Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1869-08-26
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ETIi. through tilc iloGsuc TuniLcl.

mile in length, and after numerous delays
and litigations the work is again making
good progress. A correspondent of tho
Rochester IN. W Union writes an inter-
csting account of ~ trip through the tunnel
i'll the Lust Week Of July. lie says:
"Eclorr entering the mountain we OK
n,ninrd the works ut the rivers side by
which the tunnel is making its way toward
North Adams. We found, III IL building
called The compressor House. four i'm
mcnsc nir condcnsinH machines, each work
ing four cylinders, by which air is
driven through II pipe more than
Il mile into tho tunnel. and there
made to do the work of steam
in drilling the rockat the 'lcaling,' u, the
remote end of the tunnel is called Such q
Wheeling, putting and grooming you never
heard air make. And no wonder. 1t was
obliged to be crowded into an immense
number Of atmoSphcrrs, and made to travel
800 feet through an cight-inch pipe, and
jerk and twist a steel drill into u vein OF
quartz rock almost as hard us e(lalnant. 1t
laborcd very severely to do this work, so
when we get our short trunk line from
Rochester to Boston we cannot be too
grateful to the Vigorous air which gives us
the EIoosac tunnel. We must also thank
Dec rcld river, which is all used up in
working the comprcSaorS. More thor
ouehly is it absorbed by the canal from
the dam above the tunnel than is tho Gen
cscc river often absorbed by our Rochester
mills in midsummer.
"Ilaving seen the Instruments which are
boring the mountain and arc hastenino the
cessation Of the stage ride you enjoyed 80
much, We returned to the opening Of the
tunnel over the immense pile of work call
cd 'tlc dump a 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 Janu-
ary' from his snowy appearance we sup
posc), who was superintendent by a most
active and dirty small boy. The third
gang was then on its way to relieve the
! second They were our acknowledgements.
yell by the 's1nal. boy and like n lear
from the tropics to the arctics, from day tc
night, from sunshine into a cascade We
darted into the coldness, blackness and
drippings Of the Hoosac tunnel
OF SOo TO that Of So o, which IS the un.
varying temperature OF the tunnel tho yeal
round, was at first very disagreeable. The
The constant percolation OF water through
the shallow rock at the entrance was dis
enchanting surprise. The darkness was
expected. Our lantern did us good service,
however, and very soon tie temperature
became pleasant; and as the rock got thicker
the water ceased dripping. Then the weird
experience OF an underground journey com
menced On we went into total darkness
The hollow, rumbling sound Of the cas- i'll
tensiiied the activity of the whole nervous
organizations OF us novices. Imagination
worked hugely and fearfully. On for eight
cen hundred feet through a hole twenty
four feet by arched twenty feet we went
when, like stars through dim mist, some
lights appeared IN our front, and our small
boy kept up an uncarthly yelling, which h
afterwards called the whistle Of his engine.
In some dim and seemingly ugly and IN
natural way, we rolled pasta gallery hold
ing workmen, who, afterwards understood
are the 1inlshers' OF the tunnel, on into III,
darkness again, our mule looking like
ghost, and we feeling like dcnizens of an
other and very strange world.
"Every influence seemed to conspire t,
produce terror and excessive unearthines
thenceiorth. From the first gallery TO
one thousand two hundred feet the TUNE
is not quite finished, and the PROTECTING
rocks sixteen or eighteen feet above III
glided through the gloom and our lanter,
light, i'll way no one can imagine who ha
not seen them. Dusky and fearful the,
seemed to move toward us, threatening u
with injury. But about three thousant
tcet from the entrance our journey change,
into something we are glad now to have ex
perienced, but which we do not at oil car
to experience again. Tho second gallery
was passed. The shape of the tunnc
changed. The roof came down ten O
twelve feet And we were going on at fu]
speed with the jagged rock roofing us onl
about four feet above, and sometimes no
so far off as that.
''Ior nearly 2,7O0 feet we thus journc,
ed, stopping down to the bottom of til
car, and feeling almost sense of sutloca
ton. assure you your journey, 1, 500 fec
overhead, just then, was a thousand-lo fol
more pleasant to you than was ours to us
We would have exchanged places with yo
no one can tell how gladly. 1t may be yer
we'll tor professionals to go into the noun
tains i'll our way, but it is terrible for thos
Our mule, small though he was, crouche
as he ran, and we each moment bent lowe
i'll fear of the rocks, which seemed to b
ready to sweep us Off tho cars. At last "
stopped about three hundred feet from til
heading, in the midst of some thirty G
more dingy-loolling operatives, each {
whom held candle in his hand or had j
attached somewhere to his body.
ave got off the cars, trembling with til
excitement of the journey, and though W
had been prepared for it, there was a flas
OF light, and down we almost fell to til
rocky floor. The tunnel blasts had bee
fired. Our ears were stunned as by til
explosion OF II battery Of sixty-fou pound
ers ten fold intensified, and the strickc
air rushed by us as the gust of tempest
while off through the mountain reverbe
rated the sound like oft-repeated thunder
Our party bore it well. A few days befor
our visit some ladies tainted at the shock
The blast WAS repeated. Forty drilling
were exploded. We then went forward t
the heading About two hundred fec
from it were the drilling machines, and i
front OF them two heavy gates, place
partly across the tunnel to prevent rock
from being thrown too far toward tn
workmen. Near the gates was the galvani
battery used for firing the blasts which a1
exploded SIX times q day. About on
hundred feet from the heading was q roc
several hundred pounds in weight. 1t ha
been thrown SO far from the blast. w
clambcred over the ruins five thousan
seven hundred feet from the tunnels er
trance, and pulled out some of the quart
through which the drills are now maxim
slow progress, md hurried to the cars.
1--WE got back to open air as soon as pos
sible, concluding we would much rathc
follow you over the mountain than try t
get any further through it. Our way OF
was bcsct with perils, not the least Of whic
were two nitro-glycerinc explosions at th
first gallery, which blocked our road s
that we were Obliged to climb over the lie
bris and walk the rest of tho way to th
outer air. AS we emerged into daylight
dirty and nervous, the heat was opprcssiv
and dispiriting; but we were grateful fo
our deliverance, and glad we had had
safe adventure, which was m adventur
indeed.
"In about four years tho way will b
made through the mountain, and not ii
then can one go under it us well rs over il
Ialcosc slate is hard to penetrate, espcca
ly when there is 50 much quartz and spa
IlJcctct through IL as tncfe Is ut lOOSat
There are two hundred and fifty men cas-
and west Of the mountain, working towar
each other night and day. The ccntra
shaft, which you saw on top Of the noun
tain, is to be 1,03O feet deep, and til
workers arc down now about 700 feet
Next spring the central shaft will be finish
cd to tho grade, and in it the tunncllin
will so off west and east also. Now abo,7
twelve feet a day is made; then abo,,
thirty feet day will be accomplished |
one year less than the contracted time til
whole work will be finished and tn