Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1852-01-06
TG r IIINNEf.


Inc Interesting letter, which publish to-day from that
Intelligent and accomplished Eginco: Col Croze:. will
iand attention. and 5c received with pleasure by TIE friends
OF the great Central Improvement Tie letter puts I" rest
many doubts and silly su.:cs ave bet calculated with
regard 10 The Tunnel and furnishes much valuable inforn-
tlon May we not hope thar Col Crozcl will favor the
public with another ui his interesting lieIs whenever he
may tisink proper?
CnckE's, DEC. 20, ls5l.
To oAie Editors Of he Republican IIad;eafor:
StR:-I have 10. been unnndul Of your request that
woIa n@cas'oay. communicate 10 the press some account
ol me lnhnti which cnil>la much puddle sncnie,
lchiaiiy In your town. but know had formerly
frequent opportunities 10 "oain official information,
ana mat y"u could be deceived by the many
which were Circulated and found their into lhr
papers Thus. '|e i:easd, tiE:a OF ,.!Y sre!u'
bursting nlo our su5tcrncan vault alaEOher OF the work
ha'g penrt.aIed ntu clay iarr still had EiJ ling
stone, and more recently nl,rned hv HE ioson
Baltimore papers aEI also BY Tie lg1ad Journal that had
stopped the .urS qucncc Of in. bic hard
eSs 81 Tie rock Nunc n lheS: had shadow
"f reality Tie rock has hCen, all along pretty much
shn hard ari Seanv ut tic western end and harder st ard
compact at III" Eastern reGarn4 drills oe ess for every
inei ana sohis"s" oiit'rt yer oy tr excellent MANAGE
ment OF Tie contractors Kelly aad Lagney ana their
erGcc perseverance, the work has progressed be-
yond the usual average Of such works
have chosen this particular time 10 address you these
lines, because We have nearly completed Year, sncc we
actna BEGAN ic Tunnel having entered il about tie end
Of January, ISL aud that have pretty
data 10 compute he time y! comp!eun We now about
900 in and s;iai have perforated one thousand itr r
very nearby al lG expiration OF the twelve months Here
II Is proper 10 recy prevailing regards lime
Many persons Lave applied lie Golden Rule nl three
apparent progress, and computing from first contracts,
have made the work advance "r 400 feet yea:ly and "n
extending tie calculation 10 210 rc lSc allotted life
lime TO the undertaking. Others, correctly informed,
have c0ntractsj their data the period when lc beading
entered in Augus iS5U and extended lhc progress
To or GOO feet IN each twelve month This fortunately is
also erroneous: when the heading ils opened. there
renaned lon. cnt 6O feet deep, 10 be funcd through ;e
same hard rock, before could reach the entrance Of re
Tunnel proper; and will readily BE- uacrsio thai The
vault has hardly in o. with The final tiic ~
pletion: indeed il carried louch before reaching
the floor OF the Tunnel j; would hardly hc any advance
10 the fna completion ii Is tile removal 0 the bottom
which actually constitutes the peruration. This began az
said BEFORE very nearly the Isl OF February and by The
return OF the same date we shall nave complete ted one t'
sand feet and there is suppose that shall
vary much from IL hereafter From this account il will na
pear aala ttlc three years will admit the through,
for hope shall have but very little arcng do wiIcl
can be completed long before the excavation.
II may not be irrelevant 10 menon in this place, another
mistake which has been made by several persons IN regard
TO the character o The excaYaiianhey toced al the
port that clay had been encountered Now, lar from berg
advantage, such wouI ave been draw
buck the work both in point OF expense and time. The
enlargement OF the excavation 10 admit l hc size oi ihe
arch; 2d the nbcrng outside would have Increased the
cost OF excavations then, tie Of tCacring, very
difficult operaion and, after all the construction oi m
arch nearly mile long and the gn packing over it:
woui certainly have Been o Increased cost ana de-
lays whereas now, the day after The c!oraon i
pctcd Tie iylng OF the track Lc"in anu IN 'TscH
thereafter the iron horse may snort through tr opcntu..
Indeed experience fully the difficulties jus; mentioned
In the second tunnels which very tangcfIa n~rn 10
the soitness OF the ltca through WHICH they penetrate
and which have 10 he heavily nbe.ed: had they
through rock as The main one they nud now be
complcte' whereas it will yet take considerable
carry them through They w however, BIZ finished in due
season for The o!er heavy pi lie ling, o t4
main tunntl some line fall
In cOncl-ipn, viii add, that materially
bed BY walter and nave had, yet occasion for venat
ing The rock l. now solid on both siics and wi: stand
we'll without arching in consequence Of which, the size c
the pcruraiOn has reduced lis legitimate
l6 feet in width by 2l in height.
:-.----c ssnfc;iu;lv yourS e., c. j;i;tiIEf
En- irctr i;iGc it!,.- Lt!li Road. |,