Opening of the subway this morning in spite of the fact that it is not entirely completed was decided upon at an informal meeting of the city council last night. The procession of automobiles, headed by one containing Northwestern Rwy officials, including A. R. Pelnar, assistant division superintendent; C. M. Dickinson, yardmaster, and John Duffy of White & Duffy, contractors, with Resident Engr. Murr given a place of honor in the offical car containing the mayor (H. W. Cowles) and other officials, formed at the city hall.

Trucks of the fire department followed the automobiles in the parade along Fourth Street to the subway opening, where with the approach of the automobile the barricades were removed and the procession moved through the subway to Thirteenth Avenue, where it turned on the brick paving constructed in the intersection and returned. General traffic was then permitted to use the subway.

Clinton Herald, August 1, 1922

Clinton's great Fourth Street subway, a massive structure of concrete, steel and brick, extending from Eleventh to Thirteenth Avenues, the first of two such structures designed to furnish absolutely safe traffic ways between the districts north and south of the railroad tracks, was informally opened to traffic shortly after 9 o'clock this morning when a caravan of automobiles containing Northwestern Rwy officials, Mayor H. W. Cowles, members of the city council and other city officials, followed by the motor trucks of the fire department, passed through the opening from the north to the south and return. The subway remained open to traffic and the detour to the west was closed.

Clinton Herald, August 1, 1922

The subway is 700 feet in length and includes a roadway 23 feet wide in center, paced with brick, and concrete sidewalks, six feet in width, on each side of the roadway, the sidewalks, which are elevated above the roadway being protected with iron hand-rails. The subway proper, under the tracks, is 150 feet in length and has a vertical clearance of 13 feet, sufficient for all purposes. Seven pairs railroad tracks cross the subway. Work was started early in October of last year and was prosecuted throughout the winter except when weather conditions absolutely precluded outside work.

Clinton Herald, August 1, 1922

Every possible convenience for the public is provided in the subway. Stairs lead from the east side of the opening to the Northwestern Rwy's eastbound and westbound main line tracks, while on the west side of the subway stairs are provided also for reaching the platform, which extends across the subway and is protected with hand railings. The platform extensions span the subway on both the north and south sides of the crossing.

Clinton Herald, August 1, 1922

An intricate system of drainage has been constructed for the purpose of draining and keeping the subway dry and a pump house has been provided in the construction to house an automatic pump that will keep the water from the subway under all conditions. Although a temporary pump is now in use, the permanent pump has arrived and preparations are under way for its installation.

Clinton Herald, August 1, 1922

Not one person in the entire assemblage was more proud of the moment than Mrs. Julia Rhinehammer, who for 52 years has resided in the hotel on South Fourth Street, and in all this time has looked forward to the day when there should be a subway for the safety of the children and the men and women whom she saw daily cross the network of tracks. Mrs. Rhinehammer is one of the oldest residents of the city and of that neighborhood and has watched the progress of the construction work with keen interest.

She was honored in that she and her family were next to the city officials in being allowed to pass through the new thoroughfare. In the car with her were her son, A. R. Rhinehammer, wife and little Harriet and relatives who are here visiting from Detroit.

Clinton Herald, August 1, 1922

(Sadly, Julia Rhinehammer died June 3, 1923 at the age of 81 and didn't have a great deal of time to enjoy 'her' subway.)