Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 39, Number 69, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 3 May 1907 — AMAZES THE WORLD. [ARTICLE]

AMAZES THE WORLD.

Eigiiirrrliif Activity In New York Ii the Greatot Ever." Probably never before in the history of the world has there been in progress, at • one time a stupendous, amount* of building and public "improvement as that by which New York is now being transformed. There are now und<fr way in New York engineering projects whose value is $344,000,000, and contracts have been, authorized but not yet let for $105,000,000 more work. This does not include the expenditure annually of $3,000,000 to improve the water supply, for which an aggregate expenditua*. of $102,000.000 has been planned. The following table gives the details: Work. Estimated Cost. Pennsylvania tunnels and termInals : !... .4100.000.000 Hudson Companies tunnels, subways and terminal ........ 100,000,000 New York Central terminals and electrification.......... 80,000,000 Battery tunnels and subway extension v 8,000,000 New York and Long Island tunnels , r .. . . 4,000.000 SubwnT extension and pipe gal.mtaorflagt lime .... 40.000,000 Subway extension and pipe galleriesr West Side 80,000,000 Subway bridge loop ...... . ■ ■ —I.'MHtU.OOOManhai'tan bridge . . 20.000.000 Williamsburg brldga 15,000,000 Blackwell's Island bridgeSmaller bridges T^OOO^OO Total ....' $448,000,000 New water supply .102,000,000 Grand total loil.oooiooo

These figures do not Include the work on the Ambrose channel in the harbor, | which is a $4,000,000 job, nor do They , take into account the engineering work ( done on great buildings. There was - about $40,000,000 worth of building done in New York last year for office and factory buildings alone. It is safe to say that frorfl $10,000,000 to $15,000,000 of that work required the services of expert engineers. There is probably more work-.. of that kind going on this year than last! - So it may be said that besides the $611,000.000 already mentioned there is fully $14,000,000 more of engineering work going on, making a grand total of $625,000,000 worth of construction in connection with transportation and building already under way or provided for in and around New York which may be described properly ns great engineering projects. This sum of $625,000,000 may be termed a fact established, but there are other vast projects still in the stage of contemplation—more tunnels and bridges and buildings, some of which undoubtedly will be constructed in the not distant fnture. which will amount to from $200,000.000 to $300,000,000 more. The above outline of large operations In progress does not, refer to the new buildings which will be erected, except tunnel and railway terminals. Mammoth hotels, apartment houses, stores, theaters, etc., must be added to the list if anything like a complete idea of the construction work in New York is to be obtained. New York City’s great project for securing a water supply from the Catskillswill cost about $162,000,000. That project means the construction of enormous ‘ptt half a dpien .different valleys, construction of a long system o£ tuLLels and pumping stations, including the tunnel under the Hudson river, the erection of gates and the distribution of the water in the city. It is the largest undertaking of the kind the world has ever known. This water supply for New York is a far greater enterprise than the Panama canal in the engineering problems and even in the money outlay. There are also private engineering problems going on in New York which reach into the millions. Many of these have to do with the construction of great buildings.