill Tunnel, New Jersey to Long Island Shaft, Borough of Queens]

DESCRIPTION OF THE LINE. 

The following summary description of the various divisions of the lineis intended to give a comprehensive idea of the general features of theproject. Full details will be given in succeeding papers. The line andits respective divisions are shown on Plate I. 

_Meadows Division. _--Chief Engineer until March 1st, 1906, Mr. WilliamH. Brown, Chief Engineer, Pennsylvania Railroad Company, when he retiredfrom active service with the latter Company; since March 1st, 1906, Mr. Alexander C. Shand, Chief Engineer, Pennsylvania Railroad Company. 

This Division consists of an "interchange yard" at Harrison, nearNewark, N. J. , adjoining the tracks of the present New York Division ofthe Pennsylvania Railroad, and a double-track railroad across theHackensack Meadows to the west side of Bergen Hill, a distance of 6. 04miles. The construction is embankment and bridge work, including bridgesacross the Pennsylvania, Erie, and Lackawanna Railroads, and theHackensack River. 

_North River Division. _--Chief Engineer, Mr. Charles M. Jacobs. 

This Division commences at the west side of Bergen Hill and passesthrough the hill in two single-track rock tunnels to a large permanentshaft at Weehawken, near the west shore of the North River, and thenceeastward a distance of 224 ft. To the Weehawken shield-chamber. It thenpasses under the river through two cast-iron, concrete-lined, single-track tunnels, with outside diameters of 23 ft. , to a point under32d Street, near Eleventh Avenue, in New York City, and thence throughtwo single-track tunnels of varying cross-section, partly constructed incut-and-cover, to the east side of Tenth Avenue. It then passes into theStation Yard and terminates at the east building line of Ninth Avenue. The work included the Station Yard excavation and walls from TenthAvenue to Ninth Avenue, and the retaining walls and temporaryunderpinning of Ninth Avenue. The aggregate length of the line in thisDivision is 2. 76 miles. 

_New York Station and Approaches. _--Mr. George Gibbs, Chief Engineer ofElectric Traction and Station Construction. 

The Station and its approaches extend from the east line of Tenth Avenueeastward to points in 32d Street and 33d Street, respectively, 292 ft. And 502 ft. East of the west line of Seventh Avenue. This Divisionincluded the construction of subways and bridges for the support of 31stand 33d Streets and Seventh, Eighth, and Ninth Avenues, the Stationbuilding between Seventh and Eighth Avenues, the foundations for thepost office to be erected west of Eighth Avenue, the service power-housein 31st Street between Seventh and Eighth Avenues, the power-house inLong Island City, the traction system, tracks, signals, andmiscellaneous facilities required in the physical construction of theentire terminal railroad ready for operation. Messrs. McKim, Mead, andWhite were the architects for the Station and Messrs. Westinghouse, Church, Kerr and Company executed the structural engineering work, bothin the station and for the support of the streets, as well as theconstruction of the subways. 

The station is of steel skeleton construction with masonry curtainwalls, all supported by a system of columns extending to a rockfoundation. This building covers two city blocks and one intersectingstreet, and has an area of about 8 acres. It is 774 ft. Long, 433 ft. Wide, with an average height above the street of 69 ft. , and a maximumof 153 ft. The main waiting-room is 277 ft. Long, 103 ft. Wide and 150ft. High. The Concourse is 340 ft. Long and 210 ft. Wide. 

The level of the track system below the street surface varies from 39 to58 ft. , and is from 7 to 10 ft. Below mean high water in the harbor, thereby necessitating the establishment of an elaborate system ofdrainage over the entire station yard area. Access to the street isgained by elevators and stairways. 

To accelerate the loading and unloading of the trains, high platformswill be constructed in the station on a level with the floors of thecars, in order to avoid the use of car steps and increase the trafficcapacity of the station. 

There will be 21 standing-tracks at the station, and 11 passengerplatforms, providing 21, 500 ft. Of platform adjacent to passengertrains. Within the station area, which from Tenth Avenue to the normaltunnel sections east of Seventh Avenue comprises 28 acres, there will bea total of about 16 miles of track. 

The service plant for the installation of machinery for lighting, heating, and ventilating the station, and for operating the interlockingsystem, is located in an independent building south of the station. 

The Power-House to supply the electrical energy for the operation of thetunnel line and the Long Island Railroad is situated on property inQueens Borough adjoining the present Long Island Railroad Station nearthe East River, and was constructed under the Chief Engineer of ElectricTraction and Station Construction. As at present designed, thedimensions of the structure are 200 ft. By 262 ft. , outside measurement. It can accommodate six generating units of 5, 500 kw. , the standardadopted for future work, and two of 2, 500 kw. For lighting the tunnels. The ultimate capacity of this station when extended will be about105, 000 kw. 

_East River Division. _--Chief Engineer, Mr. Alfred Noble. 

This Division begins at the eastern limits of the New York Station at apoint in 32d Street, 292 ft. East of the west line of Seventh Avenue, and at a point in 33d Street, 502 ft. East of the west line of SeventhAvenue, and also includes the excavation work and retaining walls forthe station site and yard, to the track level, westward to Ninth Avenue. It extends eastward from the station under 32d and 33d Streets throughtunnels partly three-track and partly so-called twin tunnels to SecondAvenue; thence the line curves to the left under private property topermanent shafts a few feet east of First Avenue. Four single-track, cast-iron, concrete-lined tunnels, with outside diameters of 23 ft. , pass under the East River, and, after passing through permanent shaftsnear the bulkhead line, reach the surface in Long Island City from 3, 000to 4, 200 ft. East of the East River. The tunnel portals are inSunnyside Yard, which extends to Woodside, the easterly end of theDivision, and the Yard grading with its buildings and a number of Cityviaducts crossing it were executed under this Division. The total lengthof the Division is 4. 48 miles. 

The total length of the entire line is 13. 66 miles. There are 6. 78 milesof single-track tube tunnels, and the average length of the tunnelsbetween portals is 5. 56 miles. 

[Illustration: PLATE II. --Pennsylvania Tunnel and Terminal Railroad. Mapand Profile. Harrison Yard to Bergen Hill Tunnel. Meadow Division July30 1909]

GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS. 

Details have been omitted from the foregoing description, as they can betreated better and more fully by the constructing engineers insucceeding papers. There are, however, some general considerationsinvolved in the designing of the work, which may, perhaps, be referredto more conveniently in this introductory paper, and these will nowreceive attention. 

In all parts of the work problems were encountered requiring for theirsolution large expenditures and much engineering skill; but many ofthese difficulties had been frequently met in previous engineeringexperience, and the methods of overcoming them were well understood. Thus, in the Meadows Division, a long and heavy embankment, part ofwhich was on submerged meadow land, and many bridge foundations had tobe constructed; in the Bergen Hill tunnels, very tough trap rock wasencountered; in the tunnels under the city, the work was muchcomplicated and its cost increased greatly by the necessity of caringfor sewers, water and gas pipes, and the foundations of adjacentbuildings; and many troublesome problems were met in the construction ofthe tunnels connecting the East River tunnels with the Sunnyside Yard. 

The novel features of the project, however, were the great tunnelsextending the line under the North and East Rivers. Tunnels of the kindcontemplated, to be used for heavy and rapid railroad traffic, had neverbeen constructed through materials similar to those forming the beds ofthe North and East Rivers. Questions arising in connection with thedesign and method of construction of the tunnels will be consideredlater. Here they are referred to only in their relation to the locationand grades of the line, in which connection the conditions controllingtheir establishment were the most important elements. 

_Location and Grades. _--It was desirable to make the tunnels betweenthe bulkhead lines of the rivers as straight as possible, and it wasnecessary to place them at sufficient depth below the dredging plane ofthe War Department (which in the North and East Rivers is 40 and 26 ft. Below mean low water, respectively) to insure them against possibleinjury from heavy anchors or sunken vessels. Furthermore, they had topass under the piers and bulkheads of Manhattan at a depth sufficient tomake it certain that they would not affect the stability of thosestructures. Another consideration influencing the establishment of thedepth of the tunnels below the bottoms of the rivers became important assoon as the method of construction by shields with compressed air wasadopted, namely, the necessity of providing sufficient cover to guard, as far as possible, against blow-outs during construction. 

The tunnels under the city, connecting the sub-river tunnels with theTerminal Station, were located so as to give as favorable grades aspossible. The provision of the franchise requiring the tops of thetunnels to be at least 19 ft. Below the Street surface, which had beensuggested by the Company to permit of future subways, had no effect ontheir location, as other conditions required them to be at a greaterdepth. 

The line extending westward from Bergen Hill had to be established so asto give ample head-room at the numerous bridges over the railroads andhighways which it crosses. 

Eastward from the East River tunnels, the grades were established so asto rise as uniformly as possible to the level of the Sunnyside Yard. 

The general features of the line, as finally adopted and constructed, are as follows:

The maximum grade west of the Terminal Station occurs on the New Yorkside of the North River, and is 2% in the west-bound and 1. 93% in theeast-bound tunnels. The ruling grades (for the ascending traffic) being1. 32% in the west-bound and 1. 93% in the east-bound tunnels. In thetunnels east of the Terminal Station the ruling grade is 1. 5% for botheast-bound and west-bound traffic. There is, however, descending withthe traffic, a short section on a grade of 1. 9 per cent. These gradeswould be objectionable with steam locomotives under a heavy traffic, butthe development of the electric locomotive has rendered possible theoperation of grades which would have formerly been consideredprohibitive. 

From the junction with the Pennsylvania Railroad, near Harrison, N. J. , to Woodside, Long Island, a distance of 13. 66 miles, there is an averageof 1. 5 curves per mile; the line having a total curvature of 230degrees. The maximum curvature is 2 degrees. 

[Illustration: PLATE III. --P. T. & T. R. R. East River Division. Sunnyside Yard]

_Method of Construction of Sub-River Tunnels. _--The character of thematerial through which the tunnels were to be constructed differedgreatly in the two rivers. The bed of the North River, at the level ofthe tunnels, consists of silt composed principally of clay, sand, andwater, while that of the East River is formed of a great variety ofmaterials, such as quicksand, sand, boulders, gravel, clay, andbed-rock. When the method of construction had to be decided there wereno thoroughly satisfactory precedents to follow in the case of eitherriver, although the Gas Tunnel under the East River, the partlyconstructed Hudson Tunnels under the North River, the St. Clair Tunnelunder the St. Clair River, the Blackwall and several other tunnels underthe Thames River at London, supplied much useful information. Thesmaller tunnels for a lighter traffic, since so successfully constructedunder the North and East Rivers, had not then been completed. Underthese circumstances, it was the desire of the Management that the Boardshould receive and consider proposed methods of construction from allavailable sources; and during the first year of its labors much of itstime was devoted to the examination and discussion of projects submittedfor its consideration by engineers and practical builders, some of theseprojects having decided merit. Most of the methods proposed involvedtemporary structures, or the use of floating plant, in the navigablechannels of the river. This was objectionable in view of the resultingobstruction to the enormous river traffic. After full consideration ofthe subject, it was decided to adopt the shield method with compressedair for the construction of the tunnels under both rivers, this beingthe only method recommended by the Chief Engineers, and having the greatadvantage of conducting all operations below the bottom of the river, thus avoiding obstruction of the channel. 

Experience has shown, as was anticipated, that it is much more difficultto construct tunnels in such material as occurs in the East River and onthe New Jersey side of the North River, than in more homogeneousmaterial such as is found in the greater part of the North River. Duringthe progress of construction under the East River, there were frequentblow-outs through fissures opened in the river-bed, and the bottom ofthe river over the tunnel had to be blanketed continuously with clay, tocheck the flow of the escaping air. 

In view of the serious difficulties which it was thought might beencountered in the application of the shield method to the East Riverwork, other methods for the execution of this part of the projectreceived special consideration, one of the methods considered being thefreezing process. It was proposed to drive a small pilot tunnel andfreeze the ground for a sufficient distance around it by circulatingbrine through a system of pipes established in the tunnel. The pilottunnel was then to be removed and the full-sized tunnel was to beexcavated in the frozen material and its lining placed in position. Bythis means, it was intended to avoid the danger incident to the use ofcompressed air in material of greatly varying character. This methodcontained too many elements of uncertainty to justify its adoption; butas the Management considered it desirable to have, if possible, analternative method, an extended experiment was made with the freezingprocess. A pilot tunnel, 7 ft. 6 in. In diameter, was driven in the bedof the East River for a distance of 160 ft. , circulating pipes wereestablished in it, and brine at a very low temperature was passedthrough the pipes until the ground was frozen for a distance of about11. 5 ft. Around the tunnel. Observations to determine the rate ofcooling and other important points connected with the process werecarefully made. When it was found that the construction of the tunnelswas progressing satisfactorily by the shield method, and that so muchtime was required to freeze the material that the freezing process couldnot be used to advantage in this particular case, the experiment wasdiscontinued. 

_Design of the Sub-River Tunnels. _--The sub-river tunnels consist of acircular cast-iron shell, of the segmental, bolted type, having anoutside diameter of 23 ft. , lined with concrete having a normalthickness of 2 ft. From the outside of the shell. Through each plate ofthe shell there is a small hole, closed with a screw plug, through whichgrout may be forced into the surrounding material. Each tunnel containsa single track. A concrete bench, the upper surface of which is 1 ft. Below the axis of the tunnel, is placed on each side of the track, thedistance between benches being 11 ft. 8 in. These benches contain ductsfor carrying electric cables. The main reason for adopting single-tracktunnels instead of a larger tunnel containing two tracks was to avoidthe danger of accidents due to the obstruction of both tracks byderailment or otherwise. The tunnels are made just large enough to allowthe passage of a train with perfect safety, as it was believed that withsuch an arrangement thorough ventilation would be secured by the motionof the trains. Experience seems to justify this assumption, but, inorder to assure thorough ventilation under unusual conditions, such asthe stoppage of trains in the tunnels, a complete ventilating plant willbe provided for each tunnel. The rapidity and safety of constructionwere increased by making the tunnel as small as possible, one of thedifficulties in the shield method of construction being the differencein hydrostatic pressure between the top and bottom of the shield, whichincreases with the diameter of the tunnel. 

The concrete lining was introduced to insure the permanency of thestructure, strengthen it from outward pressure and guard it againstinjury from accidents which might occur in the tunnel. The side concretebenches were suggested by Mr. Cassatt, President, to confine the trainsto the center of the tunnels in case of derailment, and to furnishsidewalks on each side of the trains so as to obviate the necessity ofwalking on the track. 

Refuge niches are constructed in the side benches of the tunnels. Manholes, splicing chambers, pump chambers, and other features for thehandling of the electric cables and drainage, are established atintervals. 

At points where unusual stresses were anticipated, as for instance wherethe tunnels pass from rock to soft ground, the shell was composed ofsteel instead of cast-iron plates. In the North River tunnels theconcrete lining in the invert and in the arch was reinforced bylongitudinal steel bars, but these were not introduced in the East Rivertunnels. 

Other details connected with the structures, including the drainage, lighting, ventilation, signaling, and electrification systems, will begiven in succeeding papers. 

_Stability of the Sub-River Tunnels. _--One of the most importantquestions connected with the design of these tunnels was their probablestability under the long-continued action of a heavy and rapid railroadtraffic. The tunnels are lighter than the materials which they displaceeven when the weight of the heavy live load is included. In the EastRiver the character of the material seemed to justify the conclusionthat the tunnels would not be displaced even under the action of thelive load. In the North River, however, the tunnels are enveloped by asoft silt and it was at first apprehended that some system of supportswould be advisable to carry the heavy traffic and insure the tunnelsagainst displacement under its action. To meet this contingency, whichwas then believed to be a very serious one, it was proposed to sinkcast-iron screw-piles through the bottom of each tunnel into and throughthe underlying silt until satisfactory bearing material was reached. Thepile supports were worked out in sufficient detail to be embraced in thecontract for the construction of these tunnels, with provision, however, for omitting them should it be determined subsequently that their usewas undesirable. The contract plans contained provisions for slidingjoints where the piles pass through the tunnel floor, so that the liveload might be carried directly to the pile heads by a system of girders, and also for attaching the piles directly to the tunnel, the two plansbeing alternatives. 

Investigations, made during the progress of the work to determine thephysical character of the silt and its action on the tunnels, suggestedthe possibility that the use of pile supports might be inadvisable. Thisview was confirmed by actual experience in the operation of the tunnelsof the Hudson Companies between Hoboken, N. J. , and Morton Street, Manhattan, which were opened to traffic in February, 1908. The stabilityof these tunnels under traffic gave further assurance that supports wereunnecessary under the North River tunnels of the Pennsylvania RailroadCompany, and they were therefore dispensed with. 

_Cross-Passages Between the Tunnels. _--The Bergen Hill tunnels, the landportions of the North River tunnels and the tunnels under Manhattan areconnected by cross-passages at intervals varying from 50 to 300 ft. Asit was the desire of the Management to provide every arrangementpossible to insure the safety of its passengers and employees and alsoto provide for the convenience of inspection, the question ofestablishing cross-passages between the tunnels under the rivers wasgiven most careful consideration. The conclusion was finally reachedthat such passages as it was possible to construct between these tunnelsmight increase instead of diminish the danger in case of accident. Nomore cross-passages have therefore been constructed in the sub-riversections, except in the East River, where there is a cross-passage andpump chamber combined between each pair of tunnels about 750 ft. Fromthe Manhattan bulkhead line. 

PROBABLE RESULTS OF THE IMPROVEMENTS. 

In preceding pages reference has been made to the general objects of theimprovements included in the project of the Pennsylvania RailroadCompany for the New York District. While it is impossible, in thisintroductory paper, to analyze fully the transportation problem at NewYork, it seems desirable to indicate briefly some of the more obviouseffects which the improvements may be expected to produce upon thedistribution and handling of traffic. 

New York City owes its position as the business metropolis of thecountry mainly to its magnificent harbor and the extensive waterfrontson its deep, wide rivers, which furnish unrivaled facilities, at a shortdistance from the sea, for foreign and domestic water-borne commerce, its foreign commerce being about half the total for the whole country. The water-transportation facilities of the port and its tributaries, therefore, have always been guarded with jealous care, not only by thelocal commercial interests but also by the General Government. 

During recent years, however, the population of the metropolitandistrict has increased so enormously that New York is now the greatestterminal passenger and freight traffic center in the country; and inmanufactures it ranks first among American cities. The new commercialinterests thus created are of at least equal importance with those ofthe water-borne commerce, although their existence and development arelargely the result of the water facilities of the port. 

The local passenger and freight traffic of the Pennsylvania and of otherrailroads reaching the west shore of the North River is conducted bycar-floats and ferry-boats which deliver their loads at piers on theManhattan waterfront and elsewhere in the harbor. These boats obstructand endanger the free navigation of the channels and occupy space alongthe waterfront greatly needed for the accommodation of the long-distancewater-borne commerce, especially on the North River. 

In the East River the importance of ferry-boats as a means of trafficdistribution has already been greatly reduced by the construction ofbridges and tunnels which provide for the greater part of the passengerand vehicular traffic. The North River, however, by reason of itsgreater width and the comparative slowness of its currents, is by farthe more important waterway for the use of ocean-going vessels of thelarger classes. In this river the conditions for the construction ofbridges, within the limits of commercial convenience, seem to bepractically prohibitory. Tunnels, for the transportation of passengersand the diversion of the freight traffic from the inner waters of theharbor, are apparently the only available means of relief. 

When the new line is in operation, a very large part of the New Yorkpassenger traffic of the Pennsylvania Railroad will be carried to theNew York Station at Seventh Avenue and 33d Street and the rest will goto Cortlandt Street through the Hudson Company's tunnels. Thus a largeportion of the Pennsylvania passenger ferry traffic, which amounts tomore than 91, 000 passengers daily, will be practically eliminated fromthe water-transportation problem. In addition, a large part of the LongIsland Railroad's passengers will use the station at Seventh Avenue and33d Street, and its ferry traffic will be reduced accordingly. 

The new arrangements for the transfer of freight from Greenville to BayRidge will relieve the inner waters of the harbor of a large volume ofobstructive car-float traffic. There appears to be no reason why thistraffic should not be eventually conducted through tunnels under theouter harbor, should future transportation conditions justify theenormous cost of such structures. 

It is to be remarked that while these new arrangements greatly reducethe passenger and freight water transportation, they have no effect onthe large vehicular traffic across the North River which must continueto be conducted by ferries until it can be otherwise provided for. Aslong as these conditions exist, ferry-boats must be used in largenumbers and continue to obstruct the North River. This difficultyprobably cannot be overcome by the construction of bridges, as in thecase of the East River, but it does not seem too much to expect that, eventually, tunnels to provide for the vehicular traffic, like theBlackwall tunnel under the Thames, will be established under the NorthRiver. 

It would be interesting to estimate the increase in railroad trafficcapacity resulting from these improvements, but the data required forthis purpose are not available. Some idea of the increase in passengertraffic capacity resulting from the establishment of the tunnel line maybe obtained by comparing the proposed daily train-movements for the newstation with the train-movements at other important railroad stations. The daily train-movements of six such stations are given in thefollowing table:

 Total trains Movement in and out at for 24 hours. Maximum hour. 

Jersey City 281 29Broad Street Station, Philadelphia 538 48Union Station, St. Louis 462 89South Terminal Station, Boston 861 87Grand Central Station, New York 357 44Pennsylvania Station, New York[B] 500 50

 FOOTNOTES:

 [Footnote B: Proposed train service when Station is opened, the ultimate capacity of the Station being in excess of 1, 000 trains per day. ]

The freight capacity of the Pennsylvania System at New York has beengreatly enlarged by the construction of the Greenville Yard and thefacilities connected therewith, but it is impossible to estimate theamount of this increase. However, it is worthy of remark that, duringthe period from 1900 to 1906, the freight traffic density on thedirectly-operated lines of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company increasedfrom 3, 268, 330 to 4, 742, 081 ton-miles per mile of road, a growth ofnearly 50 per cent. Doubtless the improved freight facilities of the NewYork District had a large influence in the development of this increase. 

One of the most interesting points connected with this development oftraffic facilities is its influence on the relative distribution ofpopulation in the different parts of the metropolitan district. In 1907the population per acre of the different divisions of Greater New Yorkwas reported as follows: Manhattan, 157; Brooklyn, 29; Bronx, 14;Queens, 3; Richmond, 2. The effect of new lines connecting some of thesedistricts, and sections of New Jersey not far from the North River, withthe business center of the city will undoubtedly be to increase greatlytheir population-density. It does not seem probable that thepopulation-density of Manhattan will be sensibly reduced by theseimprovements, for they stimulate the increase of population, andapparently no increase of transportation facilities can keep up with thegrowth of the city. The population of a great commercial city must becongested near the business center. This is a necessary condition of itsexistence. All that can be done to meet this condition is to provideall possible facilities for moving the people into and out of thebusiness districts and within its limits. 

During recent years the business population of the lower part of theBorough of Manhattan has become greatly congested. Very high buildings, providing business accommodations for large numbers of people, have beenconstructed, and these people must move to and from their working placesat about the same times, that is, at the "rush hours" in the morning andafternoon, at the beginning and ending of the working day. Every efforthas been made to provide for this immense and rapidly increasing localpassenger traffic, by the construction of surface, elevated, andsubterranean railways; but the demand for transportation has increasedmuch faster than the facilities can be provided, and it is evident thatthe limit of down-town passenger traffic facilities has been very nearlyreached. 

Apparently, the only remedy for these conditions is the movement ofbusiness and the people transacting it up-town or to the Boroughs ofBrooklyn and Queens, which are now readily accessible by tunnels andsubways. This movement, of course, is resisted by the great real estateand money interests centered in the lower part of the city, but, notwithstanding this resistance, the improvement has commenced and hasrapidly advanced. The great retail houses are being established above23d Street; the banks and brokers' offices are rapidly appearing aroundthe new business center of the city. The facilities afforded by thetelephone and the subway for communication with the money center havedoubtless greatly promoted this up-town movement. 

When the Pennsylvania Tunnel Extension is in operation, the easiest andquickest way for the passenger to reach the city from Newark will bringhim into the Pennsylvania Station at Seventh Avenue and 33d Street. Theschedule fast time from Newark to the New York Cortlandt Street Stationis now 25 min. This may be reduced to about 18 min. By the use of theHudson Company's tunnels, and while this involves inconvenience inchanging transportation at Jersey City, yet it brings the traveler threeblocks nearer Broadway. The time from Newark to the Pennsylvania Stationwill be about 17 min. , and the trip will be made without change oftransportation, so that, undoubtedly, by far the greater part of thePennsylvania's passenger traffic desiring to reach the shopping andhotel center of the city will go to the new up-town station. 

The effect of the Tunnel Extension in increasing the volume and rapidityof the up-town movement and the real estate values will be very great;indeed, its influence is already apparent, although the line is not yetopened for traffic. With the extension of the present subway down townon the west side with direct connections to Brooklyn, and up town from42d Street to the Bronx, with connections to permit convenient transfersbetween these two straightaway subways--one on the east side and theother on the west side of Manhattan--the Pennsylvania Station willbecome a great center for receiving and distributing passenger trafficbetween all the Boroughs of the City and outlying points. The new postoffice to be established adjacent to the Terminal Station will alsogreatly assist in accelerating the up-town movement. 

In concluding this account of the New York Tunnel Extension project, thewriter desires to pay a tribute of admiration and respect to the memoryof the late A. J. Cassatt, President of the Pennsylvania RailroadCompany, to whom the conception, design, and execution of the projectare mainly due. His education and experience as a civil engineer, histhorough knowledge of all the details of railroad construction, operation, and management, gained by long and varied service, thedirectness, clearness, and strength of his mind, and his great executiveability, placed him at the head of the railroad men of the country. Inthe consideration of great problems, whether of transportation, finance, commerce, or political economy, he was almost unequaled, owing to thebreadth, originality, and decisiveness of his character; yet his mannerto his subordinates was so direct and simple that he seemed unconsciousof his own superiority. Great as it is, the New York plan of improvementis only one item in a far-reaching scheme of development which becamethe policy of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company through Mr. Cassatt'sadvice and influence, yet his strongest interest was doubtless centeredin the New York works. It is the sincere regret of all connected withthe design and execution of the project that he did not live to see itscompletion. 

 FOOTNOTES:

 [Footnote A: Brigadier-General, U. S. Army, _Retired_; Chairman, Board of Engineers, Pennsylvania Tunnel and Terminal R. R. Co. ]