Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1868-05-21

a Gigantic work I'm Cenascsfo"
with she Dubuqme Bridge.

From the Dubuque Times.
There are many matters connected with
,hs railroad excavation of the Danlei,h
bluffs. in which our city as we'll as country
readers havs mere or less interest. Here
we hourly listen TO the echoes and rever
berations ofexplo ions that rend the solid
rock to open the way for the extension Of
the Illinois Central railroad track to Du-
buque. We hear sounds like those Of can
non. A stranger asks whats that ?"
We reply, only = shot in the tunnel"
And II our friend has not heard that the
Mississippi 10 being bridged between Qua
leith and Dubuxus, We explain that over
500 feet Of tunnel through solid limestone.
10 being cut out to enable the trains Of cara
to reach the bridge now being built across
che river, 70 that ns4t year Tie traveller
from the East may sress the Isther Of
Visitors % this poiat, without b. dslsy md
inconvsnisocs Of . ferry, and reach this
metropolis Of lows BY continuous rail from
oil the great cities Of the Eastern States.
Foi weeks past and months to GENE
those rumbling sounds have been heard,
and will continue day and night, until
passage way il obtained under the rock
bluff At Dunleith. This work is the coun-
terpart Of the great enterprise ofthis bridge
Of the Mississippi.
We examined the tunnel yesterday with
. visiting editorial friend who saw the frat
blow struck in the commencement of this
great public work Since that time. only
month or two ago, two or three sets OF men
have prosecuted the labor, night and day.
A matter Of expedition in the excava
ton, two floors or drifts are worked NJ
each end Of the tunnel.
The size Of the tunnel is to be eighteen
feet high, twenty feet wide and $50 feet
long. About onc-fourth part of the work
il already done.
II was rumorsd, few days aimee, that
lead ore had been discovered in the tunnel.
This statement was, do doubt, intended ~
hoax, for no ono Who has half the knowl-
edge that any observing and thinking lead
miner hes, TO say nothing Of the net which
biologists have collected. ~ to the position
ofths lead ore in this part Of the lead dis
triet, would suppose it probable that any
''psying mineral would Do found 10 low,
or within fifty feet Of the level Of the river
st Dunisith Of Dubuque.
The tunnel 10 exsavstsd on sharp curve
"a radius Of only go fsst-s curve thos
would appear y b altnsst fsarfully sharp,
u upon open prairie, and still more % IL On
. mountain side. but - the speed will al.
ways BE- slew. % near the bridge and depot
passengers will never discover that the tun-
mel - not straight nor will they realize
the fact that this 800 feet will Be the safest
part Of the 900 miles. or more, controlled
by the Illinois Central Railroad Company.
This work sthe largest Of the kind ever
undertaken in tho Northwest. Every day
Of its progress hastens the time when the
manufacturers of the East and the products
Of this part Of the West can be exchanged
cheaper than by the slow, tedious, cxpen.
sive process Of fcrriags. Every acre Of
land in Northern Iowa, and oil il can pro-
ducs, 10 worth little more for that tunnel
and its adjunct the bridge. II will DO q
proud day for DUBUQUE, and for ali The
country west of 1t, when the first train Of
ears pass Through that tunnel and over
the bridge to the shore Of Iowa.