Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1851-03-25
J. MARSHALL McCUE.
RICHMOND, MARCH q, 1851.
90, /, Al Mccrr.

RICHMOND, MARCH q, 1851.
Dear Sir-In reply 10 your communication OF this
ing viii attempt afford such information you seem
deslrous o:aud such will in opinion be calculated
dsuousc the public mind upon The subject OF 1.-THE Tun
ael"
The Tunnel prominent part Of the Blue Ridge Rail-
road tina, persons mnacquanied with the localities are APP
To direct ihei. enluircs exclusively this earuc.
though only fraction and not by any means The most III
cult part o this stupendous undertaking. The location
alone work OF considerable labor across close sue
cesson OF steep rugged ridges divided BY hoows from
81 $50 feet deep il required great number of surveys
and dwellings, obtain line combining regularity economy
and efcencya grade necessarily OF ~ feet TO The !e
notwithstanding the tunnel was rendered still more cJec-
ionab BY the unavoidable by which alone the line
could BE- adapted the irregular face oil the nounan and
it no easy task to enlarge those curves within me
bounds Of reasonable expenditure Only those who
have attended 10 the preliminary operations can have
conception OF the number of laborious TRIALS
which preceded the final location, and Of the enor
nous expense which less cautious and perseveng search
would certainly have occasioned Thus for instance the
crossing of the indenation known Robetsons Ho
settled upon only after several comparative locations
estimates which proved that finally adopted 70 be pro-
bably $4,000 cheaper than the fret ra Here we have
ravine l2U feet Deep then ridge about quarter OF mile
WIDE after which Robersons Hollow $50 feel deep
Immediately below ridge stretches across too high Tor
through; too 10 bc passed round and requiring
therefore, second tunnel 725 feet long Beyond this
second hollow Dove Spring fioIow0 depressed so feet
below the level OF the tunnel and requiring, therefore, an
embankmen OF this height together with an immense cn
discharge the stream under the bank short dis
farther another intervening dge must also De tunnel
ed 4oi iaet All these thnga OBJECTS OF anxious
and digenl examinations and distance OF not more
than Is niles NOT less than $50 me3 of surveys and level
nss executed and II may be confidently asserted that
No 500 100 saved by the careful and igent
scarch for the favorable location. Indeed, il is TOO
the case thai by hurried location greater expense l.
incurred, ami remcdabic defects entaed upon work
the lasting Inconvenience o.. the Community An engi-
neer his should disregard public Impotence and
rumos and depend for justice time and the ultimate re-
suit ol his llburs
There important textures Of the work hardly known
or nuccd-public being almos; altogether engross
cd by tie magnitude of tho Tunnel. The heavy embaak-
nlenis deep and curerts the d
Guilty and dangerous character the two secondary tunnels
though subjects Of soici,ous supervision and difficult man
agenen are passed and nothing but The Tunnel
enqued about Only those who nlvo visited and examined
The work appreciate its character and the industry OF
those engaged in its execution Let toae who have
c.ivod that tunnel alone had been attended since The
beginning visit The work and they will with dilcr-
cn opinion Of the amount of labor during that period
AS rcgards tho Man Tunnel another exists in the
minds o. many persons who compute lime Of lis
strrc,ion almost passage Of the net, without ad
veng the fact that was only IL months ago that
could 10 ad that the had TO make pre-
paaions and then open 90 feet deep before reaching
The of the Tunnel which effected only in Az
gust 1851 ut ono end and in October at the other.
The work ccrainy prosecuted with unusual md
praseworhy energy and perseverance, under rather cou!
aging circumstances by tile contractors Ye: not few per
have unusy charged them (lnd thu eng:.
neers who have control over she hands, with delay ana
pr0cTasIiaa,on; forgetting Tint il is the interest al ell con-
tractors complete their work and realize their alots ne
srdy rs possible Il would scc: that this simple cpnsid
era lion should have shielded the work from doubt re-
CARDS is progress and that The con-
tractors competent men. But how could public impa,
ence Withstand the comparative progress OF The great rival
undertaking, the Baltimore and Oslo Railroad Tunnel which
advanced III feet IN months $500 per monthly while
the Blue Ridge Tunnel progressed only 3D feet an average
months 5oh ends (nnly 80 feet per month"; What
aiiiercncc What the Engineers the Contractors, the
Board Of Public Wcrhs at Such is Il, once the exclamation
Of evcrish Impotence And yet how easy place The cat
Ter IN "a sfacory light By investigation Of the plain
ic,s The Baltimore AVID Ohio airoad Tunnel is operated
upon by shafts III different points at the same ;in "hici
r. int Gr.f,n N
Blue Ridge Tunnel cannot be assisted shafts an conse-
ou.n,y 1. ocsiated upon ST only points which makes
each Of 2oS feet per iaonh 50 tr The baltl-
mere ard Ohio Railroad Tunnel encountered coal ani 1ae-
rats represented ny the Engineer himself unexpectedly IA
yorable The Blaze Ridge Tunnel the contrary materials
unexpectedly hard The drills the Eastern end have to re
s,psnc is or 20 times for every hole lSnchcs deep And
yet by report il will be thu the progress OF the
bottom through the hard rocs at one end mas ceeh H ee
In month.
But saws conc one they have not far worked al night
the sides and surely they would go faster 'ey nc
No proposition can he more true; ou II Is equally lue a
the contractors 10 do what is their evident interest to
do mast be some practical npedmcnt and while en-
quiry might be proper o.hand censirc Is not equal? 90
In order supposed accelerate the lunE. inc mead
In opea before tie deep compie:e under The
expectation 'at Ills deep c;. heretofore hfoG." gravs
a, would ow voly closely the progress OF me neadng
But II happened otherwise the bottom Of The cut proved
very hard rock and The heading advanced 80 much faster
that The materials from The peoraton which could not ne
hauled away accumulated al the tntrance and oosuoeo
10 such degree that found necessary 10 WORK al nsh
'' al h' heading, but, weather peinl9R al no 'e cut
o.'vr ~ tr.ch and reunye lie obstruction i Is only
within tue las, month TIA, hritoT! has entered is rn-
lc put The danger ro. i,npeng rocks IL the entrance
CURED much and occasioned delay during
which, night Work the heading would have increased the
distinctions the mouth The will hereafter progress
without interruption day and night; and probably not only
two, bur even three shifts will be employed the contractors
knowing u well that is their interest to realize the ifu
OF their abors III "a short q time practicable
Then instead OF progress 80 feet ger month, NJ this
end shall have 81 co. and it, as is probable the
hardness of the work ls,ern extremity diminshcs
may expect also 80 per month there, or in all
for both ends about 100 feet month"; and that the e1cava
ton will be through in little upwards of three years.
If hvee who have had doubts about the energy of the
had visited the work themselves, and the
covering closely the face OF rock and striking nces
sanity and with all their might we 10 say they
would have retired satisfied.
In conclusion lie, any who feels ntess! in lie mat