New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-07-16
THE BERGEN TUNNEL.

for their road 10 the present ferry by private pur-
chase and before the object for which the land was
| obtained could be known by the Legislature. The
| attempt was entirely successful. The land was
purchased in the of the President OF
| the road Homer Ransdel, and was Immediate
| " transferred to the Long Dock Company a,
| the original cost. The Legislature of New'Jer-
sey in the Winter Of 1855 and 1856, granted unanl-
| mously charter to the Long Dock Company, with
liberal power by which they authorized to make
tunnel through Bergen Hill, as it would not only he
very Beneficial 10 New-York, but be the means OF
uniting Jersey City and Hoboken together; also to MI
in along the Hudson, construct docks and buildings,
| ard make aid establish Railroad Ferry. Inc
| Company was Immediately organized and large
| amount Of stock subscribed, aud all necessary
| arrangements made for going on with the work.
| The Company called j. III. Maloy, esq, VINO
| lad cl are of the two contracts ON the HUDSON
| River Railroad. Many were Of the opinion that
| the tunnepg could not be done under six years,
and that in the end the Company would be seriously
out of pocket. Mr.. Malloy however, informed them
that tunnel could be put through the hill within two
wears time and that Lie should not have the least hssi-
| fancy in undertaking the job. His proposition was I'M
mediately accepted, and the contract was drawn up
and signed On the 2sth of May, 1852 Bonds were also
given to the amount Of $4,000 for the satisfactory
performance Of the contract within the time specified.
| On the ith of June the Company assembled at the
east approach where opening speech was made by
the President Ii. Ramsdell, esq which was responded
to in happy manner by the Mayor of Hudson City.
| The next day the work commenced. About ,oooa
borers were hired to sink the shafts of which there are
eight in number, at about an equal distance apart
| the tunnel being driven each way. This arrange
10 hat
gang has to make $50 feet of the length of the tunnel
By the LIST of August the whole eight were in active
operation Their progress per day about six feet,
| az d by the 10Th of December they commenced tun-
neling Since that time they have made won
| derfu progress, averaging seven feet day. 1t was
thought by M Malloy that when they arrived at the
irtd depth the rock would be of softer nature.
But il appears that did not turn out to be so. The
rock is of the hardest kind, and known as the trap
rock similar TO the Palisades rock They, however,
pusbed the work forward until the 18th of last March,
| when strike arose for more wages, which led to
FIGHT between the Corkonians and FarD0Yners. This
delay ed the work for about MONTH owing To the
necessity of putting on green hands. however, since
that time everything has gone on well aud there not
doubt but the work will be finished within the time
nee0.j The tunnel Is entirely straight and is i,3ll
feet long exclusive of the rock cutting at the approach
es The excavation is to be OBJECT high and 30 feet vide.
Mr. Malloy has now driven about &c. 600 lnea feet OF
heading and good portion of the tunnels completed
The heading is driven along the upper part OF the
| tunnel about feet high and 20 wide. The hill Is
quite uniform in hight and admitted to be about 100
| feet above Underwater. In fact the whole work is
| urged forward with great energy, day and night.
On Tuesday we called upon the contractor, in Hudson
City, and found him diligently at work in his quiet office
| n Oar nth I'M Mr. Maoy
invited us to visit the different shafts On arriving at
the west approach we found a gang Of twenty-five
wo,kmen busily engaged in blasting. Thus far they
have penetr ated about two hundred feet into the rock
and expect to meet shaft No. in about two weeks
The rock at this end is Of softer nature than at the
east approach there fore they are enabled to make
| greater Roadway. Within the past week several
peces have fallen down from overhead and the work.
men are obliged to keep good lookout. On Saturday
last an Irshman named McElroy was instantly killed
BY the falling of large piece upon him. crushing him
most horribly He was buried on Sunday. The con.
tractor informed us that he should be obliged to chise
| II off smooth, so as to make it safe for travel.
We then proceeded to shaft No. 3 and were lowered
down one hundred feet in a tub by means of a sta
topary engine placed there for hosting up the blasted
rock Attached to the engine is blower. for the pur
nose of forcing down pure air; otherwise it would be
npossible for the men to work, owing to the mpuriy
| Of the atmosphere. We immediately experienced a
change coming as did from where the thermometer
| was up TO So. We, however, CROPPED oar way along
with lighted candle some two hundred feet, to where
the workmen were at work drilling, and in the course
| Of 6faeen minutes we had the satisfaction of eI-
| cbanoinp salutations with the workmen engaged
on the shaft No. g. Shafts Nos. and are the trst
that have met as yet The contractor some time ago
offered prize of $50 to whicheve gang should meet
FIRST The prize Of course, was awarded to the work.
men in shaft No. g they having met on Tuesday at 81
After being in the lower regions for OF
an bour we placed ourselves in the tub, and were soon
raised into daylight. We found the work progressing
ran;dy AT the various other shafts and then proceeded
| to the east approach where all the stone which is
taken out Of the middle shafts is placed upon cars, and
brought TO this point and lowered down by an inclined
| plane and drawn by locomotive to the Long Dock.
| and dumped overheard for filing in. The Company
own tbirty.fve acres below hgh-water marx, which
they are now filling up very rapidly. When the docks
are completed they viii extend more than 900 feet
along the river where there % feet of water thereby
aordipg facilities to vessels Of large class to load
and unload Property in the vicinity which could have
been bought three years ago, for one hundred dollars
lot cannot be purchased now for thousand dollars.
Doubtless within three years time it will all be built
up and becon the busiest part of jersey City. When
the cars BY the Erie Railroad can reach the river by
this route they will save mile of distance between
the slaughter house and the Duane-treet depot. II
will also save operating the rise Of 60 feet
above tide, beside some 800 feet Of curvature and
twenty minutes Of time. This will tend TO place the
| Erie Railroad in a better poeton q respects the
frechtinC business Of the West 1t opens the line to