Conquering Gotham: A Gilded Age Epic: The Construction of Penn Station and Its Tunnels (Hardcover)
From Publishers Weekly Modern Manhattan is a miracle in many
ways, but all of its imports, commuters included, must traverse at
least one river to get there. In 1900, the New York Central, owned by
the Vanderbilts, already gave Manhattan a northern connection over the
narrow Harlem River. A southern connection over the mile-wide Hudson
would be a whole different story. Alexander Cassatt, president of the
Pennsylvania Railroad, was the visionary on the project. But how to do
it? A bridge plan fell through due to expense; a tunnel would lack the
oxygen needed for steam engines. The breakthrough lay in the
cutting-edge electrified locomotives developed in Paris. Historian
Jonnes (
Empires of Light), demonstrating impressive immersion in the Gilded Age, ably spins the tale, which bears some similarities to
The Devil in the White City.
This is a vivid story of hardball Tammany Hall maneuvering and
mind-boggling engineering. Once construction began, the two-track
narrative settles on the daunting construction of the tunnels and
Charles McKim's much-admired design of the terminus at Pennsylvania
Station, prized by New Yorkers only after its ill-considered demise in
1963. Jonnes can claim an important addition to the popular literature
of how New York became the archetype of a great American metropolis.
(Apr. 23) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Hardcover384 pagesPublisherViking Adult (April 19, 2007)Product Dimensions9.2 x 6.2 x 1.5 inchesShipping Weight15.2 ouncesLanguageEnglishAuthorJill Jonnes,
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