WILL IS NOT AFRAID TO SEE WHAT IS AROUND THE CORNER.
♪ >> IT WAS A BIG DEAL.
IT WAS T NEW BOSTON AT THE FOREFRONT OF AN ENGINEERING BREAKTHROUGH.
SEPTEMBER 181897.
FIRST TIME WOULD GO UNDERGROUND IN THE UNITED STATES.
>> PEOPLE WERE AFRAID TO WRITE IT.
THEY ASSOCIATED IT WITH DISEASE BECAUSE IT WAS UNDERGROUND.
THERE WERE FEARS OF TUBERCULOSIS.
THE CLERGY WAS AFRAID THAT THE DEAD WERE BURIED UNDERGROUND SO THEY WERE AFRAID FOR REGULAR RIDERS TO BE UNDERGROUND.
NICOLE: BRADLEY CLARK WITH THE BOSTON STREET RAILWAY ASSOCIATION SAYS THE FEAR WAS SHORT-LIVED.
>> AFTER THE FIRST DAY, IT WAS A HIT.
NICOLE: DAILY RIDER SHIP SOON ROSE.
BUT LIKE EVERYTHING NEW, IT EVENTUALLY BECAME OLD.
IN 1962, MANY OF THE ORIGINAL TUNNELS WERE ABANDONED TO MAKE WAY FOR WHAT WE NOW KNOW AS THE MBTA.
LYING FAR BELOW THE HUSTLE AND BUSTLE OF CITY LIFE.
THE OLD TUNNELS NOW SIT IDLY IN THE DARK.
ACCESS IS LIMITED.
BUT WE WERE GIVEN AN EXCEPTION.
MORE THAN 50 YEARS OF FASCINATED HISTORY RIGHT UNDERNEATH HER FEET.
THE OLD SUBWA AND WE ARE ABOUT TO GET AN INSIDE LOOK AT WHAT IT IS LIKE.
♪ >> THIS IS THE NORTH BROWN TO OF THE FIRST SUBWAY IN AMERICA.
NICOLE: WHAT HAPPENED TO THE TUNNEL SINCE IT HAS BEEN ABANDONED?
>> ALMOST NOTHING.
IT JUST SAT HERE.
NICOLE: WHEN YOU FIRST STEP INSIDE, AEERIE SILENCE, EVIDENCE THAT LIFE STI EXIST.
FROM THOSE THINGS THAT THRIVE IN DAMP, DARK SPACES, TO THOSE IN SEARCH OF A SHELTER.
>> THERE HAVE BEEN HOMELESS PEOPLE THAT HAVE CAMPED OUT HERE.
AND VARIOUS OTHER PEOPLE.
IT IS A HANDFUL KEEPING PEOPLE OUT FRANKLY.
NICOLE: IT IS A WORLD FILLED WITH INTEREST AND INTRIGUE.
GO FURTHER.
THE REASONS AS TO WHY THIS IS OFF-LIMITS COME TO LIGHT.
THERE IS A LOT OF DEBRIS.
CLEARLY IF YOU ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO BE DONE HERE.
IT IS NOT A SAFE PLACE.
>> DEFINITELY NOT.
LOTS OF PLACES TO TRIP, CORDS AND WIRES TO FALL OVER.
YOU COULD EVEN GET ELECTROCUTED.
THERE HAVE BEEN A NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT HAVE MADE THE MISTAKE OF COMING DOWN HERE OVER THE YEARS.
AT BEST, THEY GET ARRESTED.
AT WORST, THEY GET INJURED.
NICOLE: FROM IMPOSSIBLE DOORWAYS, A TANGLED UNIVERSE OF WIRES AND WARE, TO A THICK WALLPAPER, A VEIL OF BLACK A CENTURY IN THE MAKING.
100 YEARS OF DUST.
KIND OF LOOKS LIKE MY HOUSE RIGHT NOW.
[LAUGHTER] COVERING WALLS DESIGNED BY ADVANCED ARCHITECTURE FOR THE TIME THAT IS STILL IN USE TODAY.
>> THIS WAS A SAFETY NICHE FOR EMPLOYEES WORKING DOWN HERE TO STEP IN AND GET OUT OF THE WAY OF THE CAR SO THEY WOULDN’T GET FIT OR BREAST.
NICOLE: HOW FAST WERE THE CARS GOING?
>> 30 MILES PER HOUR, MAYBE 40.
IF YOU STOOD WHERE WE WERE STANDING, YOU WOULD DEFINITELY GET STRUCK.
THE EDGE OF THE CAR WOULD GO OUT AS FAR AS THE EDGE OF THE TIRES.
NICOLE: SO YOU DON’T HAVE MUCH ROOM.
>> VERY CLOSE QUARTERS.
NICOLE:.
>> RIGHT NEAR YOUR FACE.
>> VERY" IS.
NICOLE: DIRECTLY IN THE CENTER OF THE TUNNEL, A TWISTED MOUNTAIN OF TWISTED METAL.
>> IT GOES BACK 700 FEET.
THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF CANS.
NICOLE CANISTERS CREATED WITH THE AIM OF SAVIN LIVES.
IN NATO 61, THEY DECIDED TO DO WHAT WITH THIS PORTION OF THE TUNNEL?
>> THEY DECIDED TO FILL IT WITH CIVIL DEFENSE SUPPLIES AS A FALLOUT SHELTER.
NICOLE: WHAT WAS INSIDE THE CONTAINERS.
>> 17 GALLON CANS.
THEY HAD CRACKERS, POWDERED MILK, WATER, SOME MEDICINE, ENOUGH TO SURVIVE ON A MINIMAL BASIS FOR A FEW DAYS.
NICOLE: FROM DECAYING BABY CARRIAGS LEFT BEHIND.
PROBABLY WORTH A PRETTY PENNY BACK IN THE DAY.
TO WORN-OUT SOL.
IT MAKES YOU WONDER HOW MANY STORIES ARE BURIED HERE.
THOUGH IDEAS OF WHAT THE FUTURE OF WHAT THIS SPACE MIGHT REMAIN PLENTIFUL, A LOT REMAINS TO BE EXPLORED.
>> WE HAD SOME ARTISTS WHO ALSO HAPPENED TO BE WHAT THEY CALLED SPELUNKERS, SUBWAY BUFFS THAT LIKE TO ROAM TH TUNNELS.
NICOLE: SIMILAR ARTWORK HAS POPPED UP IN SUBWAY STATIONS AROUND THE WORLD.
A CREATIVE EXPRESSION, ALBEIT BREAKING THE LAW AND AT GREAT PERSONAL RISK.
BOSTON’S ABANDONED SUBWAY.
AHEAD AND REMINDER OF WHAT MIGHT COME BEFORE YOU OR IN THIS CASE WHAT EXISTS RIGHT UNDER YOUR FEET.
AS WE ARE WORKING ABOVE ON THE SIDEWALKS. WE HAVE NO IDEA THAT UNDERNEATH OR IS THIS WHOLE UNDERWORLD.
>> THAT’S RIGHT.
WE DON’T KNOW ABOUT IT UNLESS ME KNOW ABOUT IT.
♪
SHAYNA: ABOUT 10 SECTIONS OF ABANDONED SUBWAY TUNNELS REMAIN, ON OF THEM SEALED OFF FROM T PUBLIC.
BRADLEY CLARK TELLS US SOME LOCAL GROUPS HAVE SUGGESTED REPURPOSE THING THE SPACE FOR ART OR TRANSITING EXHIBITS, OR EVEN RETAIL SPACE.
THE CHALLENGE WOULD BE FINDING THE MONEY TO PURSUE THE KIND OF PROJECT.
CO