Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-03-17
KNOXVILLE AND KENTUCKY
RAILROAD.

Progress of the WOrk-Iudian Grave
Gap Tunnel COmplefed-MOre Coal
and Iron TO be Opened up to Com
Enerce.
a writer in the Knoxville Press and
Herald, who has recently passed over the
line ofthe Knoxville and Kentucky rail
road as far as graded beyond Coal Creek,
the present terminus of the road, says :
The chief feature of interest upon the
road, so far as completed, is the tunnel
at Indian Grave Gap, five miles north of
Coal Creek, and in Campbell county.
Work was commenced on the north end
of this tunnel by Mr.. Thomas Steers, in
February, 1868, and has been continued
ever since without cessation. Owing to
the character of the soil, the construction
of the tunnel was one of the most diff
cult feats in railroad engineering, and
great credit is due the contractor for the
skill and energy employed in overcoming
the numerous obstacles encountered
The approaches to the tunnel on each side
are through a clayey soil which with the
slightest rain is ready to slide. The
difficulties caused by the nature of the
soil We1 SO serious on the south end that
the entire tunnel with the exception OF
about forty feet, was driven from the
north end. Every foot Of the way had
TO be protected by archiRgs and sidings
of heavy timber. The space above the
archings was also packed with timber.
This timbering is pronounced by compe-
tent Judges to be as substantial and we'll
constructed as was ever put into any
tunnel 1t will last for ten years.
Daylight was first seen through the
tunnel on the Both day of January, 1869,
and now the only work remaining to be
done is to dress the sides, and to ditch
aud finish off the road bed. As CONS
pleted, the tunnel is |, l65 feet long, 10
feet from the center to the crown Of the
arch, l6 feet between the sills, with a
roadway of l6 feet. These dimensions
are intended to allow Of the construction
Of permanent arch Of masonry within
the timers, Is inches thick. The ap-
proach to the tunnel on the south end is
by deep cut through a clayey soil,
which is so liable to slide as TO necessi>
tate the construction Of timber retaining
walls for 300 feet from the mouth OF the
tunnel. This cut will eventually, how
ever, be cleaned out by the gravel trains
at very little expense to the company,
so that the timbers will be unnecessary
In the cutting Of the tunnel very firm
vein Of fossililerous iron ore, four and a
half feet in thickness, was crossed.
As we have seen, the road is now
| graded and ready for the iron for four~
| teen miles from Coal creek. When the
track is laid it will, by affording an outlet
| to its productions, enrich and develop
Cambell county to as great or even a
greater extent than Anderson county has
been enriched by the construction Of the
road to Coal creek. Besides letting out
| the agricultural products of Powell;
Valley, one of the richest valleys Of East
Tennessee, it will give access to some o
the finest deposits of coal and iron in thu
State. We saw at Wheeler's Station
seven miles from Coal creek, within TIVE
hundred yards of the site marked GU
for the depot, coal vein opened, fOu
feet thick, the coal taken from which is
we believe, identical with that at Coz
creek, and much easier OF access. Thil
vein, with others equally good above AM
below it has been traced for many miles
We also saw on the Carey farm, abou
one>fourth of a mile east Of the road a
Wheeler'S, vein of fossilerous iron ore
which has been traced for miles close t
the surface, in an exceedingly favorabl
position for mining, and Of unusual rich
ness. 1t has been worked in the Gaia
line FORCES of the neighborhood for man
years.
There is a very fine white sulphu
spring near Wheeler's Station, the wat
ers of which are found very paEatabl'
There is also chalybeate spring near i
The completion of the road will probabl
cause these springs to become tie site
a hotel which may be fayorite summt
resort.
The mountain scenery in Campbe
and Anderson counties is indescribabl
grand and beautiful, and the people al
right in feeling proud of their nati'
+ land.
J In another article we will give an a
count of our visit to the coal mines of Al
derson county.