mrhariseldon890 t1_j5vhw98 wrote on January 25, 2023 at 9:15 PM

The sewer that carries Mill Creek collapsed in the 50s and took like two blocks of 50th and Parrish with it.

It is also the reason the El does not continue underground all the way to 69th St. They couldn't figure out how to safely tunnel under it.

charizardFT26 t1_j5wk8cy wrote on January 26, 2023 at 1:34 AM

There are photos on the water dept history website that has photos of the collapse, I’ll see if I can find

Edit:

https://s3.amazonaws.com/pastperfectonline/images/museum_815/015/2004.092.0084.jpg

Found it!

Amadeum t1_j5vixtx wrote on January 25, 2023 at 9:21 PM

Well, you learn something new every day

mrhariseldon890 t1_j5vmqwq wrote on January 25, 2023 at 9:44 PM

You can see the tunnel they started back in the 30s or 40s if you sit on the left side of westbound MFL trains right before the 44th street portal. Its blink and you'll miss it.

bensh_ t1_j5wmymr wrote on January 26, 2023 at 1:54 AM

That portion of the El was only built in the early 50's and was pushed for by Penn along with the trolley tunnel extension. The creek definitely could have been a factor though in abandoning the original portal rising from the center to one along the side, along with more empty land https://digital.library.temple.edu/digital/collection/p15037coll3/id/66093/rec/72

catjuggler t1_j5xpyy8 wrote on January 26, 2023 at 7:38 AM

Thanks I always wondered about that and just assumed it was to save money in less dense (but still dense) areas