Show mm I Jill in III An Underground Movement 1 i AMERICAS AMERICA'S FIRST EXTENSIVE RAPID TRANSIT SUBWAY Y SYSTEM is tested on May 4 1904 five months before Its first official run The first extensive rapid transit subway construction in the United States has recently been named a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark yet few in the nation know much about its origins Over 75 years ago ground was broken to build the first line of the New York City subway system That system system system tem still in use today now carries a total of oC more than one billi billion n passengers every year About people rode the subway the day it opened Oct 27 77 1904 The first train was eight cars of seated seated and and strap hanging dignitaries and their guests It was driven by Mayor George B. B McClellan lie He took the train out of the ornate roofed arched City Hall station and up to Broadway and Street The motorman continued the run to the terminus at Street The entire trip of about 10 miles took only 26 minutes pretty minutes pretty good time in days when driving a acar acar acar car at 18 miles an hour was considered speeding Today that first official New York subway has been designated a National Historic Historic His His- tone Civil Engineering Landmark Landmark Land Land- Landmark mark by the American Society of Civil Engineers a member national professional society which is celebrating its anniversary anniversary anniversary anni anni- this year The Amer- Amer THE NEW YORK SUBWAY SYSTEM carries more than thana a billion people each year ican Scan Society of Mechanical Engineers has joined the civil engineers in designating the subway system a landmark Some of oC the engineering features of oC historical significance significance found on the subway included the use of oC cut and cover digging techniques steel bent construction rock tunneling underwater tunnels by shield and sunken sunk sunk- en tubes elevated steel railway structures and relocation relocation relocation relo relo- cation of utilities utilities all all leading leading leading lead lead- ing to the advancement of surface sub facilities construction construction construction con con- techniques What's more more its success led a lot of other places to believe they could really dig diga a subway too Today New York City's system is one of oC the largest in the world consisting of nearly route miles of oC rapid transit located in four boroughs with stations and a fleet of cars making trips to serve approximately 37 million passengers daily |