The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1868-02-09
The Hoosae TunneI.


What and where Is the Hoosac Tunnel, is asked
by many who see the periodical items ABOUT II.
writer IN the Scientific American tells Just where
and what IL is. According to this authority the
charter Of the road known as the Troy aud Green
field Railroad was granted IN lSiS, and II author-
lied the construction OF railroad from point on
the Vermont and Massachusetts, railroad, az or
near Greenfield Mass, TO the line Of the States OF
New York or Vermont, 10 connect with any rail-
road which might be constructed from or near
Troy, New York. Its capital stock was limited
O. g 500 900. The great work to be done was 10
corstrnct a tunnel under the Hoosac mountain. a
distance Of nearly five miles, on when on the
first of January last. 1913 feet had been bored.
The progress OF the work has been greatly re-
tarded by the inability Of contractors TO perform
their ENGAGEMENTS, owing partially 10 the errors
m ade in calculating for the wOrk-such calcula-
TORS being more or less, from the nature OF the
undertaking, cOnjectural-and from hnancl4l dlin-
culties On the lst of January, 1851, the excaVa-
tons at the east end has reached the extent OF
500 feet at the rate of about Az feet per
month. But little has been done at the west end
The tunnel here must, from the nature OF the
strata be sided and arched with brick, for tue
manufacture of which extensive brick yards have
been established in close proximity. $4,000 bricks
are moulded daily by six brick machines.
The dimensions Of the tunnel are as follows:
Rock cutting, "a feet high and q feet wide; the
brick work, 26 feet high and 26 feet vide; the
bottom Of the tunnel having Culvert of three
feet deep, the tunnel being graded toward either
end TO facilitate The escape and discharge OF water
In the culvert is laid II inch pipe for the con-
veyance of air for ventilating purposes; an sinch
pIpe TO carry air for the drilling machine, ald a
3-inch pipe for supplying water 10 the holes when
are being drilled. II gas is TO be used for light
ing purposes, it will be conveyed In a similar
manner.
Al the east end are two air compressors, de.
signed to drive the drills each having four cyhn-
dera, those Of one being Is inches diameter By u
inches stroke, aud those Of the other % inches
diameter by 20 inches stroke. They are driven
by water from a canal fed by the Deerheid river,
a dam across which, being part Of the work, cost
S244 gl2 30. The central shaft is intended to
sGOrd additional means of prosecuting the work OF
tunueling, and also 10 ventilate the tunnel when
completed. IL is of oval form, or its cross section
is an ellipse whose axes are IL and ID feet. re-
spectively. When completed, its depth will be
1887 feet. More than half that distance was com
pleted when the terrible accident occurred which
sent thirteen poor fellows into eternity. As the
machinery for pumping the water from the SHAFT
was DESTROYED by the fire. il u rapidly filing up,
and work is of course suspended here for time.
II west shaft has an area Of by IL feet, and
is 3l6 feet deep. The power used here - an en-
CINE OF 100, and one of 40 horse power, driving a
compressor of four cylinders l3 inches diameter
aud "a inches stroke. On the lst OF December
last the heading toward the east was advanced
1912 feet and that toward the west 293 feet.
Water greatly impedes the operation of the
wOrkmen, much Of the power used being EN-
plOyeu 10 Tree the luunei ana tuhils. On JUG DC-
casOn, al the west shaft, the wOrkmen struck a
stream which discharged at the rate OF % gallons
per minute. The pumps were unable to prevent
Its rise and larger ones had to be procured. Alter
II was pumped out, on recommending WORK an
OF er vein was struck that discharged over 100
gallons per minute. Subsequently, and after eX-
ira eXertiOns the water was removed sufficiently
TO allow the work TO proceed.
The new shaft is located 25i feet westerly o (
the west shaft. Ii is by Il feet in diameter,
and will be, when completed, 277 feet deep. II
i worked from above and below. On the LIST OF
January last, working from the top had reached a
depth Of $50 feet, and those from below had OrO'
| guessed 40 feet. At this point are two engines,
| one of IA and one Of 10 horse power.
After making a succession OF experiments with
differ ent drilling machines, the one known as the
Bureigh drill has been finally adopted. Much
however, Of the work has been done by hand
drilling. For blasting. DR.. Ehrhardts powder
was tired in November, 1866, but its effect was
not satisfactory, poisonous gas being evolved
which drove the miners from their work. The
cost of this powder is about twice that of com
mon powder, bat its power for blasting purposes
Last summer Col. Tai. P. shaffner experiments ted
with nitro. glycerine. The committee from whose
report we quote speak highly Of Its effects, and
recommend II as possessing palpable advantages.
The blasting is done, however, with ordinary
blasting powder, these attempts 10 supersede its
use being evidently regarded merely as expert
| ments. The blasts are fired entirely by cleo
triCitv.
Prom the foregoing it will be seen that THU
| great work is making haste slowly" With the
| methods heretofore employed it is almost hope
| less to look for the completion of this worh
| during the present generation. Meantime, how
ever, some more rapid method of boring an.
| mining may be introduced which may make wha
| seems at present task of almost infinite labor
| one comparatively easy of successful accom-
| plishment.