Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1869-09-15


boring the mountain and are Fastening the
cessation of the stage ride you enjoyed SC
much, we returnedsto the opening of the
tunnel over the immense pile of work
called the dump, stone hill several
hundred feet long and sixty high, the
debris of the blasting in the mountain
The train was about to start for the
heading The train consisted of three
cars, each about two feet high, trucks and
carriages, six@feet by four in horizontal
shape, drawn by weary-looking white
mule named January from his snowy
appearance we suppose,) who was superin-
tended by a most active and dirty small
boy The third gang was then ON Its
way to relieve the second. They were our
/ fellow-passengers. OFF we started with a
jerk by January and yell by the small
boy and like a leap from the tropic to-
the arcties, from day TO night, from sun
shine into cascade, we darted into the
GOODNESS, blackness, and drippings of the
I Hoosac tunnel.
The sudden change from a tempera-
ture of S0o to that of % : which is the
unvarying temperature of the tunnel the
year round. was at1irst very disagreeable
The constant peroOsation OF water through
the shallow rock at the entrance was a
Disseminating surprise. The darkness was
expected. Our lantern did us good SER
vice, however, and very soon the tempera-
ture became pleasant; and as the rock
got thicker, the water ceased dripping.
Then the weird experience OF an under
ground journey commenced. On we went
into total darkness. The hollow, rumbling
sound of the cars intensified the activity of
the whole nervous organizations ofus novi-
ces. Imagination worked hugely and
fearfully. On for eighteen hundred feet
through a hole twenty-four feet by arched
twenty feet we went, when, like stars
through a dim mist, some lights appeared
in our front, and our small boy kept up an
unearthly yelling, which he afterwards
called the whistle of his engine In
some dim and seemingly unnatural way we
rolled past a gallery holding workmen,
who, l afterwards understood, are the fin
ishers' Of the tunnel, on into the darkness
again, our mule looking like q ghost, and
we feeling like denizcns of another and
very strange world.
Every influence seemed to cOnspire TO
produce terror and excessive unearthliness
thenceforth. From the first gallery for
one thousand two hundred feet the tunnel
is not quite finished, and the projecting
rocks eighteen or sixteen feet above US
gided through the gloom and our lantern
light, in way no one can imagine who
has not seen them. Dusky and fearful,
they seemed to move toward US, threaten
ing Us with injury. But about three
thousand feet from the entrance our Jour
ney changed into something we are glad
now to have experienced. but which we do
not at ali care to experience again. The
second gallery was passed. The shape
of the tunnel changed. The roof came
down ten or twelve feet And we were
going on at full speed with the jagged rock
roofing Us only about four feet above, and
sometimes not 50 far off a that
" For nearly 200 feet we thus jour
neyed, STOPPING down to the bottom of the
ear, and feeliSg almost sense of sutfoca-
ton 1 assure you your journey, / 800
feet overhead, Just then, was thousand
fold more pleasant to you than ours to Us.
We would have exchanged places with you
no one can tell how gladly. 1t may be
well for professionals to 20 into the noun
tains in our way. but it Is terrible 70
those who have never done such things be-
fore Our mule, small though he was,
crouehed as he ran, and we bent lower in
fear of the rocks, which seemed ready to
sweep US off the cars.
I'VE got off the cars, trembling with
the excitement of the journey, and though
we had been prepared for it, there was a
fash of light, and down we almost fell to
the rocky floor. The tunnel blasts had
been fired. Our ears were stunned as BY
the explosion of battery of sixty-four
Founders, and the stricken air rushed by
US as the gust Of i tempest. while off up in
the mountain reverberated the sound like
repeated thunder. Our party bore it we'll
The blast was repeated. We then went
forward to the heading. About two hun
dred feet from it were the drilling ma
chimes, in front of them two gates placed
across the tunnel TO prevent rocks from be-
ing blown too far. Near the gates was
galvanic battery used for firing blasts
which are fired six times day. About
one hundred feet from the heading was a
rock several hundred pounds in weight.
We clambered over five thousand feet from
the tunnels entrance, and pulled out some
of the quartz through which the drills are
making progress, aud hurried to the cars.
+" We got back to open air as soon as
possible, concluding we would much ra her
follow you over the mountain than try to
get any further. Our way out was beset
with perils, least of which were two nitro
glycerine explosions which blocked our
road so that we were Obliged to climb over
the debris and walk the rest of the way to
the outer air.
Z" In about four years the way will be
made through the mountain, and not till
then can one 90 under it as well as over it.
Talcose slate is hard TO penetrate, especial
ly when there is so much quartz and spar
injected through it. There are two hun
dred and fifty men east and west of the
mountain, working toward each other
night and day. The central shaft, which
you saw on top of the mountain, is to be
1.030 feet deep, and the workers are down
about 700 feet. Next spring the central
shaft will be finished to the grade, and in
it the tunneling will 90 off west and east.
In one year less than the contracted time
the whole work will be finished, and the
Springfield road will not compare for speed
with the Hoosae tunnel route.
by faith even mountains can be remov-
ed and cast into the sea. IN. Y. Ereninq
Post.
A Terrible Disaster ot AVoudaIa