The Conservative. (M'connelsville, Ohio) 1866-1871, 1869-08-27
A MILE UNDER A MOUNTAIN

49, NALANA
in the last week Of July. He says
"Before entering the mountain We OK
amined the works ut the rivers side by
which the tunnel is making its way toward
North Adams. We found, in n building
called the Compressor House,' four inn
mense air condensing machines, each work.
ing four cylinders, by which air is
driven through n pipe more than
q mile into the tunnel. and thore
made to do the work of steam
in drilling the rockat the heading, as the
remote end of the tunnel is called Sucha
wheeling, putting and grooming you never
heard air make. And no wonder II was
obliged TO be crowded into an immense
number of atmospheres, and made TO travel
ZOO feet through an eight-inch pipe, and
Jerk and twist o steel drill into q vein Of
quartz rock almost Ms hard as hdamant. Il
labored 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 MS
the Hoosac tunnel. We, must also thank
Deerfield river, which iB all used up in
working tho compressors. Moro thor
oughly is it absorbed by the canal from
tho dam above the tunnel than Is tho Cen
esee river often absorbed by our Rochester
mills in midsummer.
Having aeentho Instruments which are
boring the mountain and are fastening the
cessation of tho stago ride YOU enjoyed 10
much, we retuuledto the opening of the
tunnel over the immense pile Of work call.
ed the dump, q atone hill several hundred
feet long and sixty high, the debris of the
blasting in the mountain. Tho 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
q weary-looking white mule named Janu-
ary' iron bis snowy appearance we sup
posc) who was s~uperiutended by n most
active and dirty small boy Tho third
gang was then ON its way TO relieve the
second. They were our fellow-pagseneers.
on we started with a jerk by January and
n yell by the small boy, aud like n leap
from the tropics 10 tho a%rctios, from day TO
night, from sunshine into n caFcnde, we
darted into tho coldness. blaclness and
drippings of the Hoosac tunnel.
"The sudden change from n temperature
Of 500 TO that of 81 o, which Is the un-
varying temperature of the tunnel tho year
round, was Mt first very disngrcenblc. Tho
The constant porcolation of water through
the shallow rock ut the entrance was n dis
enchanting surprise. The darkness wns
expected. Our lantern didua rood service,
however, and very soon the temperature
became pleasant; and as the rock Rotthioker
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 cars in
tensifed the activity of the whole nervous
organizations Of MS novices. Imagination
worked hugely and feariully. On for eight
-. l.a.I,,I l,aN NLV..aI Z. Ill. A--.a..
four feet by nrchod twenty feet we went,
when, like stars through n dim mist, some
lights appeared in our front, and our email
boy kept mp an unohrthly yelling, which he
afterwards called the whistle Of lbs engine. >
In some dim and seemingly ugly and I'M
natural way, We rolled pasta gallery hold
ing workmen, who. Iafterwlrdsundorstood,
are the 'inishors' Of the tunnel, on into The
darkness again, our mulo looking like u
ghost, and we feeling like donizeus Of an
other aud very strange world.
every influence seemed to ~conspiro to
produce terror and excessive uncnrthiness
! lhenceforth. From the first gallery for
ono thousand two hundred feet the tunnel
is not quito finished, and tho projecting
rocks sixteen or ciGhtoen feet above us
glided, through the gloom and u lantern
light, ina way no n can imagine who has
not seen them. Dusky and fearful, they
seemed to move toward US, threatening M
with injury. But about three thousand
feet from the entrance our journey changed
into something We are glad now TO have eX-
perienced, but which we do not at ell care
to experience again. The second gallery
was passed. Tho shape of the tunnel
changed. The roof came down ten or
twelve feet. And we were going on ut full
-, .vtNh tho tnvwal VngI vanHpf ia aV1vF
about four feet above, and sometimes not
30 fnr off as that.
"kor nearly 2, 200 feet we thus Journey
ed, stopping down to the bottom of tho
car, and feeling almost n sense OF suilocn-
ton. l assure you your journey, 100 feet
overhead, Just then, was n t~housand-iold
more pleasant to you than was ours TO MS.
We wonld have exchanged places with you
no one can tell how gladly. II may be very
we'll for professionals 10 90 into the noun
tains IN our why, but il is terrible for those
who have never done such q thing before.
Our mule, small though he was, crouohod
na he mn, and wa each momont bent lower
in fear OF the rocks, which seemed to be
ready TO sweep us of the cars. At last We
stopped about three hundred feet from the
heading,' in the midst OF some thirty OF
more dingy-looking operatives, each OF
whom held a candle in his hand or had it
attached somewhere to his body.
owe got off the ears, trembling with the
excitement OF tho journey, and though We
had been prepared for II, there was a flash
Of light, and down We almost fell 10 the
rocky floor. The tunnel blasts had been
fred. Our ears were stunned as by tho
explosion 81 a battery of siXty-four pound
ers ten-fold intensified, and the strickon
air rushed by us as the gust of q tempest,
while off through the mountain reyorbe'
rated the sound like oit-repoated thunder,
Our party bore it,well. "A few days before
our visit some ladies' tainted at tho shock.
Tho blast was repeated. Forty drillhgi
veye exploded. We then went forward e
tho heading About two hundred fee
from il were the drilling machines, and il
front of them two heavy gates, PLACED
partly across the tunnel 10 prevent rock.
from being thrown too far toward til,
worlumep, Near tho gates was the galyani'
battery used for firing the hlagts which mr.
exploded six times . day. About onl
hundred feet from the heading was a rool
aa,eRl hundred pounds in weight 1t haC
,~n thrown 90 far from the blast, w
~ al owes the ruins five thousand
ua, bSndre,,, feet from the ~tInnela on
iyonce mud pulled out some OF the quart
tbroneh which the drills are now MAKING
allow progress, and hurried to the cars
owe got back to open an as soon as pos
sible. concluding we would muhh rAthe
follow you over the mountain than try 4
Get any further through il, Our way on
was bcset with perils, not theloast of whicI
were two nitro-glyoefine explosions at th
I first gallery which blocked our road Q
. that We we're Obliged to- climb over the dc
! bris and walk the rest of tho way TO Tia
/, outer air. AS we emerged into daylight
dirty and nervous, the heat was oppressly
and dispiriting; but wo were grateful fo