Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1861-02-08
TIKI Vt. q CANADAR.E.TUyNEL.

Cur readers are INST Of them awars thar
the construction OF the connection OF tle
1t. d Canada Road with the Rutland hoa5
through the sand bank. north of the village
mas been IN active progress during Jhe last
summer and the present winter. = iarc1
proportion OF the work OF czcav auon and
4 emDankmeut mas been done. and the Earth
tunnel Of 800 feet ID length. by which tho
track j. 90 he carried under the highway
4 north of the yI-lage.S5 tee; below the surAce.
+ Is daily ana nightly making It's mole-lEe wy
through tne ro-=.
We have recently had al opportunity Of
4 examining TINS interesting PARTON % the
+ work. ana we doubt not that our readers
+ Wi. be interested 10 q short description Of
. il. We may premise that the job of tunne-
! Iac was begun on an English plan. o7 dri7-
F Inc planks into the sand % form a square
+ heading. inside Of which the excavation was
made but the plan not working vel II al
4 respects it was abandoned bv the conr-actor
/ and bids for the WORK were solicited from
/ other paruc-.
Among them was an experienced Contract
/ or from Texas. VINO insisted mat the work
/ could only De done by ezca7atInc portion,
/ say 80 feet. from the bottom TO the surface,
building the mason w0T1 Of the portion thus
excaTated. then e1cayaInc ahead and re-
moving tie eartH On 70 the mason w01k arch.
aud s. On ard ris view was. we believe. con
Cured III ~ most Of the engineers ana con
tractors who examined the GROUND. Nj. Z.
c. LISsIET, the very competent engineer Of
the whole work. believed. however. that the
tunnel might be built by the less expensive
process which mas been successfully adoutsI
The work was carried on. by TINS process. Tor
d few days 10y MessIs. Cnas. Linslev d Co..
when the lob was re-iet by them to Mr. Z
j. MORRISON. a contractor Of experience Oh
tie Pennsylvania Railroad lie mas ALREADY
c0mple,el nearly halt of the b7-e. 10 q
very thorough and satisfactory manner. ana
barring accidents. viii undoubtedly finish the
job within the time ser.
The Eaodus oncrGna OF the excavation is
tins With long augurs holes are bored hor-
izontaiiv into the sand. into which wooden
pickets about two inches thick by inches
wide. and eight feet long. are driven. touch
ing each other and forming an arch OF some
what larger diameter than the bore Of the
completed tunnel From under TINS arch the
earth Is ezcavated, leaving a semi-cylindri-
cal hole, about s.z feet high in the middle
ms oven-Ake excavation, or heading, is
pushed forward, keepIng about 30 feet IN ad- +
vance Of the main excavation below. As the I
s-Ia Is removed from under the pickets,
woven arches, three ieet apart. are sprung
ubuei 20 support them. and as fast rs neces.
sary new sets o. pIcAets are DRIVEN ,,,,.5,- 81
Il ac'"n-- OF those already driven. The
eartn ,uue removed from the low ar.bs5
heading. 1t is q simple matter to cut dowp
the ueariy perpendicular sides, curb them
With oesiHs and boards, and 70 dig out and
'emovc IN CARS. the sand between them. The
wooden arches are supported, as they are
cached, ny shores" from the grade below,
nd ali danger Of ''caEing" is thus effectu-
lily guarded against. This work is mainly
one by day, or what is day outside By
light the nasons follow, and build within
ne bore. substantial arch of brick-work,
! horseshoe shape. This rests at the bot !
IN on heavy blocks of stone, which In turn
st on foundation OF concrete masonry ,
ne arch is two feet thick, formed of So
purses of brick, laid in mortar, which is I
ade with the WeAthersfeld va '.black
me, " peculiar lime or cement, which !
rms remarkably hard and adhesive
ortar. The dimensions of the bore are '
y feet, at the bottom, Is feet at the widest
art, and lSs feet high. 1t will accommo-
lte single track only. +
As the brick arch progresses, Ithe wooden {
Ipportng arches are cut away, and earth f