The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1860-02-23
The Great Enterprise of the Age In
New England.
Our Special Correspondence.
MANSION HoUsK,

ofne Executive Council of Massachusetts,
of the Books Of the Troy and Greenfield Railroad Com
Everything Correct SO far-Thi,ty thousand Dol
lars More from the Sae-Hoio the Tunnel and the Rail
road ProQcss-Neac 4achsnery for the 7unne-Descrip
ton of ySdme-American Inventions Versus E1opear-
American Ahead-Descriptisa of the Tunnel, tie Aoun
tain, the Labor, The M1a-The Opposition to the Project
Strong SoaissWt Boston Aid be Fbrtcomin9s &C., DC
The following members Of the Executive Council Oh
Massachusetts, arrived here this afternoon from Boston
for the purpose Of making thorough examination Of tn
accounts the contractor Of tho work Of tunnepg the
Hoosiok mountain and also for hepurpose Of inspecting
the work ITSELF prior to the paym ent OF the sum Of
$50 900 under the Loan act OF the StateHon Joseph NJ
Churchill Councillor for the district embraced in Norfolk
and Bristol counties; Hon. Charles Swift OF Plymouth
and Barnstabe counties, and Hon. John l. Baker, OF
Essex county. They wero accompanied by Samuel O.
UphAm ESQ., the gentemany messenger Of the Governor
and Council On arriving here they found that the fol-
lowing dgnaries from other parts Of the State had
already arrived for similar purpcse:-His Honor Lieu
tenant Governor Trask Hon. Lyman Dimock, Councillor
for Berkshire and Hampden, and Hon. Hugh W. Green,
Councillor for Franklin and Hampshire There were also
hand, interested In the business Gen. Carpenter,
President Of the Troy and Greenfield Railroads.&c.
sruct which completely is necessary bore this huge
mountain Hon. Wendell T. Davis, Treasurer Of the road
Co Herman Haupt Of Pennsy lvania the contractor for
the great work. and several others, engineers &c. His
Excellency Gov Banks was expected but Illness, which
has confined him to his for week past prevented
his attendance.
WORK.
Immediately arrival the work of overhauling the
books ard Of the treasurer contractor &c. was
commenced at the Office of the former, in this pleasant
town. The result OF this portion Of the labors Of the
Executive Council will presently appear.
1HE OPPOSITION TO THE TrSsM-TBE INVESTIGATING CON-
MT1kE OF The LEGISLATURE,
You that the Hoosick tunnel project ia one
that exc,cs the vees sensation in various parts of Mas
sachusetts, wen In New York and PHILADELPHIA
capitalists in both Of those cities having an interest
in the prosecution Of the undertaking to q success
full conclusion. At this moment a committee
of the Massachusetts, Legislature is zealously at
work investigating the modus opra,d by which the sum
Of has been already drawn from Slate Trea
sury to carry the project II Is insisted on one hand
that the provisions Of act have not been com
Piled WITH and that the Executive Council have heretofore
been hood by interested parties into giving their
assent to the demands OF the contractors for the paym
of the different instruments Of the State loan Toe West
ern Railroad Corpo alton is the artillery brough.
to bear In support Of this view Of the and the fact
that that corporation Is The child OF the Sate-a generous
mother, who not only gave it BIRTH but nurtured
well as to enable to alone, while other undertakings
of nearly equal magnitude and usefulness, waddng
along in adding clohes-giyes its doings influence
which no other railroad corporation enjoys Some of the
newspapers in the interest OF this corporation very
bitter against the Hoosck Tunnel project They predict all
sorts OF damage to the States pet offspring if
the undertaking succeeds, and in some OF their
oWIouripgs they so far forget themselves aui
truth-two very different sorts Of things i, would
appear from come Of their statements-aso make Satan
himself blush 10 recent instances less than six dis
tnct and well defined Measurements about
field ,p,bcan OF the goth inst in which Mr. ex Coua
ctlor Rogers Is unIuthfuly charged with naughty
has been rad 10 the Troy and Greenfield Railroad
Company, and other matters connected Herewith.
On the oth.r hand the friends of the tlnne project
Aeon Aipn ~ IN
provisions OF the Loan act the States money be
paid until the Executive Council, by personal OK.
animation, satisfy themselves that the stpulatons of the
act are complied with by the company and contractors
Hence the Official visits OF the Council this region In
Gil, consisting OF Lieut.. Gov. Track Austin L. Rogers Ly
man D;mock, George Cogswell, Jacob Sleeper and A. C.
compliance with the provisions Of the Loan ect by the
Troy and Greenfield Railroad with particular reference
or the road from eone ows,d ss
Hoosck mountain From their report it appears
ABSTRACT or TIE REPORT OF TIE COMMITTEE og THE EXECUTIVE
COUNCIL, JANUARY 2, 1862 PROGRESS OF raE
TROY AND GREENFIELD RAILROAD.
That III feet more than three miles required by the
act have been graded within the first four miles,
mencng on the bank Of Green rver that the point Of tbs
is few feet north Of the for er location
OF the crossing of Green and Deerhed river The
manner in which the road should be constructed was not
prescribed In the act but after thorough examination
and inquiries extended beyond the apparent
OF the act relative to the grades curves width of
bed and the principles which governed the location and
construction the committee express themselves satisfied
Notwithstanding the bold rugged and difficult character
o. the country along the valley OF the Deered the grade
presented on other parts Of the bot Teen Troy
and Boston This, say the committee, seens SAFE prac
that the Troy and Greenfield road forms the central px
IN chain consisting besides itself, of Troy Bos.
ION inc southern Vermont, Vermont and Massachusetts,,
The committee proceed say that the cut does not APP
pear 70 REQUIRE the masonry to be constructed the
duaton progresses but leaves the company liberty
construct the road TO Sheburne Falls which there
thorough cut through gncss rock, the line of the
ROAD which VIII !srnh material unsurpassed in beau
~, durability and soidy by any other In the state The
blocks of stone from the quarry OF great szs aud
with almost perfectly plain surfaces, and the quantity
will be greatly In excess of the requirements of the
pany for all the bridges and culvers the 1t is
proposed to lay the track and it for the
OF this material This mode Of constructing the road
seems to have been contemplated in the act which pro-
vdes only for the graduation and superstru sure during
the progress Of tho work. but insure
Its final completion and the performance Of other require
burne Falls is not only the best but il is the only one
along the road at which good building material can be
procured and that If the company should be required to
complete the masonry before the rails are laid Shell
burne Falls greatly inferior material must be used at
large increase OF cost
conditions OF the ACT ha-1 The second section OF the
act referred to relieves the company OF the requirement
TO thirty cent Of the amount applied for
appears tina, there of the sum Of $3.50 COG %
paid into the treasury by the stockholders the Of
g. or more than 500 per cent Of the amouas Of
scrip applied for. This is also the opinion Of the At
torncy General And, q That there is doubt
that amount equal to all the preceding issues OF scrip
has been reasonably expended in excavatng the tunnel
and In grading and constructing the railroad The coud-
lions OF the act appearing thus TO be complied with tho
committee recommend ths State scrip 70 the Of
$50 be delivered to the Treasurer the Troy and
Greenfield Railroad Company.
THE GREAT TUNNEI-Iiow Is DONE AND WHO DOES
H-DEsCRPIoN yKw MACHINERY By WHICH WORK
WILL BE COMPLETED IN TWO YEARS
The whole length Of the tunnel 10 be constructed is
about Is 500 feet The character OF the rock 10 be
neled is mostly talcosc slate mica slate The position
Of the strata of the rock nearly vertical Tho height
Of the mountain above the grade line OF the tunnel is
$50 feet. There two summils with depression
between them the depression beng 500 feet above the
tunnel About @ 100 feet have been cxcavatedon the
eastern side abou, feet the balance tho western
Lne work OF tunneing was commenced In 1856, aud has
oeen prosecuted until now, with many delays and sus
Pensons owing TO the want OF sufficient capital the
Ia lnulh mi