Description: Electric Locomotive in Underground Tunnel - Chicago, ILLINOIS -1907: The Chicago Tunnel Company built a narrow-gauge railway freight tunnel network under the downtown of the city of Chicago. This was regulated by the Interstate Commerce Commission as an interurban despite the fact that it operated entirely under central Chicago, did not carry passengers, and was entirely underground. It inspired the construction of the London Post Office Railway. The city of Chicago granted the newly formed Illinois Telephone and Telegraph company the rights to construct utility tunnels under the streets of Chicago in 1899 to carry its planned network of telephone cables. Initial plans for the tunnels called for filling them with phone cables, leaving a 6-foot (183 cm) by 14-inch (36 cm) passage for maintenance. When the city refused to permit manholes through which cable could be unreeled into the tunnels, the plans were changed to include rails for hauling cable spools through the tunnels. The city was largely unaware of the nature of the tunneling, and the first 16 miles (26 km) of tunnel were excavated somewhat covertly, working from the basement of a saloon and carting away the spoil after midnight. Initially, the intended purpose of the narrow-gauge railroad below the telephone cables was limited to hauling out excavation debris and hauling cable spools during the installation of telephone lines, but in 1903, the company renegotiated its franchise to allow the use of this railroad for freight and mail service. In early 1905, the system was taken over by the Illinois Tunnel Company. By this time, 26 miles (42 km) of a projected 60 miles (97 km) of tunnel had been completed. The actual construction work was subcontracted to the Illinois Telephone Construction Company, under the management of George W. Jackson (1861–1922). The standard tunnel was egg-shaped, 7 feet 6 inches (2.29 m) high and 6 feet (1.83 m) wide, with tunnel walls 10 inches (25 cm) thick and a floor 14 inches (36 cm) thick. Some trunk-line tunnel segments were built larger, 14 feet (4.27 m) high by 12 feet 9 inches (3.89 m) wide. The tunnels were built through a layer of soft blue clay, and tunneling was done by cutting the clay with modified draw knives. Parts of the tunnel were pressurized to 10 pounds per square inch during tunneling, while other parts were tunneled at atmospheric pressure. The tunnel was lined with coarse concrete and then waterproofed with a Portland-cement limestone-dust plaster. George W. Jackson was granted a patent on the system of forms used in making the concrete tunnel lining. The city asked that the tunnel be built no shallower than 221⁄2 feet (6.9 m) below the pavement in order to allow room for a future streetcar subway. This Divided Back Era postcard, mailed in 1907, is in good condition, but shows some edge wear. V.O. Hammon Pub. Co., Chicago. No. 542.
Price: 9.5 USD
Location: Brooklyn, New York
End Time: 2025-01-26T18:09:39.000Z
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Item Specifics
Restocking Fee: No
Return shipping will be paid by: Buyer
All returns accepted: Returns Accepted
Item must be returned within: 14 Days
Refund will be given as: Money Back
Unit of Sale: Single Unit
Size: Standard (5.5x3.5 in)
Material: Paper
Year Manufactured: 1907
City: Chicago
Original/Licensed Reprint: Original
Brand/Publisher: V.O. Hammon Pub. Co.
Subject: Electric Locomotive in Underground Tunnel
Continent: North America
Type: Printed (Lithograph)
Era: Divided Back (1907-1915)
Theme: Architecture, Cities & Towns, Landscapes, Technology, Transportation, Universities, Electric Locomotive, Tunnel, Interstate Commerce Commission
Country: United States
Region: Illinois
Features: Panoramic
Time Period Manufactured: 1900-1919
Country/Region of Manufacture: United States
Postage Condition: Posted
