The Greatest Highway in the World: Historical, Industrial and Descriptive Information of the Towns, Cities and Country Passed Through Between New York and Chicago Via the New York Central Lines. Based on the Encyclopaedia Britannica.New York Central Railroad Company
History
The Greatest Highway in the World: Historical, Industrial and Descriptive Information of the Towns, Cities and Country Passed Through Between New York and Chicago Via the New York Central Lines. Based on the Encyclopaedia Britannica.
New York Central Railroad Company
New York (State) -- Guidebooks; Ohio -- Guidebooks
Today one of the most remarkable features of New York is the Grand
Central Terminal. The exterior finish is granite and Indiana lime-stone;
the style somewhat Doric, modified by the French Renaissance. Over the
entrance to the main building is a great arch surmounted by a statuary
group wherein Mercury, symbolizing the glory of commerce, is supported
by Minerva and Hercules who represent mental and moral force.
Within, the main concourse of the station proper is an immense room with
a floor space of 37,625 sq. ft. where the New York City Hall might be
set and yet leave room to spare. It is covered with a vaulted ceiling
125 ft. high, painted a soft cloudy blue and starred over with the
constellations of heaven. Great dome-shaped windows, three each at the
east and west ends, furnish light.
[Illustration: The Main Concourse, Grand Central Terminal]
The entire site of the Grand Central Terminal comprises 30 blocks and 80
acres which above the surface are covered with a great variety of
buildings, making almost a city in itself. Moreover, there is direct
subway entrance to three large hotels, capable of housing as many as
10,000 persons, and to all these conveniences is added that of
comfortable temperature throughout the terminal, no matter how cold the
weather.
[Illustration: Map of New York City, 1775
This survey, made in the winter of 1775, shows the city proper as
it existed during the Revolutionary War. Places indicated by the
lettering are described under the original as follows: A, Fort
George. B, Batteries [at the two points of the island]. C,
Military Hospital [south of Pearl St.]. D, Secretary's Office
[near Fort George]. E, [Not Shown]. F, Soldiers' Barracks [at
extreme right]. G, Ship Yards [lower right hand corner]. H, City
Hall [Broad and Wall streets, site of present Sub-Treasury
building]. I, Exchange. J, K, Jail and Workhouse [both situated on
the "intended square or common," now City Hall Square]. L, College
[Church and Murray streets; this was King's College, now Columbia
University]. M, Trinity Church [the present Trinity was built on
1839-46, though it stands on the site of the old church built in
1696]. N, St. George's Chapel. O, St. Paul's Chapel [built in
1756, the oldest edifice still standing in N.Y.C.]. P to Z,
various churches.]
As distinctively "New York" as the sky-scrapers, are the hotels and
apartment houses. Of the latter, there are more than in any other
city in the world, and the number of persons who are giving up their
houses and adopting this manner of life is steadily increasing. The
first thing, in fact, that impresses a visitor on his arrival is the
seemingly endless amount of buildings adopted for transients. A few
of the largest hotels have space for several thousand persons at one
time.
[Illustration: New Amsterdam (Now New York City) in 1671
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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