COAL - Clpdigital.org

THE COAL TRADE BULLETIN. 39
THE BROOKLYN AND MANHATTAN TUNNEL.
The expenditure of millions of dollars in Greater
New York in subways and tunnel work is attracting
considerable attention, owing to the difficult
engineering problems encountered and sub-surface
tunneling methods employed by the various contracting
firms who are executing the work. The
accompanying illustration shows a photographic
view of the Brooklyn and Manhattan tunnel pumping
station, situated on the Brooklyn side in the
tunnel. This tunnel is now in the course of con-
struction under the East river, the Brooklyn shaft
being at Furman and Jarolsman streets, and will
connect the Brooklyn subway with the Interborough
Rapid Transit Subway at the southern end
of Manhattan Island in Battery Park. The overhead
construction of the tunnel is clearly shown
with the sectional cast iron lining.
Soon after ground was broken for the tunnel, it
was necessary to install a pumping plant to pro-
The Brooklyn and Manhattan Pumping Station.
vide for the disposition of the water, and the accompanying
illustration shows a Cameron regular
pattern piston station pump, 14"xl0%"xl8", of the
light service type, in position in the tunnel, about
100 feet from the Brooklyn shaft. By a careful
observation on the left hand side of view, the
reader will notice a bulkhead, consisting of a
solid brick wall built across the entire tunnel.
This wall is built entirely of brick, being three
feet thick, and heavily braced with timbers, and
forms the compressed air chamber situated on
the further side of the bulkhead, where the air
pressure is maintained at 20 lbs. per square inch.
The tunnel is being driven by the "pneumatic
shield" method.
The entrance into the workings of the tunnel
is accomplished through the two air locks, which
are also shown in the view. The lower air lock,
which is 6' 6" in diameter, is used for the exit of