entire construction, and also of the tunnels extending these lines
eastward from the First Avenue shaft under the river.

The work just described as the 32d and 33d Street lines, terminating at
the easterly end at the First Avenue shafts, was placed under contract
on May 29th, 1905, with the United Engineering and Contracting Company.
The plans then provided for three-track tunnels from the west end of the
work under the contract eastward 1,628 ft. in 32d Street and 1,418 ft.
in 33d Street to the west line of Fifth Avenue, with a descending grade
of 0.4%; this was to constitute, in a degree, an extension of the
station, where trains could stand without brakes while awaiting signals
to proceed to or from the station. From Fifth Avenue eastward to the
lowest point under the river, the grade was to be 1.5% on all lines.
Later, during construction, when excavating westward under 33d Street
from Fifth Avenue, the surface of the rock was broken through,
disclosing quicksand; within the next few days trial drill holes through
the tunnel roof at 32d Street and Fifth Avenue showed a thin cover with
quicksand above it. The conditions had been indicated in a general way
by borings made before construction was begun, but they proved to be
rather worse than anticipated. On the topographical map of Manhattan
Island, made by General Egbert L. Viele in 1865, is shown a watercourse
which had its source near what is now Broadway and 44th Street, flowing
thence along the west side and south end of Murray Hill, passing under
the present site of the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, crossing 33d Street at
the point where the rock surface was broken through in the tunnel
excavation, as above stated, crossing 32d Street at its intersection
with Fifth Avenue, where trial drilling showed thin rock cover over the
tunnel excavation, passing thence eastward a short distance south of 32d
Street, which it recrossed near Third Avenue, and finally discharging
into the East River near 34th Street, and a little west of the present