First New York Subway Construction

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Outline

Abstract
Introduction
Place, period, and size of the first New York subway
Civilization and culture were prevalent during the construction
How the first New York subway was constructed
How Beach’s subway could be built today
Conclusion

Abstract

The main aim of this paper was to report on the construction of the first subway in New York, and how the subway would be constructed in modern times. Alfred Ely Beach is credited for constructing the first subway in New York. Beach’s subway operated from 1870-1873 after which it closed down because of financial and political factors. Beach constructed the pneumatic subway tunnel by using a tunneling shield. He also designed a train car, which fitted perfectly into the pneumatic tube. Due to the advanced technology present in modern times, the subway would involve more sophisticated technology.

Introduction

A subway system refers to a special category of trains that operate through underground tunnels. Subway systems consist of several rails, which begin and end at dissimilar places but at the same time overlap at certain points to enable passengers to alight. The rails, used in subway systems, are similar to other railway systems. This means that the subway rails have similar measurements to other railway lines. For example, “in New York City the subway rails’ gauge is 4 feet, 8.5 inches” (Carey 16). The trains also consist of numerous connecting cars that have seats and, straps that enable passengers to hold on to whenever the train is full (Carey 17).

Steam engines powered subways, which operated in the past. However, today most subways use electricity to operate. The construction of the first subway in the world took place in London around mid the 19^th century. The idea of subway construction later spread to other cities in the world. For instance, the New York subway was the first subway in America. This paper explores the construction of the first New York subway. It examines how, when, and where the first New York subway was constructed.

Place, Period, and Size of the First New York Subway

The construction of the first New York subway is attributed to Alfred Ely Beach. Alfred Ely Beach was a native of Massachusetts. Beach was a publisher, a patent lawyer, and an inventor (Carey 16). For example, he invented the typewriter for the blind. However, one of the most famous inventions, which Beach came up with, was the first subway system in New York (Fischler 23). The subway system was known as the Beach Pneumatic Transit. The inspiration to come up with an underground transportation system resulted from several reasons. First, Alfred Beach got his inspiration from the Metropolitan Railway, constructed in London.

Second, he sought to find a solution to the problem of traffic congestion, which was a major challenge in the city of New York. For instance, in 1860 areas such as Broadway experienced major traffic congestion. Therefore, Beach proposed the construction of trains powered by pneumatics as opposed to the subway trains in London, which used steam engines.

Beach started the construction of the first subway in New York City in 1869 through his company known as the Beach Pneumatic Transit Company. He began to construct the subway underneath Broadway following a successful exhibition of the major subway system at the American Institute in 1867 (Fischler 20). He invested his capital to jump-start the project. After 58 days, Beach had completed the construction of the subway.

The subway system was a single tunnel, which was approximate “312 feet (95 Meters) long, and 8 feet (2.4 Meters) long” (Fischler 25). By 1870, the construction was complete and it operated from Warren Street to Murray Street beneath Broadway up to1873. Beach’s subway had a single station, which was located “in the basement of Devlin’s clothing store, a building at the Southwest corner of Broadway and Warren Street” (Fischler 23).

The subway had a single car that operated along the single tunnel. Most passengers who rode on the Beach Pneumatic Transit were largely eager to satisfy their curiosity. A majority wanted to have an experience of using a subway system. In the first year of the subway’s operation, 400,000 rides occurred. However, the project was so flamboyant that it could not operate on a large-scale basis. For instance, “the subway station had comfortable chairs, ample lighting that revealed the luxurious interior of the station, as well as, statues and a goldfish pond that passengers could look at while they waited for their turn to enter the ride” (Roess and Sansone 137-138).

The subway train had a capacity of transporting 22 people per trip. The public showed their approval for the transportation system. However, Beach failed to get permission to expand the subway. Therefore, in 1873 when he finally got a go-ahead, he had lost both public and financial support. The major blow to Beach’s project was an economic slump, which made investors freeze their funding for the project. Additionally, the public who rode on the subway could no longer be in a position to do so because of financial constraints.

After Beach’s pneumatic train closed down, the entrance to the tunnel was also closed. In 1898, a fire outbreak led to the destruction of the subway station. Initially, there were plans to extend the tunnel towards the Battery in the South and towards Harlem River in the North (Solis 133). However, this plan never took off, and in 1912; the construction of the Brooklyn-Manhattan Transit led to the demolition of Beach’s tunnel (Post 129). Therefore, Beach’s subway never became part of the New York City Subway, which officially began its operation on October 27, 1904.

Civilization and Culture Prevalent during the Construction

Civilization is a term that refers to “the material and instrumental side of human cultures that are complex in terms of technology, science, and division of labor” (Post 123). When used less strictly, the term civilization also refers to a culture of a particular group of people. Western civilization and culture were prevalent during the construction of the first New York subway. The Western civilization has its root in Europe. The period was characterized by a greater quest for knowledge, which resulted in various inventions across Europe and later spread to different parts of the world. Several transformative historical episodes took place during this period.

For example, the last quarter of the 18^th and the 19^th century witnessed the occurrence of the industrial revolution in Europe and America. The industrial revolution led to the development of transportation and communication networks in different parts of the world. Britain became the first country to construct a subway system in London. Therefore, other European countries, as well as, America derived their inspiration from the London subway.

Most of the European countries had no option but to improve their transport systems to curb the consequences of the industrial revolution and enlightenment, which were major elements of Western civilization. Western civilization resulted in the growth of towns and cities, an increase in population due to better living standards, and the emergence of democracy. Therefore, European countries and Americans had to come up with solutions to social problems such as traffic congestion. As a result, the idea of the subway system developed not only in Europe but also in America.

The culture of private ownership of property for profit gain was also prevalent during the 19^th century when the first New York subway was constructed. For instance, in America and Europe, some capitalists emerged. The main aim of the capitalists was to accumulate wealth through profit gain. Capitalism greatly prejudiced the construction of the first New York subway. For example, a group of the political class who owned property on Broadway sabotaged the construction of Beach’s subway.

Some of the people who opposed the Beach’s project were Alexander T. Stewart and Jacob J. Astor. These groups of capitalists feared losing their property through the tunneling process. Similarly, other investors had invested in the elevated railways therefore; the construction of underground railways would pose a stiff completion to them. Additionally, the property owners viewed the construction of subways as unpractical. The project also suffered a serious blow when investors withdrew from the project due to an economic slump.

Western civilization and culture played a significant role in the construction of the first New York subway. The construction took place due to increased knowledge and inventions, which had occurred in various fields and the architectural field was not an exception. Beach’s subway acted as a prototype of a subway system. It laid a foundation for the construction of the New York City subway, which began its operations officially in 1904. Today, the New York City subway is the largest in the world. Therefore, Beach’s subway made a significant contribution in the field of the built environment. The construction of a subway offered a solution to the problem of traffic congestion, which the city of New York suffered from. Such enormous contributions in the architectural field are attributed to Western culture and civilization.

How the First New York Subway was constructed

Alfred Ely Beach’s quest of finding a solution to the problem of traffic congestion in Broadway led to the invention of a pneumatic transit system for transporting passengers and mails (Solis 185). Beach built the first pneumatic tube, propelled by compressed air. The pneumatic tube operated underground through a tunnel. Therefore, to construct the subway, Beach used the tunneling technique of construction. One of the most significant machines used by Beach in creating the subway tunnel was the tunneling shield. Beach’s tunneling shield was an improvement of the hydraulic shield design that Brunel used to excavate the Thames Tunnel in 1825.

A tunneling shield “is a protective structure used in the excavation of tunnels through soil that is too soft or fluid to remain stable during the time it takes to line the tunnel with a support structure of concrete, cast iron, or steel” (Solis 186). Therefore, the tunneling shield provided support to the tunnel as Beach and his team continued with the excavation process.

The tunneling techniques of construction are of various forms and used depending on the type of soil. Some of the most important factors to consider when constructing a tunnel include ground conditions, the length, and the diameter of the tunnel, as well as, the final use of the tunnel (Post 129). There are three major techniques of tunneling namely, the cut-and-cover method, bored tunnels, and immersed tube tunnels. Beach used the cut-and-cover technique of tunneling, which was a predominant method of tunneling during the 19^th century.

The cut-and-cover method of tunneling is a simple method of constructing tunnels. It involves excavating a trench into the soil and covering the trench with a strong overhead support system (Roess and Sansone 140). There are two types of cut-and-cover methods of tunneling namely, the bottom-up method, and the top-down method. The bottom-up method entails excavating a trench and constructing a tunnel inside it. After the completion of the tunnel, an overhead surface is constructed. On the other hand, the top-down method involves the construction of “side support walls and capping beams from ground level” (Post 130). The tunneling shield makes it possible for the excavation of deep tunnels as opposed to shallow tunnels. Thus, Beach’s tunneling machine enabled him to construct his subway system beneath Broadway successfully.

The tunneling machine used by Beach created a trench of seventeen inches with a single press on the earth’s surface (Solis 185). During the tunneling, the workers were to remain inside the tunneling shield, which remained “flexible enough to move left or right, up or down” (Solis 187). Additionally, “Broadway by that time had a sandy ground hence making it more suitable for Beach to use the tunneling shield” (Fischler 30).

His son Fred, who was twenty-one years old acted as the supervisor of the project. Fred together with the hired laborers embarked on the project in high spirit and gradually they made tremendous progress. However, some of the hired laborers succumbed to fear because of the conditions. The laborers feared that the horses that passed overhead could crush into the tunnel and bury them alive. Consequently, a good number of the laborers hired for the construction of the tunnel quit the project. On the other hand, those who remained carried on with the project by removing the excavated soil and operating with lantern light.

Fortunately, Fred and his team proceeded with the project without much hindrance. According to some writers, the noise produced during the tunneling process sounded like a piece of music to Beach’s ears (Fischler 24). However, during the construction process, the major challenge was an excavation of a wall of rock. The tunneling process almost came to a standstill due to the wall of stones, which the laborers encountered. They realized that it was an old fort’s foundation. Therefore, the removal of the stones that acted as a foundation to the old fort would likely lead to the collapse of the street overhead. Nevertheless, Beach’s determination propelled him to instruct the laborers to continue with the tunneling process. Fortunately, after some days, the ground overhead remained firm without any signs of collapsing.

During the tunneling process, manual laborers filled the soil and the dirt from the tunnel into bags. The workers then used wagons to transport the bags full of soil. On the other hand, another group of workers proceeded with the construction of the tunnel walls. The process of digging and constructing the tunnel took fifty-eight days. This level of success resulted from proper coordination of the entire team because it enabled Beach to complete the project faster without suspicion from the public. However, to complete the project successfully, Beach had to part with a fortune. The estimated amount of expenditure added up to approximately $350,000 of his savings (Fischler 26). He used part of the amount for the prolific furnishing of the subway station and the twenty-two-seater train car.

The train car that Beach had designed fitted appropriately into the pneumatic cylindrical tube. “A giant fan that the workers nicknamed the Western Tornado” (Solis 185) propelled the entire system. The fan propelled the train at a speed of ten miles per hour. Beach managed to complete the entire project in 1870 after which he opened it to the public for use. Due to political, as well as, economic factors the operation of Beach’s subway system came to a halt in 1873. The constructors of the BMT subway later recovered the remains of Beach’s pneumatic transit system in 1912 (Roess and Sansone 146). Despite the years that had elapsed, the train car retained its magnificence.

How Beach’s Subway could be Built Today

The twenty-first century has witnessed tremendous improvement in technology in various fields. There are more sophisticated construction machines, materials, and methods. Additionally, there are more effective and efficient sources of energy such as electricity, petroleum, atomic energy among others. Therefore, the availability of advanced construction methods, machines, as well as, a skilled labor force would result in the construction of a complex and efficient subway system compared to Beach’s first subway. However, this does not dispute the fact that Beach played an important role in developing the first subway in New York.

The construction of a subway in modern times could involve the use of better tunneling techniques such as sprayed concrete technique (New Austrian Tunneling Method). This method of tunneling uses “calculated and empirical real-time measurements to provide a safe support to the tunnel lining by using geological stress of surrounding rock mass to stabilize the tunnel itself” (Post 166-168). The method also involves the use of sprayed concrete technology, which improves the strength of the tunnel wall. A modern subway would also have several cars to increase the transportation capacity. The subway would be more flexible to enable passengers to alight at various stations and connect to other places via buses.

A modern subway would have computerized trains without drivers. This ensures that the computer systems fitted inside the trains control the trains. The computer systems control interior lighting, as well as, navigation (Post 175). The computerized trains enhance the efficiency of the entire subway system. For instance, tracking train locations will alleviate any occurrence of human error. The subway trains could also be fitted with robot waiters to attend to passengers by offering refreshments. Installation of radio systems inside the train would also enhance the efficiency of the trains because it will enable passengers to communicate with the train operators at the control room.

If Beach’s subway were to be constructed today, the waiting station would be more spacious. It would also be equipped with leisure joints such as cafeterias, casinos, cinemas, and restaurants, in which passengers can relax as they wait to board the train. Additionally, the stations would have waiting lounges, which are fitted with entertainment systems such as television sets and music systems. Compared to Beach’s train that had a speed of ten miles per hour, a modern subway would have electric-powered engines to enhance its speed. The modern subway system would as well be fitted with electrically controlled ventilation, as well as fans to ensure that there is adequate circulation of air.

Conclusion

The 19^th century witnessed several developments, and the architectural field was not an exception. Several structures such as dams, canals, roads, and railways were constructed in various cities. For instance, in New York Alfred Beach constructed the first subway. Beach’s subway was one of its kind. Its construction involved the use of the tunneling method and the tunneling shield. During the construction, Western civilization and culture were prevalent. The advanced Western civilization and culture enabled Beach to construct a subway tunnel with much success. For example, he had the necessary machines, energy power, and labor force to carry out the project.

However, the construction of a similar structure today would involve more sophisticated and efficient methods of subway construction. Similarly, the operation of the subway system would entail advanced systems to improve the efficiency of its operation. In conclusion, Beach’s subway was a significant prototype, which laid a foundation for the construction of other subways. For example, Britain borrowed the idea of the tunneling shield that Beach had developed.

Bibliography

Carey, Charles W. American Investors, Entrepreneurs, and Business Visionaries. New York: Infobase Publishing, 2009. Print.

Fischler, Stan. Subways of the World. New York: MBI Publishing, 2001. Print.

Post, Robert. Urban Mass Transit: The Life Story of a Technology. London: Greenwood Publishing Group, 2007. Print.

Roess, Roger P and Gene Sansone. The Wheels That Drove New York: A History of the New York City Transit System. New York: Springer, 2013. Print.

Solis, Julia. New York Underground: An Anatomy of a City. New York: Routledge, 2005. Print.

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