build, if possible, a union railroad station at Washington Square, and induce trunk line railroads in New Jersey to make joint use of it. Haskins began the construction of one of these tunnels in 1879, and built about 1800 feet of one tunnel. In 1882 his company failed. In 1890 the company was reorganized and the English contracting firm of S. Pearson & Sons undertook to build the tunnel to the foot of Morton street. After building 1800 feet additional the company again failed in 1892, leaving, at that time, 3600 feet of single tunnel constructed from the waterfront of Jersey City towards New York. This tunnel was eighteen feet in diameter, one-half brick and one-half iron.
At the time the work was commenced there had been little experience in the construction of such a tunnel and with the difficult conditions that existed the work was necessarily dangerous and costly. It is said that over $4,000,000 was expended by these early companies in the prosecution of the work.
At first the shield was not used, the excavation being made under pneumatic pressure. It was extremely difficult to keep up this pressure as the earth was too loose to retain the air, and as soon as it escaped the water would rush in.
On July 21, 1880, a serious leak occurred which resulted in the loss of twenty lives; and brought out one of those instances of heroism which have so often been displayed during the progress of great engineering works. One of the workmen, named Peter Woodland, a resident of Jersey City, was the first to discover the leak. He was at the door of the air-lock and giving warning to the men hurried them through the exit. After eight of the men had gotten through Woodland saw that if the door were not quickly closed from the inside all would be drowned. So to save the lives of those who had already passed he at once closed the door, and the water soon filling the chamber, drowned him and the others who had been unable to pass. Woodland could have saved his own life when he discovered the accident, but instead he kept to his post to save his comrades. A monument commemorating the event has been erected over his grave in the New York Bay Cemetery, in Jersey City.
The tunnel proposition lay dormant for about nine years, until in 1901, Mr. William G. McAdoo became interested in the idea and entered into negotiations with the Bondholders Re-Organization Committee, of which Mr. F. B. Jennings, of the firm of Stetson, Jennings & Russell, was Chairman. Mr. McAdoo presented a plan for the completion of the single eighteen foot tunnel, which was to contain two tracks and be operated with narrow-gauge cars of special design, and was to run from the Lackawanna station in Hoboken, to a terminal at Ninth avenue and Christopher street, New York, and the New York and New Jersey Railroad Company was organized by him for this purpose in the early part of 1902, and he was elected President. A short time after, Mr. McAdoo became convinced that the operation
