Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1857-01-27
THE VIRGINIA Blue klDGE TUNNELS AND
RAILROAD,


OF the line cf the Virginia Central Railroad which
traverte- tho Blue Ridge. B-ginning st tt slns
stream called Mechuin's River, which winds slonc the
base ol tho Ridge. in Abemars county il $50, i the
| eastern slope o The mountain by nearly coyiiumuu-
grade c from 70 10 IS fro per In!le for about - ml,
and then. piercing thU mountain. travcrses lis dark
reo6sses for about, 5hs OF mile more s.il a.ceudirs
With the sane incna,ion aud 81 length emerses upon
the alley Oh Ifginia al point 1851 feet h"ve lice
| water. BY descending grade OF about miss at the
| same inclination, the road raach.. the village Of
WaynesDoro, situated upon the banks Of South Rv.
or, q branch Of the Potomac whence the road pro
Ceeds West nnder thu churier Of e Central Rn,rosd
Cnmpauy. II would b. dti"ult 70 pun, out ,ectct,
al railway of tue length in The United States OF
more interesting character. whether consider the
unsurpassed beuuty of tho scenery or The magnitude
Of The work executed. The pen Of An IRvIsE might
| here ind worthy ihoue in describing tho yiori
| oua landscapes continually presented 10 tho eve,
and. the pencil ut an srtist could scarcely I'll his
canvsSs with greater variety Ut beautlss than are
hore dispsyed. Il s not, however, our object 10 eG
tol the beauties OF nature, but rather give an nc.
court oi some Of the obstacles she presented and Of
tho difficulties encountered In overcoming th5ni IL
the prosecution 0 the four tunnels and the railway.
And "fthe fret IIs!tuie among these is tha Great
Tunnel
Tie poln, selected for the prrforaion of the moul
tain is known as "Eockhsh Gap" through which the
Staunton and Charlottesville Turnpike pessns. The
Iius Ridge is here and lower thnn rl-ewhsr"
for many miles north souti The elevation ahnvt
tide In the Gap Itself is only about !, ,Ssj fce while
either side Of the gorge tho mountain rises abrupt
ly 20 an elevation Of about 220 ics, The gsryo!s Is
devious but tho Tunnel pursuing straight line es the
shortest disaure from su to side, pa.e' under one
of the highes; peaks, although b0h The eGranc'a
in the ho.uwt which hJsd in the Gap it'clf. While
tht refore, the Tanned is about fonr huried fec; be-
low the sunIn Of the k,dcr n the Gap. IL !n phss
es udsr au elevation nesry ssron hundred feet shove
its sxs. II |, owing 10 ,hi. feet that h" II siri;s
hss not beon resnr;rd 10. vcr; rinps cs!on!a;inn,
showin2 that Shls the's Wond have been snormou3-
Is expensive. they would scarcely have accelerated
the periOraliou Tie Tunnel, being perfectly s!a h
will roceiv. 1T esch end sht sutciert ior ;hn pu.-
poses required aud The greater elevation 1T % eot al
the W.Gt-rn than ut tho Eastern sr;rRnce will create
draft OF air that will sufc" for ventilation TIE
length of the runn-l is ,33 feet, and as hso sla:fd
il ascends from E. To Wet at the rate OF 20 t-st
the mile.
As the question he. been frequently Gakod why L
was not mai. eys. with Sigh: .uclinaion from
the centre in .sch drsction may be n. well 10 give
the re asons which induced the Enghrer construct
It rs Il IS. The valley Oh the Western side II the
mouutai ls much higher than on n. Eastern. TIE
Tunnel enrrgrs ia: al the head Of ts valley, where
the mountain rsss abruptly from il. II follows.
therefore, thai il this end Of he Tunnel T.r. lowered
tn level with thu Eastern the length oi the Tunrc!
would bs greatly increased, as the inclination ol tho
valley !. comparatively gentle, and the tunnel below
its surface would bU but slightly dlininshad ths IN
crease OF lsnsh woGi be pruDuby al rate vi 10 10
-
ne! was considered therefore fixed point, sud the
Queson remained 20 raising the Eas,orn end. In
order 10 do this, the gra.. which as brore shad Ia
nearly continuous from Mechrms RIVER would have
TO bn Increased OF more than SO ettr the nile,
tho additional expense Of working which for an ndo.
fute period Of lIme i; considered would exceed
the temporary expense incurred in pumping the VA
ter from tho Western eEd of the tunne! while in pro
ces. OF construction. The above reasoning shows
plainly ths corrrctness of the plan adopted viz: 10
IL. has
nit OF tho grade and TO make this grads nearly
continuous ~ possible, 10 tho base Of The mountain,
which may be c0asiisrad H. commencing al Me
ohum's River.
The survey OF the Roa, sss begun IN May l3;y; the
summer and fall Of which ytor We're consumed IN the
location and preparation of the work, and in contract
ing for II. execution. delay ui some months was
caused By the failure Gf the person to whom The eE-
cave:ion Uf the tunnel va. nrst let to comply with
the nrns oi hls contract thu. making il necessary 70
rprt it, 10 that the excavation vi the cuttings which
form the approaches Ia the tunnel on "ither side was
! not fairly begun until hs month nf tarch ieo''
Each oi Inesn cat. "as earriea to dep'h Z" po i+'
through the harde. rock, ,her aggregate length ha-
ing nearly sOn ..et TIE wn:'l - >zoevstinG :'7m
procseIsJ s,ssd;iy ;hs time forward Tho pr-.
iorstion Ct the luuue sef, was begun on t:'" West
ern eide in August 1870, and on the Eastern .ii In
january lSdl. The headings me-: on the I9ih De
osr,ber 1856 six wears having been occupied In
driving tile Eastern aud s!x yGnrs AMI Eve month 10
driving the Western beading. Tbs length of head
ing driven !.o,n Eat 10 West, was 2lli feet. and
from W-s, 10 Ea., !lj4 ths total length h.ing io:S
feot Tho average rate Of perforaon "i the i'aad'
ing has been therefore, the Western side 332f feet
per year, 27i feet per month, or little more :hau
foot per working day OF ~ hours. and the East.
ern sid7 a'ai feet par annuini S,i per month or
| about feet per working day OF "a hours.
Owing 10 the batter inclination ut the face ot tile
cuts al the eud Of the tunnel, the length measured
alcny the hnor exceeds that along the root, being
1919 feet. Again, the masonry Of the portal at ttc
4 ,rIn fpn rtIt mn
ths, the actual length from end IN end, Of the tunnel
a, finished ia 1854 feet The entire excavation will
nost probably bs completed by tie lst OF June, 1871
when the whole time consumed upon tfroIn The com
mencemsnt OF the perforation, will have been very
nearly seven years, giving average rate OF peIio
ration Of 81 feet per month. The slape nf the cross
section OF the tunnel is riptica ifs greatest width IN
the clear IL fert-and height >! feel When arehinS
funnd necessary. as was the Gaze ipr 'ou ie' w"
dimensions Of the excavation were incrsased no a. to
admit of the thickness Of tbs srch, which s in some
places "a much as feet. The numberot cubic yards
eIuavated. has been computed TO be Ju0Go or ahont
III per linear foot. The number 0i b:irk nsrd IN
a7chng, l,lUU,0U0, and the NUMBER oil cuoc yaros "i
| stoua masonry $50. The cost OF the tunnel
| when completed may be taken 81 siG@UoD,
| s2i, 900 OF which .um has bssn expended for matnn
| ~. This giy.s for the whole raie OF SiVo W
per linear feet, and includes all charges. mo COST o'
| that portion which is unarch"d IL about S93 per
l. f.; and OF that which IA arched abon! $40 per II
| expense Of ventilation and OF pumping 10 amour
| 50 80, and that of excavation exclusively ahout
st 50. The rock encountered IL Dn. slaie trap ana
quartz ali exceedingly hard aud tcn!t to blast al
tbol gh this has bsen th "f The S'" progress IN
perioraiion il gives this work, nsvsrhsleos' III some
| points, great advantage over most Other: oi the
kind for the roof is by nature, so pereciiy hrm Hun
secure with the exception ot two hnGha NJ 1ou dhG
2uU IT, near the Western end, which are archeG, that
tba great cost OF archHg for I've ssths of ts I-nGt
il avoided. Air has been supplied snd water dis
charged by means OF chain pumps, worked ny morse.
power. The quantity of water thus discharged ~
the Western ond has been sometimes as great Is W
bids. per hour.
There hay. been but two accidents during the pro-
gress of this work, both caused by premature et
plusons. by which three men were Killed. ana ore
much injured. ,oo
The usual force employed upon this work WAS 2o0
MEN and Is horaes The work rrocerded night anu
day, the men being relieved every eight hours
At each end from six to eight nen worked In me
heading or top drf which IS only high enough to
stand in conveniently, and from IL TO ~ nsn are sni
ployed npop the ow.r course. The extreme hardness
and sody of the rock at tho Eastern END dispensed
with the necessity for fsciHg the portal mdaohfyi ou
this was found requisite tie Westrrn entrance ana
handsome and massive piece nj masonry nas lhsre
been erected bearing the following inscription -
TIL, WORK
Wa, consrructea by the Commonwealth OF Virginia.
il was commenced in lsH,,
Under the direction Of ths Board oI PUBIC Works'
PreSidSRt:
JNo. b. FLOYD, Governor
Directors
Robert Butter, Treasurer
Robert Johnston, lst Andtof
Cisudius CroBct, Chief Engineer. :,
Jas Brown, Jr, 2nd Audit0r.
Stafford II. Parker, Register OF the Laha oihce
A. N. Dupuy, Rest Engineer
Tts Blus Ridge Tunnel, in point OF cost, anh Of
time occupied in the execution, will compare tav ora'
bly with similar works In this country and in Europe,
when all attendant circumstances are considered; viz
the inadmiasbty cf shafts; the rxPeass o. veu,'la.
;nr two draft WAYS than 2p]O feet IN length OF
punhiue frn:n !fi way descending g: the -sta oi
70 feet to the mile and slsi In lens'h the alnoat nu
exsmoed hardness Of the material cIcavatod and the
high price Of labor required for such work The fol-
lowing extract. furnished TO the government by Capt
bodied In the report ths surveys for the Pacific