Chapter 1
The great white hurricane and the secret tube
Chapter 2
The sandhogs and the immigrant crews
Chapter 3
Engineering marvels and cut-and-cover chaos
Chapter 4
Secret stations and subterranean art
YOUR GOAL
Master of The human hands that carved the New York City subway
Ch 1 · The great white hurricane and the secret tube
artiteacher Early New York Subway History
He ran a secret subway with a gust of blowing air, But it took a massive blizzard to put the network there.
artiteacher On March 24, 1900, Mayor Robert Van Wyck broke ground at City Hall to build 9.1 miles of
artiteacher An elegant underground waiting room featured a grand piano and a goldfish fountain.
Fun Fact
Beach's hidden subway: In 1912, workers digging a new subway line accidentally crashed into Alfred Beach's long-forgotten 1870 tunnel, finding the luxury station and passenger car still perfectly intact.
Glossary
blizzard (noun)
A severe snowstorm with high winds and low visibility. The devastating 1888 storm paralyzed Manhattan's above-ground transit, demonstrating the urgent need for an underground subway system.
A severe snowstorm with high winds and low visibility. The devastating 1888 storm paralyzed Manhattan's above-ground transit, demonstrating the urgent need for an underground subway system.
Gossip
Would you ride a secret, luxury underground train powered only by giant fans?
Quiz
How did Alfred Ely Beach power his secret 1870 transit tunnel beneath Broadway?
Quiz
What happened to Alfred Ely Beach's secret pneumatic tunnel after it was shut down in 1873?
Quiz
Which private company operated the very first official underground subway line in New York City?
Quiz
In what year did the first official, passenger-carrying New York City subway line open to the public?
Quiz
Who personally drove the inaugural New York City subway train on its opening night in 1904?
Quiz
What was the cost of a single fare on the New York City subway when it first opened in 1904?
Quiz
What major weather event in 1888 convinced New York City officials to build an underground subway system?