Viaduct.
—A considerable portion of the double-track branch lines north of 103d St. is viaduct, or elevated structure. The viaduct construction on the West Side Line extends, including approaches, from 122d St. to very near 135th St. Of this distance, 2018 ft. 8 ins. are viaduct proper, consisting of plate girder spans carried by trestle bents at the ends, and by trestle towers for the central portion. The columns of the bents and towers are built-up bulb-angle and plate columns of H-section of the same form as those used in the bents inside the subway. The approaches proper are built of masonry. The elevated line proper consists of plate girder spans, supported on plate cross girders carried by columns.
Stations.
—Many stations are built along the line. These are located on each side of the street. The entrances at the stations consist of iron framework, with glass roofs covering the descending stairways. The passageways leading down are walled with white enameled bricks and wainscoted with slabs of marble. The stations for the local trains are located on each side of the road close to the walls, since the outside tracks are reserved for the local trains, while the middle ones are reserved for the expresses. The few stations for the express trains are located between the middle and outside tracks. Stations are provided with all the conveniences required, having toilet rooms, news stands, benches, etc., and are lighted day and night by numerous arc lamps.
General.
—The contractor completed the work in four years. No difficulty was encountered in doing this, since the great extension of the road and the great width of the avenues under which it runs allowed work all along the line at the same time. The work, briefly summarized, comprises the following items:—
| Length of all sections, ft. | 109,570 | |
| Total excavation of earth, cu. yds. | 1,700,228 | |
| Earth to be filled back, cu. yds. | 773,093 | |
| Rock excavated, cu. yds. | 921,128 | |
| Rock tunneled, cu. yds. | 368,606 | |
| Steel used in structure, tons | 65,044 | |
| Cast iron used, tons | 7,901 | |
| Concrete, cu. yds. | 489,122 | |
| Brick, cu. yds. | 18,519 | |
| Waterproofing, sq. yds. | 775,795 | |
| Vault lights, sq. yds. | 6,640 | |
| Local stations, number | 43 | |
| Express stations, number | 5 | |
| Station elevators, number | 10 | |
| Track | total, lin. ft. | 305,380 |
| „ | underground, lin. ft. | 245,514 |
| „ | elevated, lin. ft. | 59,766 |
In addition to the construction of the railway itself, it was necessary to construct or reconstruct certain sewers, and to adjust, readjust, and maintain street railway lines, water pipes, subways, and other surface and subsurface structures, and to relay street pavements.
The total cost of the work, according to the contract signed by Mr. McDonald, was $35,000,000. Dividing this amount by the total length of the road, which is 109,570 lineal feet, we have the unit cost a lineal foot $315, or a little less than unit of cost of the Boston Subway, which was $342 per lineal foot.
The road belongs to the city. The contractor acts as an agent for the city in carrying out the work, and he is the leaser of the road for fifty years. The work was paid for as soon as the various parts of the road were completed, and the money was obtained from an issue of city bonds. During the fifty years’ lease the contractor will pay the interest plus 1% of the face value of the bonds. This 1% goes to the sinking-fund, which within the fifty years at compound interest forms the total sum required for the redemption of bonds.