A tube, a car, a revolving fan! Little more is required!
- Alfred Beach
- Alfred Beach
"Certainly the most novel, if not most successful enterprise that New York has seen for many a day is the Pneumatic Tunnel under Broadway..."
- The New York Times ~ February 20, 1870
- The New York Times ~ February 20, 1870
In 1912, a group of New York construction workers excavating for the BMT Broadway line stumbled upon something very puzzling: a completely intact tunnel and the remains of a subway car that they had no idea existed. The tunnel was actually one of the last surviving fragments of Alfred Beach's brainchild. In 1860, he was appalled by New York's nightmarish traffic. After seeing the Metropolitan Railway in London, Alfred proposed a solution: build an air-powered train underground. Unlike many of his peers, he advocated pneumatics instead of the traditional steam engine to prevent disturbing the street above.
Unfortunately, Alfred ran into some opposition in his proposal from some well connected property owners from Broadway who feared that the underground project would damage buildings and interfere with street traffic as well as one of the most powerful officials in New York, Boss Tweed. To outsmart his opposition and gain public support, Beach decided to build a 312 foot long subway tunnel beneath Broadway in total secret. Furthermore, he had the gall to run the tunnel right under City Hall. As a cover story, he claimed that he was building a pneumatic tube to carry messages between buildings and received a permit to construct a small series of tubes underground. Construction began in late 1869 and finished in 58 days.
In February of 1870, the doors were opened to a fascinated public. Beach had spared no expense in furnishing the station. The station was adorned with frescoes and Zircon lamps. There were statues and a gold fish pond in the station that people could look at while they waited for their turn to enter the ride. Easy chairs were spread throughout the station for one to relax while waiting for their ride. Although there was only one car, which could seat 22 people comfortably, over 400,000 rides were made in the first year.
The public approved of the project, but Beach was delayed in getting permission to expand for various reasons. By the time he got approval in 1873, a stock market crash killed investor interest. Beach reluctantly sealed the tunnel up and it was soon forgotten.
So what if Beach obtains permission to expand his project earlier? Bills for Beach's subway passed the legislature in 1871 and 1872 but were vetoed by Governor John T. Hoffman, after pressure from Boss Tweed. What if Hoffman does not veto one of these bills, allowing Beach to find financial support for his project?
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