But obstacles unavoidable occurred, which, in a large measure were owing to the proximity of the road to the river, adverse winds and tides often hindering the workmen. From the same cause in the cuttings which were found at points very hard, much trouble was occasioned by the flow of the water into the crevices in the rock. The board, however, at the instigation of the engineers did everything it could to encourage the contractors, adopting the principle of making allowances when unforeseen difficulties were presented in the execution of the work.

" The plan of grading," says Mr. William C. Young, who became, in 1849, chief engineer, " for the roadbed south of Poughkeepsie was for a double track, having a width of twenty-six feet in rock-cuttings, twenty-two feet in tunnel cuttings and twenty-four feet between bridge abutments. The embankments

2 See iovrnulnf Commerce, JuDuaiy 0, 1874.

HISTORY OF WESTCHESTER COUNTY.

have been designed thirty feet wide, having a wide margin of ten feet between the face of the river-wall and the west rail of the track. These dimensions have been carried out in the construction of the roadbed as nearly as could be done consistently with an early ojjening of the road for public use."

On the 29th of September, 1849, passenger travel over the road as far as Peekskill was commenced. At this time Mr. Jervis became Consulting Engineer of the company. The average number of passengers per day for the first month (October) was eight hundred and thirty, and the total number twenty-one thousand five hundred and ninety-three ; and for the next month (November) the average number was ten hundred and fifty-five, and the total number twenty-seven thousand four hundred and forty-one. At this time it was calculated that the land taken for the roadway in Westchester County had cost the company, exclusive of agencies and other charges, $185,- 905.02, and also that the grading had involved an expenditure of not far from a million of dollars, which was about three hundred thousand dollars above the cost as estimated by the original lettings in 1847.