The Rabbi

Jill Jones describes a, if not the, major civil engineering feat of the 20th century as if writing an adventure novel. It was difficult to put down. At the height of USA railroading the largest, and one of the most powerful corporations in the country, the Pennsylvania Rail Road, could directly access the burgeoning city of Manhattan, but was relegated to use ferries to transport its passengers and goods the final mile from NJ to NY. Conceived by Alexander Cassatt, the enlightened president of the rail road, the project consisted of two tunnels under the Hudson, connecting underground to the largest terminal in the world, and then continuing under the East River onto Long Island, all $100,000,000 privately funded.
The description of the political maneuvering, Tammany's desire for graft that is, reads life a Times report on the Middle East peace process. How the project obtained all necessary permits, without recourse to under the table payments, belies the persistent and effort put forth.
But then the tunnels under the Hudson rose and fell with the tide, scared them to death. Fix or allow to move? Perhaps the heavy trains would overload the tunnels in a matter of several trips; up and down the line the issue was discussed, finally a decision--hardly any data to bear on the issue--go ahead, no collapse. Engineering can be quite suspenseful.
I could go on and on, but it's Jones' coda that makes the book extraordinary. The western half of the project was ill timed; the long island portion remains a success. The car soon replaced the train. The government fought the railroads while subsidizing highways. No wonder no one rides the train. Perhaps someone may a major blunder for which we will all someday pay.