Grand Centennial: Celebrating 100 Years at Grand Central Terminal By: Audrey Blake Word Count: 969 As the

clock struck midnight on February 2, 1913, an eager crowd of three thousand people rushed into the new Grand Central Terminals main concourse, anxiously awaiting the first electric train departure and arrival. By the end of the day, over 150,000 New Yorkers came to gaze uponwitnessed the magnificent character of Grand Central that celebrated humanity and its ambition. Before 1913, the hub was called Grand Central Station, yet because itbut after was changed to becoming ome a final destination, the nameit changed to Grand Central Terminal. The terminal stands as a beacon of a celebrated and miraculous union of design and engineering, the first and only of its kind. In essence, the triumphal gateway to New York City was created of the people, by the people, and for the people. This February, an American legacy, Grand Central Terminal, commemorates its 100th Anniversary. Fourteen years before the opening, the New York Times referred to the station as a cruel disgrace. Owned by railroad tycoon, Cornelius Vanderbilt, Grand Central Station occupied twenty-three acres of railroad tracks stretching from 42nd to 47th Street and Madison to 4th Avenue. A deluge of steel and steam came from the iron trains which spewed smoke, cinders, and noise, creating an environmental nightmare. As the years progressed, New Yorkers feared the railroad monopoly upon whichthat Vanderbilt had built his empire upon, feeling it was too powerful and not friendly to public transportation. The speeding iron horses, packed with hundreds of travelers, cruised heedlessly through dark tunnels and dangerous passageways. What was meant to serve as an ease offacilitate travel became inconvenient, horrid, and dangerous. On January 8, 1902, the anger and fears the publics fears had were confirmed: The worst train crash
Comment [ML6]: Conducive/helpful? Comment [ML5]: Possible cut? Comment [ML4]: This just makes me want to put my hand over my heart and sing the national anthem or something. Love it! Comment [ML2]: Did these take place at the same time? If not, cut one out. Or add s to the ends. Comment [ML3]: Im not the biggest fan of this expression. What about the magnificence of Grand Central, an edifice which celebrated. Comment [AEB1]: I need help cutting!

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in New York history occurred in a deep, dark tunnel, ominously close to the dysfunctional station. Fifteen people were instantly killed, leaving many others burned and wounded.: The city was enraged. Outcries led New York to ban steel trains from running in the city. Something had to be donechange. William Wilgus, a brilliant, young civil engineer, saw a solution: replace the coal, iron trains with electric trains. Electric trains allowed for railways to run underground travel,. An underground railroad, would increasinge travel capacity three-fold. The plan was simple, elegant, brilliant. The Wilguss $70 million project was self-financedan idea Wilgus presented to businessmen, taking zero money from the already skeptical public. Developers began buying air rights and building enterprises on Park Avenue, above the underground tracks. His Wilguss idea changed not only the future of the railway but also the landscape of the American enterprise. From 1903 to 1913, a new terminal was shaped to house the most organized and efficient electric train railing known in to the world. What makes Grand Central Terminal so majestic is its incredible interior and exterior architecture by the work of Whitney Warren. The exterior has three grand arches with a 1,500- ton sculpture of Mercury, Hercules, and Minerva. Grand Central utilized a brand new building technology of limestone and granite exterior walls. WalkingAt the entrance to inside Grand Central, interior ramps feed into the a breathtaking main concourse filled with of magnificent character: the Tennessee marble floors, Guastavino tiled, vaulted ceilings, warm colored walls, grandiose chandeliers, and the finely etched and painted details, not to mention the imposing scale, all showcase the perfect balance of stamina, empiricism, and grace. For years, Grand Central Terminal reliably served Northeast America. During World War II, it acted as the main hub for transporting troops. A top-secret basement known as M-42 lies
Comment [ML12]: Misplaced modifier Comment [ML13]: Second time youve used the phrase magnificent character Comment [ML10]: I dont like that weve already used this adjective to describe the engineer. Comment [ML9]: Does this need to be included? Comment [AEB7]: I like the insertion of ominously. I think that the tension is good. Not totally sure. Comment [ML8]: I love it.

Comment [ML11]: Does this need to be defined? I don't think most people are going to know what air rights are.

nine stories below the lowest floor. During the war, a shoot-and-kill order was enforced for anyone who entered the basement, since t. Why? The M-42 contained all of the power to move the trains for the troops. Today the location of the M-42 basement is still kept a secret and doesnt show up on maps. Shortly after the war, around 1947, airplanes replaced trains for long-distance travel. Although commuters still used the terminal, there were estimated losses of $20 million. Low funds led to a lack of propriety at Grand Central: broken water fountains were used as trash cans, dirt covered grimy walls, and the roof leaked. In 1968, a proposed 55-story skyscraper was proposed towould be built atop Grand Central. The skyscraper would demolish either the Main Waiting Room, part of the Main Concourse, or the palace-like faade. In 1975, New Yorkers got involved, forming the Committee to Save Grand Central. News of Grand Central touched Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, who dedicated her time to protecting the historic landmark. Old buildings are important, she said. If we dont care about our past, we cannot hope for our future. Thanks to the former First Ladys perseverance and a ruling by the Supreme Court on June 26, 1978, Grand Central Terminal was dubbed an historical landmark. Since then, extensive renovations have been made that have transformed the terminal to reflect a city within the city; it features five exquisite restaurants and cocktail lounges, 20 casual international eateries in the lower level Dining Concourse, a Grand Central Market, and fifty specialty shops throughout the concourses. As Grand Central celebrates its 100th birthday this February, the city has planned several events throughout the year. A grander entrance to Vanderbilt Hall, the original Main Waiting Room, is underway,. Although Grand Central resembles a majestic palace and the heart of the city that never sleeps,The renovations will further celebratinge Vanderbilts railroad success that
Comment [ML15]: This bothers me a bit. The walls are grimy, so obviously theyre already dirty. I just feel like this is a bit redundant. Were there maybe posters/fliers/graffiti/etc. covering those grimy walls? Comment [ML16]: Otherwise its kind of confusing as to whether or not they actually built it. It sounds like you just randomly switched tenses or something: a skyscraper would be built that would change the future of the terminal Does that make sense? I get confused as to whether or not it was built. Comment [ML17]: I would say to nix the capitalization all together, but is it officially capitalized? Comment [ML18]: Earlier, you didnt capitalize this. Does it need to be? Lets just be consistent. Comment [ML19]: Funny how they had such a change of heart! You point at near the end how they changed their tune about the terminal, but maybe mention that right here? Sorry to want to add something! Comment [ML20]: Bless you for that! Comment [ML14]: That Why? doesnt really match the tone of the rest of the article.

continues to bless North America. In May, a parade of historic trains and transportation will honor the grand history. An exhibition will take place in fall 2013: The Next 100 Years, inspiring future travel innovations and improvements. In 1913, the New York Times took rescinded their 1899 words labelingcalling Grand Central a cruel disgrace, and referred to it instead as a station, a monument, a civic center, or if one will, a city: The greatest station in the United States, but the greatest of any type in the world. Grand Central Terminal is an echo of the past, of journeys that have been, and journeys soon yet to come. So long as the heart of New York City continues to beat, the city truly will never sleep.

Comment [ML21]: Im nervous to use this word... what about "benefit"? I just don't think that most people use that word as we use it--what do you think? Comment [ML22]: Or maybe this whole part can be cut? Comment [ML23]: Where is this exhibition? Formatted: Font: Italic