The New York Rapid-transit Subway

28 PARSONS ON NEW YORK RAPID-TRANSIT SUBWAY. [Minutes of beams with concrete walls, the ribs being placed, as in the subway, 5 feet between centres. In order to carry the roof over the plat- forms it was necessary to place columns on them. They were located at intervals equal to three bay spaces, or 15 feet. As a general rule, these platform-columns are of cast iron, which gives a better architectural effect and, being round, they occupy less space. Wherever possible, the platforms are made to project 20 inches beyond the faces of the supporting walls, so as to give space for a person falling from the platform in front of an approaching train to find security, or to permit of inspection of the wheels or running-gear in case a train should be stopped at a station for that purpose. In working out the architectural treatment of the interiors of the stations, the Author received valuable assistance from Messrs. Heins and La Farge, architects. A large number of materials for use upon the walls and ceilings were considered, examined, and tested. At the outset the use of enamelled bricks was contemplated; and the first station to be constructed, that at Columbus Circle, had the jack-arches finished with this material. The cost of enamelled bricks, especially in view of the large areas of the walls and ceilings to be covered, pro- hibited the general use of this material which, in spite of many desirable qualities, was deficient in that the enamel was subject to “ craze ” and discoloration, and had the drawback that in the event of an individual brick becoming broken, much labour would be in- volved in replacing it. It was finally decided to make use of glass tiles, which possessed all the advantages of enamelled bricks without the disadvantages mentioned above, and, in addition, they could be had in a greater variety of colours and at very much less cost. These tiles, while strong enough for the ordinary wall, were not considered sufficiently so to withstand the hard usage to which the walls are subjected close to the surface of the platform; and to meet this requirement a wainscoting was built, about 2 feet 6 inches in height, made of light-coloured but very hard bricks, the shape being that known to the trade as Roman, 12 inches long and 13 inch thick. The top of the wainscoting was finished with a marble cap, above which came the glass tiles. In order to relieve the monotony that a plain-tiled surface would present, the architects divided the wall-space into panels, the division-lines of these panels being made either by coloured tiles or mosaic, or by a combination of the two. The tops of the walls are finished with a cornice of terra cotta or faience. Each station lias a distinct design of wall treatment,