HUDSON RIVER TUNNELS

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 132, 27 February 1908, Page 7

HUDSON RIVER TUNNELS

V A GREAT WORK.

PRESIDENT .TOUCHES THE BUTTON." iiy telegrapii-—PRESa association—copvßiant. (Reo. Feb. 27, 1.12' a.m.) New York, February 26. ■/ President Roosevelt touched a button •at "Washington > and i inaugurated tho first pair of Hudson River tunnels, between Manhattan IslaiuL ancl New Jersey.' They iaro tho forerunners or other tunnels. They liavo been built at an nggregato cost of sixty, millions sterling. ...' I -■ ... ,/. ; ; . TUNNELS AND VIADUCT/ . ' On" September 12, 1906, one of the'two tubes for-the ."tunnel under, the North River was so far,completed.that n party of engineers passed through it; the longer, section, under the East 'River,' it was stated, would not'be com-, pleted-for another twoypars. The wliolo un-

'lertaking, which is being carried, out : by. the Pennsylvania Rail road Company, ' and' known ns; the New'York"Coiinecting Line, is to .connect' New.-Jersey, with . New York City and Long ' Island. The work under, tho North River is let. to American contractors, and that of the East River (comprising.four tubes) to Messrs. Pearson and Son.- Tho northern end. of the Connecting Line will have to be carried on a viaduct, so as ,to ckar three arms of the • East River. _• The most. important part of this viaduct will be a bridge over Hell Gate, which 'frill have a'span of 1000 ft. between the abutments, .which in themselves, will he monumental- stone towers, 200f.t. high, with granite' bases. 'Four tracks will bo carried, which are to ,bo embedded- in . stone ballast,' with a view to Tendering tho structure noiseless; The permanent way will be 140 ft." above the water,' and'the top of the arches' will be 160 ft. higher. Some .80,000 tons of : steel will be used in , tho construction of the viaduct. Its total length, including' the approaches, will be three-miles. 1 . ' • ' ;