the tunnel under the hudson river was begun several decades ago. it was started from the new york side, a little south of christopher street, and continued out under the bed of the river for some distance. then the company failed and they built a brick wall, twenty-four feet thick, at the end of the tube they had dug. it remained in that condition for many years, until a new company was formed. this concern took up the work where the others left off.
there were two tubes, each circular, and about twenty-four feet in diameter, dug under the river. they were separated by a wall of earth, and each tube was lined with heavy cast iron. in cutting the tube a big thing like an exaggerated apple corer was pushed through the earth sixty feet below the surface of the river bed by hydraulic force. to prevent the water from rushing in, the shield was kept filled with compressed air at a heavy pressure.
up to within a few days this compressed air had been used in the tunnel, but when the reporters105 started through the tunnel was near enough completion to render it unnecessary. the heavy cast iron lining was all in place, except where the brick wall was, and it only remained to cut through the masonry, establish communication from one end to the other, fit a few pieces of cast iron into place, and the tunnel would be established. the cutting through of the wall was the event of great importance, and really marked the completion of the first stage of the work. hence every reporter felt the need of getting a good story about it.
“we’ll try to beat ’em,” whispered mr. newton to larry as the party started forward.
the tunnel was cut in a slanting or downward direction at first. it began several hundred feet back from the edge of the river and, when it was actually below the bed of the stream it was level.
it was quite dark in the big tube, save here and there where electric lights gleamed. most of the party walked, but there were small cars, hauled by a cable, for the use of the directors and officials of the construction company.
through the tube they went. in spite of the heavy lining, sustaining thousands of pounds of pressure, some water leaked in. it splashed down in big drops, and felt like rain. once a drop fell on larry’s lips, and it tasted salty, just as the lower hudson river does. then he began to realize that he was in a queer place, under the bed106 of one of the largest rivers in the united states. it hardly seemed possible that he was walking under the historic stream that henry hudson, in the half moon, discovered so many years ago.
as the party progressed, the president explained the workings of the machinery, and stated that when the concrete lining had been placed over the iron, there would be no leakage.
“where are we now?” asked one of the reporters.
“right under the middle of the river,” was the president’s reply. “above us are the big ferryboats. the ocean steamers are sailing, and the tug boats are darting to and fro.”
“what if the tunnel should break?” asked the same newspaper man.
“none of us would be left to tell what happened,” was the reply. “the water would rush in and—that would be the end of us.”
larry shivered, though it was hot in the tube.
“but we didn’t build this tunnel to break,” the president went on. “you are as safe as if you were in your offices.”
“i wish i could believe that,” a young reporter remarked, with something like a shiver.
here and there the gloom was lighted by an incandescent lamp. the cable, pulling small cars, in which the officers and directors of the company rode, while the rest walked, slid along on the grooved wheels. the way was obstructed by107 huge pieces of iron, being some extra ones of those that formed the inner lining of the tunnel.
with occasional jokes, which a reporter makes even at a funeral, the party proceeded. now and than a halt would be made while the president explained some technical point.
finally the party came to a stop. it was quite dark and the few lights only seemed to make the gloom deeper.
“what’s the matter?” asked mr. newton.
“we’ve come to some sort of a wall,” another reporter replied. “it seems they have to cut through this before we can go any further. gee! but i wish i had time to send something about this to my paper. it will be a dandy story.”
“i guess there aren’t any telephones under the hudson,” said mr. newton, nudging larry in the ribs.
“no, but there may be some day. well, i suppose i’ll have to make a story for to-morrow, but the morning papers will have the best of it.”
mr. newton did not reply, and larry thought that perhaps the other reporter might be mistaken. he began to see what a fine thing it would be to beat the other papers. the whole party had now halted. there was a sort of inclined platform of boards built from the floor close to the roof of the tunnel.
up this the members of the party walked until they came to a level place where they stood together.108 overhead was the iron-ribbed lining of the big tube. it had only recently been put in place and, as it was not water tight, moisture from the river came through quite freely.
big drops splashed down almost like rain, and it was salt rain at that.
“i guess i’ll have to get a new suit out of the office, for mine’s spoiled,” said one of the newspaper men.
“and my hat’s gone to grass,” remarked another, as he contemplated his straw headgear.
“you want to be ready to slip back soon now,” whispered mr. newton to larry. “they’re going to try the hydraulic ram on the brick wall. as soon as they start it i’ll let you know. then you can slip down as quietly as possible, make your way back through the tunnel, go up to the surface, and telephone to mr. emberg. he has the story almost written, for he knows something about the tunnel. all he wants to know are a few particulars which you can give him.”
larry nerved himself for the coming effort. there seemed to be a sort of uneasiness in the crowd, for some of them did not know what was to come. they were tired of being kept in the dark.
“we are now going to start the hydraulic ram,” said the voice of the president. “it will cut through the brick wall and then we will step through the hole into the other part of the tunnel,109 thus completing the trip from new jersey to new york. let me call your attention to the fact that this trip is made, not like the partial one of a year ago, through the northern tube under compressed air. we have so far advanced that we do not need to maintain an air pressure any longer for safety.”
“all ready,” called one of the engineers.
there was a little shifting in the crowd. men in red shirts and big rubber boots began fumbling at some pipes and machinery.
“here she goes!” cried someone, and larry prepared himself to start on the back trip at a signal from mr. newton.
there was a rending, crashing, tearing sound. the brick wall began to crumble under the powerful force of the plunger worked by water power. then came a dull thud, and silence.
“what’s the matter?” cried the president.
“i’m sorry to say the ram’s broken,” replied the engineer.
“cut the wall down with crowbars and pickaxes then,” cried the president.
“i regret, gentlemen,” he went on, “that we will have a little delay. the wall was thicker than we thought. we cut away as much as we dared and we depended on the ram to do the rest. it has failed us. but we will soon have a passageway through, and you will have been the first party to walk under the river without the use of110 compressed air, which is something of an achievement.”
“oh, for a chance to telephone the paper!” exclaimed several reporters. but they knew there was no opportunity.
“now’s your time!” whispered mr. newton to larry. “hurry back, and as soon as you can get to a telephone tell mr. emberg all that you have seen and about the failure of the ram to work. i’d go, only if i leave the other men will notice it and they’ll try the same trick.”
slipping through the crowd, larry started back. he was not noticed amid the excitement. he could hear the blows which the laborers were beginning to rain on the brick wall and the thud of them sounded like thunder in the tunnel. down the sloping planks he went until he found himself on the floor of the tube.
then he began to run as fast as possible on the uneven surface and through the semi-darkness. several times he stumbled over big sections of the iron lining and once he fell into a puddle of water. he got up, not minding the smart of his cut hands, and kept on.
the tunnel made a slight turn a few hundred feet back from where the wall was being cut through and this curve hid the throng from larry. now he was all alone in the big shaft and he began to experience a feeling of fear. suppose some accident should happen? if the111 roof should cave in? or he should fall, strike his head, and be rendered unconscious?
all these things larry thought of as he hurried on. but he tried to forget them and to think only of getting to the surface and telephoning the news. the fact that the hydraulic ram had failed to work made the story all the better for newspaper purposes.
larry’s one real fear was lest he might not be able to get through the air lock. this was a sort of double opening leading into the tube at the western end. there was no air pressure in it however, but the lock remained and had to be entered through small openings.
when the party had reached this, in going through the tunnel, they found the opening so narrow that but one could pass through at a time. workmen had been stationed there to help, as the doors which formerly closed the lock were still in place and were heavy affairs. if one of them should happen to be closed larry felt that his mission would prove a failure.
he kept on as fast as he could walk. he was glad when he came to an electric light, for it made the tube seem less lonesome. but the lights were few and when he had left one behind larry began to wish the next one would gleam out.
when he felt the floor of the tube beginning to take an upward turn larry knew he was approaching the end, and, also, the air lock.
112 “i hope the men have left it open,” he said to himself.
he was almost running now. suddenly something black loomed up in front of him, as he could see by the glare from a near-by electric lamp. he put out his hand and touched something cold and hard.
“it’s the air lock!” he exclaimed. “and the door is shut!”
