Hi This is a bit off topic,but thought it may be of interest:-
1900: Ground broken for New York subway
"With a silver spade and in the presence of thousands of persons Mayor Van Wyck today lifted from an opening in city hall square a few pounds of earth, which formally began the work on the underground rapid transit railway system," reported The North Adams Transcript on March 24, 1900. "The dirt was emptied into a receptable and will be preserved as a souvenir of the occasion." NOTE: The transit system, which would eventually link Manhattan and Brooklyn, was among the first of its kind, following subways in Boston, Paris and Berlin.



Reg.