The New York herald., 1866-03-30
The Hoosac Tunnel.
vIsIT OF THE MASSACHUSETTS LEGISLATIVE CON-
MITrER TO FITCHBURG-THE NEW DRILL, ETC.
rEn0nn Roafnn nat March

vIsIT OF THE MASSACHUSETTS LEGISLATIVE CON-
From n sSs Bossou Pos March
The Committee Of the Hoosac Tunnel having received
formal invitation 70 visit Fitchburg for the purpose Of
boring the Hoosac tunnel the invitation extended
to both branches Of the Legislature which accspted
at the service Of the Legislature an extra train Of six
cars which well filed with members and other In
vited guests The train arrived at Ftchburg at quarter
before eleven and the members met at the depot
by Hon. Avah Crocker who conducted them to the shop
of the Putnam Machine Company where the drill had
bed Mr. Crocker stated briefly the object Of the visit
and introduced Mr.. W. Brooks, Chairman Of the Com
mssioners who proceeded 10 explain, by drawing and
plans, the drill and its movement
consists of the following mechanical cylin
der Of cast iron, which contains piston operated by
compressed air the air being admitted by slide valve
working to the CYLINDER through the piston
Or s %
around the drill rod screw, by the rotation of which
forward movement is given to the drill in proportion
1t penetrates the rock the rotation and feed Of the drill
are effected by two rachets operated BY stud which
moves in an inclined slope
MANNER OF MOUNTING.
In the shop experiment the drill was mounted upon an
iron column about Eve inches diameter but when ap.
piled 70 operations In the tunnel number Of those
drills will be mounted upon iron Frame which will be
run forward railroad track For use In tho shaft
the mode Of mounting will be somewhat varied, the
whioh 10 TO be raised and lowered by means OF
wire rope. The steam was applied TO the machines and
the working resulted as I0liOw6:-
On the horizontal drii-Pressure OF 30 pounds, 12K
inches In 7K minutes ~
On the vertical-same pressure, lS1< inches In 7x
minutes.
"A third trial gave on the horizontal, aoX inches in
12x minutes.
These drills have been manufactured by the Putnam
Machine Company under the superntendence OF Mr..
8. r. Gates AZ mechanical engineer and Charles Bur.
leigh, the foreman Of the shop There ton now n
process OF completion and thirty-sx In all con.
tracted for. Tho drills will be taken next week TO the
works Of Harrison Lorng at South Boston, for the pur.
pose Of thoroughly testing and mounting them Tor
use The mechanical engineer expressed himself hope
fu Of having them working At the tunnel In about i've
months
We learn that drill smllaS In principle and contain
ing the same mechanical designs constructed and
experimental upon BY General Haupt q south Boston,
In 1880 and 1851, and that u the work had mot been
taken out u the hands Of Haupt Co, number Of
these machines would have been actually q psk IN hs
Hocanc tunnel 1891 Tho success Of The drs to-day
ID sure guarantee that II General Haups had been
allowed 10 proceed without Interference, no reasonable
doubt can be entertained that the tunnel would be
finished Mr.. Brooks remarked that the Mont Cenb
drill had taken years In completion, but thai his
only two years The Of this remarkable acheve-
mont 20 be found In the fact that the Mont Cens drills
and the drills Of Haupt purely original, while he
had the advantage Of copying from both
rarf THE DINNER fa
After tho company had Ill Of tho drill they pro-
ceeded 70 the Fitchburg HOTEL whore they hand
somey entertained, and 1t O'Clock they adjourned
10 the Town Hail. where bountiful collation. was pro-
vided. a it