Sinking

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I wish to thank the following persons who helped make publishing this book a reality. My companion Louise Santos, who spent many hours typing and editing the manuscript. She also gave me the encouragement to resume and complete the work which was started several years earlier but lay dormant.

I also want to extend my heart felt thanks to my two sons, James and Chris who gave graciously of their time, efforts, and computer experience to help provide the material necessary for publishing this work.

The story and characters are fictional with historical overtones to earlier periods. I am sincerely grateful for all the help given to me and hope the reader enjoys the story.

PROLOGUE

As we gaze back in time and see the marvels of engineering and the achievements man has made, we see that they all had a common thread, a thought, an idea brought forth by someone who saw a need, a benefit to mankind, or a challenge. The details and magnitude were probably refined many times as the idea envisioned finally developed into a practical solution. Some ideas remained just a figment of imagination, rekindled in conversation many times but ultimately dropped. But sometimes the idea sparked someone’s or some group’s interest and the idea germinated into an effort. Usually the effort was met by formidable opposition due to a lack of funds, a clash of interests, or political or social groups who place many obstacles in the path of progress for a myriad of reasons.

But sometimes those individuals or groups who foresaw the benefit decided to further the idea into a reality. This might be the engineers who welcomed the challenge, businessmen seeking profit, the financier anxious to finance the project, or even the astute politician who sought capital gain. But whatever the reason when the interest or need was great enough, the idea was translated into a reality.

This book is a tribute to one such idea and the people who helped to make it happen in spite of the many obstacles thrust before them. Many of the names have been changed to protect their identities. Some of the material or situations cited herein are factual, taken from periodicals or other written accounts of the incidents. The rest is the author’s feeble attempt to weave a plausible story from the facts he read. In essence, it concerns the building of the first tunnel under the Hudson River and the tragedies that ensue.

CHAPTER I

It was a hot June day. Fred Dyer, who had taken over when Scott Williams retired, was busy pecking away at his computer preparing work schedules and cost sheets for the week when the phone rang. Not wishing to interrupt what he was doing, he let it ring. But the instrument kept ringing. Finally, in annoyance, he picked it up.

What the hell’s the matter? Don’t you answer your phone?

Well, I was busy in the middle of something and didn’t want to lose my thought, replied Fred.

Well, drop whatever it is you are doing and come into my office.

From the tone of his voice, Fred sensed that Mr. Pavot, his boss, vice-president in charge of operations, was definitely disturbed about something and figured he was about to get reamed. Leaving his desk cluttered with the data he was working with, he headed for Pavot’s office. Entering the office he said, Yes, Mr. Pavot?

Did you see the article in this rag? exclaimed Pavot pointing to a newspaper opened on his desk.

Walking over to the desk, Fred glanced at the paper, saw it was this morning’s Sentinel and answered, No, Sir, I did not.

Read it and tell me where the hell that guy got his information.

Picking up the newspaper, he saw it was an article by one of the featured writers. It read Hudson Tubes Are in Serious Trouble. A reliable source has indicated that the tubes are settling at an alarming rate, far greater than that anticipated by the designers. Tunnel workers are constantly fixing leaks and are spending an inordinate amount of time repairing cracks. Reports to management have gone unnoticed.

Well? asked Pavot in a very loud voice.

Sir, I have no idea where he got his information. We have had some leaks, but I believe everything is under control. You know, I don’t get the inspection reports. They go to Jess Loehmann.

Where is he?

He’s on a cruise with his wife.

Pavot very much annoyed pointing his finger at Fred exclaimed, Well, mister, you had better get to the bottom of this real quick before we have an inspection on our hands or even worse. I want answers, and I am not a patient man. I don’t relish the thought of having to sit before some damn board of inquiry to answer questions pointed at me without some factual information.

Fred realized that what Pavot was angry about was somewhat important. He was aware that the number of leaks had increased, but Jess was supposedly taking care of them. This article could be based solely on rumors someone was spreading for some unknown reasons. But at the moment, he was up to his proverbial with schedules, cost sheets, and estimates for some of the modifications planned, that he really could not spare the time to spend on Pavot’s brainstorm, especially with vacation on the near horizon. Clara, his wife, was not about to accept rescheduling his vacation this year, not after having done so for the past three years.

Sir, I know that we have to find out where the information came from, but it may be only supposition. Writers often write articles attributed to information from a reliable source which later turn out to be only a rumor.

I know, Fred, but fact or fiction I want to be prepared with proper answers, if the need arises, so you get right to it.

Yes, Sir. The only thing on Fred’s mind as he left Pavot’s office was how was he going to get the time to chase this down with all the work he had. Worse, what was he going to tell Clara if he had to postpone his vacation again? Women always understood except when they didn’t want to understand.

He could hear her now. Gee wiz, not again! How come you’re the only one that has to postpone your vacation? I’ll bet the Loehmans never have to postpone theirs. For once why can’t you refuse to do it? He could see her point cooped up in the house with housework and the kids. Sure she deserved a vacation.

CHAPTER II

The letter dated May 4, 1873 read:

Dear Mr. Haskins,

We have been apprised of your recent trip to London and also of your work in California. This parallels something we have in mind and feel that you could be of great assistance to us. We would like to discuss this with you and think the result would be mutually beneficial. If you have not made other commitments, we would appreciate it if you could stop by at your convenience before you return to California.

I have also taken the liberty of enclosing an invitation for you to attend a testimonial dinner at the Engineers Club in honor of the honorable Alfred Ely Beach whose work you may also be familiar with. I will not be attending due to a previous engagement, but I have instructed one of my colleagues, Mr. George Barton, to act as your host on my behalf. He will be in touch with you to make the necessary arrangements to meet with you at your hotel and escort you to the dinner.

The letter was signed J. Lawrence Welllington and had been deliverd by special courier.

Alonzo Haskins was surprised to receive the letter and the invitation. He had no idea who J. Lawrence Wellington was nor who Wellington Enterprises were. The letter was handwritten on good quality buff colored bond stationery. Other than the heading which bore nothing more than the name and address of the company, there was nothing to indicate the corporate structure or makeup of Wellington Enterprises. The letter was probably written by a secretary and signed by Wellington. Since Haskins had arrived back in New York City only several days before, he was at a loss to know who knew he was returning to the city.

Upon his arrival in New York from a stormy, uncomfortable voyage across the Atlantic by steamboat, he had gone directly to his hotel. He had chosen the Metropolitan, New York City’s newest and finest. It was a handsome six story brown stone building situated on the northeast corner of Broadway and 4th Street overlooking Washington Park. It had 300 guest rooms with private bathrooms between pairs of rooms and bathtubs and hot and cold running water. It boasted two elevators which serviced the six floors and had gaslights in the halls and guest rooms. Frequented by notables and members of the upper classes, the hotel was a jewel in the makeup of New York City.

The guest rooms were large and were furnished in an early Victorian décor. The furniture was manufactured by Mills and Deming, the eminent cabinet makers of Philadelphia. While well made, lacked some of the delicacy of some of their earlier work.

Alonzo Haskins was a great big hulk of a man standing six feet four inches in height and weighing slightly over 190 pounds. He had blond hair, fair skin, and a large muscular skeletal frame. He also had blue eyes and large hands. By profession he was a civil engineer who had spent several years in the military rising to the rank of colonel. After leaving the army, he migrated to California where he was engaged in installing mining railway systems. Essentially these were crude systems. The extracted ore was shoveled into riveted iron plate cars and pushed manually over iron-covered rails to an unloading point. Here the ore was dumped into troughs sluiced with water which propelled the ore to a processing area for extraction. Though the system was primitive, it was effective.

Haskins, having heard of and read some of the accounts regarding the work William Greathead had done building tunnels under the Thames River in London, he had traveled the long and arduous journey eastward from California and embarked from the Port of New York for England. There he spent considerable time with Messers Greathead and Brunel studying and discussing aspects of the tunnels they had built under the Thames River and the problems they had encountered. He saw that while the methods they used were archaic and slow, they were effective. The results they achieved were spectacular. He had no idea where or how he would use any of the knowledge he was gaining from them but was sure he would put some of it to good use when he returned to the states. The United States was a very large and growing country and ripe for technology.

By prior arrangements Barton had picked up Haskins at the hotel and now both were ushered to a table at the front of the ballroom near the elevated stage. The stage was occupied by several dignitaries all seated behind the speaker’s podium which was located in the front and center of the stage. After introductions to those already seated at the table and an exchange of business cards, Haskins and Barton were seated.

Typical of most testimonials, Beach was lauded throughout the evening for his invention of a typewriter but mostly for his construction of a subway. The subway was only 312 feet long and ran under Broadway from below Murray Street to City Hall. Primarily it consisted of a cylindrical tube in which a cylindrical shaped car rode. The car held twelve people. The car rode in the smooth walled tunnel propelled by a large fan. Reversing the fan changed the direction of travel.

While the idea was ingenious, Haskins could see many drawbacks and the impracticality for a lengthy system. For his part, Beach related many of the obstacles he had faced technically. He cited the lack of support he received from the city administration because of Tammany Hall’s Boss Tweed. Sounding out Barton for information about Wellington Enterprises, he learned that this company had arranged the financing for Beach’s venture. He also learned that two of the men seated at the table were associated with the firm of Jones and Nevelle, the constructors who built the subway for Beach.

In the discussion that followed Beach’s discourse, in answer to several questions, some very interesting facts came to light which more than justified Beach’s noble effort to build a safe, mass transportation system. During this period the only mode of transportation was by horse-drawn hansom cabs or trams. The resulting congestion was horrendous, especially on Broadway, New York City’s main artery. Since traffic control was non- existent, the drivers of these vehicles had little regaard for pedestrians who, as a result, were at constant peril. As a major city, New York was fast gaining prominence in the world; if it was to continue to expand and prosper, it needed and was ready for a modern transportation system to keep pace with its expansion.

Unfortunately, it had an administration that was rife with corruption. The major political party headed by Boss Tweed of Tammany Hall was the chief obstacle to progress of any kind. Nothing could be built without his approval and payoff.

The discussion continued on for sometime and some of the problems that plagued Beach’s venture during construction were covered in more detail to answer to questions from the audience.

Haskins found the discussion interesting though not particularly concerned about the political problems that Beach had faced. Some of these were similar to