He organized a construction company, of which August Belmont is president. Another company for the operation of the Subway was organized inside this corporation.

The Interborough Rapid Transit Company has the privilege of operating the road for fifty years, with the option of twenty-five years' renewal at a readjusted rate of rental. When the Subway finally passes into the hands of the people the equipment must be bought by the city at a valuation to be determined by arbitration.

Mr. McDonald sublet the work of construction to thirteen sub-contractors.

Ground was broken for the Subway on March 25th, 1900, in front of the City Hall, by Mayor Robert A. Van Wyck.

The contractor pledged himself to have the Subway ready for the people in four and one-half years.

The Subway extends from City Hall to Kingsbridge on the west side, and Bronx Park on the east side.

The main line from City Hall to Kingsbridge is 13.50 miles long, with four tracks to Ninety-sixth street.

The east side line from One hundred and Third street and Broadway to Bronx Park, is 6.97 miles long, making a total mileage of 20.47.

Five miles of the system is on viaducts.

There are 47.11 miles of single track and sidings, equal to one-third of the distance between New York and Albany.

The stops average three a mile for local trains and one every two miles for express trains.

There are forty-eight stations on the entire system, thirty-three underground, eleven on viaducts, three partly on the surface and partly underground, and one partly on the surface and partly on the viaduct.

Two of the underground stations are reached by elevators, and one of the viaduct stations are reached by escalators.

At present trains run only to One Hundred and Forty-fifth street. The system will be complete through on the east and west sides in three months.

The highest grade is one of three per

cent. on each side of the tunnel under the Harlem River.

At each station there is a down grade of 2.1 per cent. to accelerate the trains in starting.

LIVES LOST IN THE WORK.

In the work of construction one hundred and twenty lives were lost, the greatest number at one time in the Park avenue explosion, which wrecked the Murray Hill Hotel.

The actual time spent in construction was 1,275 days.

Gauged by the number of men employed the working days numbered 5,943,917.

The largest number of men employed in construction on any one day was 12,000.

The average number of men employed per day was 4,661.

There were 2,000,000 cubic yards of earth and 1,000,000 cubic yards of rock excavated for the subway, less than is dug out of New York every year for cellars and foundations in building operations.

The number of employees at present is 2,000, the pick of the street railway men of the country.

With the road partially in operation the number of passengers it can handle in a day is estimated at 450,000. When the east side branch is completed 150,000 more can be handled.

In the three rush hours, morning and evening, the express and local trains can handle 79,800 people, operating from One Hundred and Forty-fifth street to City Hall.

CAN CARRY 200,000,000 A YEAR.

The contractor estimates that when the road is fully completed it can carry 200,000,000 passengers a year.

There are four hundred cars in the subway, many of steel. Additional cars have been ordered and will be delivered as rapidly as possible.

For the present express trains will be run four minutes apart and local trains three minutes apart during the rush hours.

There will be twenty-eight stations open at the beginning.

The station platforms are of concrete, from two-hundred and fifty to three hundred feet long, and sixteen feet wide.

The lighting system in the stations and Subway is independent of the operating current, which can be used in case of accident.

The third rail is protected by a wooden shield eight and a half inches wide, so that passengers, in case of accident, and employees at all times, may move about on the tracks in perfect safety.

Through a system of waterproofing the tunnel has been rendered absolutely dry. It is lined, top, sides and bottom, with waterproof felt laid in hot asphalt and every foot of it is drained.

The signal system is the most perfect ever introduced on a railroad. It is entirely mechanical and there is a device making it impossible for a motor engineer to take his train past a danger

the side of the track, which engages a trigger on the front truck, of the first car, sets the air brakes and shuts off the power independent of the motor engineer.

Power is generated in a central powerhouse at Fifty-eighth and Fifty-ninth streets and Eleventh avenue and distributed through seven sub-stations.

The motors are capable of developing 100,000 horse-power.

When the road is in smooth running order express trains will attain a speed of forty-five miles an hour and the average for local trains will be twentyfive miles an hour.

The roadbed compares with any in the United States. It is rock ballasted, the ties are of hard pine and the rails weigh one-hundred pounds to the yard.

There is a complete fire-alarm and fire-fighting system installed in the Subway from end to end.

LONDON, Saturday, Oct. 29.-Danger of war between Russia and Great Britain is believed to have been averted. The settlement of the only points in dispute regarding the attack by the Russian Baltic Squadron on British trawlers on Oct. 21 has been referred to an international commission under The Hague Convention.

Premier Balfour spoke to an immense gathering under the auspices of the National Union of Conservative Clubs in Artillery Hall, Southampton, last night.

"The Russian Ambassador," said Mr. Balfour, who began to speak at 8 P. M., after receiving a great ovation, "has authorized a statement to the following effect: The Russian Government, on hearing of the North Sea incident, at once expressed its profound regret and also promised most liberal compensation. The Russian Government has ordered the detention at Vigo of that part of the fleet which was concerned in the inci

dent, in order that the naval authorities may ascertain what officers were responsible for it. Those officers and any material witnesses will not proceed on the voyage to the Far East, and an inquiry will be instituted into the facts by an international commission, as provided by The Hague Convention."

"Preliminary to this court," said Mr. Balfour, "there would be the Coroner's inquest at Hull over the dead fishermen, a Board of Trade inquiry, and an inquiry by the Russian officials at Vigo. The Board of Trade inquiry would be specially constituted by the British Government, and those conducting it would include representative men. The Russian Embassy had been asked to send a representative and to give assistance.

"Apology and compensation having already been offered," said the Premier, "nothing now remained but to determine which account was correct, Rojestvensky's or the trawlers'."

Mr. Arthur Kirk, one of the best known Scotchmen around Pittsburg, Pa., died at his home in Sharpsburg on the 26th. ult., at the patriarchal age of 80 years. Mr. Kirk was a native of Leshmahagow, Lanarkshire, Scotland, and came to this country in July 1839. He commenced business in the city of Allegheny, Pa., a few years later, where he resided until 1876, when he removed to the suburban town of Sharpsburg, where he purchased, and occupied until his death, a very beautiful property.

Mr. Kirk was one of the original members of the Second U. P. Church of Allegheny, late Rev. Dr. Rodgers, pastor. On his removal to Sharpsburg he joined the Presbyterian Church, in which he was long an honored and much esteemed member.

Mr. Kirk was a man of striking personality, strong in his convictions, was an earnest advocate of the temperance cause, was well known over the country as a pioneer in the good roads movement, was ever prominent in good works, and was known for many acts of benevolence. With John T. Wilson, Charles Lockhart, James Stewart, Alexander Dempster, William Miller, Jas. W. Drape, Peter Dick, W. B. More, William Campbell, and others, the Scotch Wayerly Society was formed, in which Mr. Kirk remained a loyal, active and useful member. He was regarded as an indispensable feature at the annual Burn's banquet function, at which he was uniformly selected to recite the Address to

Notwithstanding the hearty sympathy manifested and generous offer of assistance made to the United Free Church by other Christian denominations throughout Great Britain, and the strong sentiment of the general public against the unjust decision of the House of Lords, the breach between the United and "The Free" churches seems to be be widening.

At the meeting of the Free Church Commission of Assembly, on October 5, it was decided to reject any scheme of arbitration with the Free Church. Rev. D. Macalister, Edinburgh, presided. About thirty ministers and elders attended. Rev. J. D. McCulloch, Glasgow, submitted the report of the Law and Advisory Committee, which stated that, in regard to churches, the committee were prepared to act fairly and reasonably, and would endeavor, by ordinary methods of negotiation, to arrive at an understanding, failing which they might agree to refer to a neutral referee questions of disputed right that might seem suitable for reference. But with the main proposition of the United Free Church memorandum—namely, that the Free Church of Scotland should agree that property held by the Church in trust should be divided between the Free Church and the United Free Church by an arbiter and the sanction of Parliament obtained thereto "we can have," says the report, "at this date at all events, no sympathy whatever. Our objection is that we hold arbitration to be entirely inappropriate to guide us how to administer most faithfully and most efficiently the trusts committed to us, which is the only duty we can recognize." Mr. McCulloch moved the adoption of the report and that it be remitted to the committee to do what was possible in the way of temporary arrangements on the lines already laid down by the Commission.