The concrete in these walls was placed late in the season, and the expansion cracks, which were entirely confined to the V-shaped joints, were quite small even in the coldest weather of the following winter, nor were there any indications during the past summer of any stresses due to expansion. The coping and drain at the top of the wall were built together, but separate from the rest of the wall, the joint being made as shown in the sketch on [Fig. 19]. Thus far, there has seemed to be no seepage through either the vertical or horizontal joints.
The portal is built of granite, a half elevation being shown on [Fig. 19], the stone being supplied by the Millstone Granite Company, Millstone Point, Conn. Fig. 3, [Plate XXVII], shows the portal and the cut-and-cover section after the arches were completed but not covered.
The forms for the concrete in the approach were made of ordinary dressed lumber, and the surface was rubbed twice after the forms were removed, which was as soon as possible after the concrete had set. The surface was first very lightly rubbed with a piece of soft, light-colored, sandstone to remove any irregularities, being wetted slightly if necessary while being rubbed. After the concrete had become fairly hard and dry, it was rubbed a second time and a uniform texture and color obtained. The completion of this work was delayed until the second week in January, and considerable difficulty was encountered in obtaining a good finish of that part which was built after
cold weather set in, when it was necessary to protect it from frost. Unless extreme care was taken to prevent freezing after the rubbing, the entire surface was likely to scale off, although no cement or other material was added to it after the removal of the forms. A general view of the completed approach is shown by Fig. 4, [Plate XXVII].
[TABLE 6.]
| Title. | Day. | Night. | ||||
| No. | Rate. | Amount. | No. | Rate. | Amount. | |
| Walking bosses | 2 | $5.00 | $10.00 | |||
| Timekeeper | 2 | 3.00 | 6.00 | |||
| Watchmen | 5 | $2.00 | $10.00 | |||
| Waterboys | 1 | 1.50 | 1.50 | |||
| Carpenter foremen | 2 | 3.50 | 7.00 | 1 | 4.00 | 4.00 |
| Carpenters | 14 | 2.50 | 35.00 | 8 | 2.50 | 20.00 |
| Pipe-fitters | 1 | 3.00 | 3.00 | |||
| Pipe-fitter’s helper | 1 | 1.75 | 1.75 | |||
| Wheelwright | 1 | 2.75 | 2.75 | |||
| Wheelwright’s helper | 1 | 1.75 | 1.75 | |||
| Blacksmith | 1 | 3.00 | 3.00 | |||
| Blacksmith’s helper | 1 | 1.75 | 1.75 | |||
| Foremen riggers | 1 | 3.00 | 3.00 | |||
| Riggers | 6 | 1.75 | 10.50 | |||
| Foremen trackmen | 1 | 3.00 | 3.00 | |||
| Trackmen | 6 | 1.50 | 9.00 | |||
| Machinist | 2 | 3.00 | 6.00 | |||
| Machinist’s helper | 1 | 1.75 | 1.75 | |||
| Electrician | 2 | 3.00 | 6.00 | 1 | 2.50 | 2.50 |
| Electrician’s helper | 1 | 1.75 | 1.75 | |||
| Lampman | 1 | 1.50 | 1.50 | |||
| Pumpman | 1 | 1.50 | 1.50 | |||
| Finishers | 3 | 2.50 | 7.50 | |||
| Hoist engineers | 12 | 3.00 | 36.00 | |||
| Dinky engineers | 5 | 2.75 | 13.75 | 1 | 2.75 | 2.75 |
| Brakemen | 5 | 1.75 | 8.75 | 1 | 1.75 | 1.75 |
| Switchmen | 1 | 1.50 | 1.50 | |||
| Barnmen | 1 | 2.00 | 2.00 | 1 | 2.50 | 2.50 |
| Drivers | 9 | 1.50 | 13.50 | |||
| Foremen ductmen | 2 | 2.50 | 2.50 | |||
| Ductmen | 5 | 2.00 | 10.00 | |||
| Foremen laborers | 13 | 3.50 | 45.50 | 2 | 3.50 | 7.00 |
| Laborers | 120 | 1.75 | 210.00 | 20 | 1.75 | 35.00 |
| Compressor engineer | 1 | 3.50 | 3.50 | 1 | 3.50 | 3.50 |
| Firemen | 2 | 2.50 | 5.00 | 1 | 2.50 | 2.50 |
| Oiler | 1 | 1.75 | 1.75 | |||
| Coal passers | 2 | 1.75 | 3.50 | 1 | 1.75 | 1.75 |
| Totals | 334 | $469.75 | 50 | $108.25 | ||
| Total daily labor expense | $578.00 | |||||
The water finding its way into the side ditches in the approach, which of course included all rain falling in this area, was intercepted just inside the portal and carried back to the mouth of the cut through 24-in. cast-iron pipes laid beneath the conduits in the central bench-wall, thus disposing by natural drainage of a not inconsiderable
quantity of water which would otherwise have flowed through the tunnels to the sump at the Weehawken Shaft, from which it would have had to be pumped to the surface.
About 100 ft. of the tunnel immediately east of the Hackensack Portal was built by the cut-and-cover method, and the arch section used in the tunnel was modified by widening the haunches, the thickness of the arch at the crown being gradually increased from 22 in. at the portal, Station 324, to 34 in. at Station 323, where the regular segmental timbering at the tunnel commenced. A general view of the approach during construction is shown by Fig. 1, [Plate XXV].