, 1870-06-28

Present Condition OF tho Work-I
VIII be Completed In Thre
iCuIHs

FfT&E0E %On0211oN Oh &A0 ~ QfA-1I
VIII be Completed In Three
1caxA.
From Tie Stp 1Tork Herald, June "a.
Few OF the MANY who have heard Of the
Hoossc Tunnel appreciate its importance,
either a g.eat undertaking in engineering or
in relation to its valuo when completed. With
all the modern appliances that have been
brought to bear In its construction the work
has dragged along through many years. fully
demonstrating that mountains cxnnot be
"bored" with imrunity. It's construction
has already cost million. OF dollars and hunss
dreds Of lires. It's length, when completed,
will b four and thEee-quarter miles, the cu-
tire distance, excepting few hundred feet 1t
the western end, being cut through solid rock
4 measurement Of the excavation had Just
been ruade- It showed that 7,043 feet had
been ..1eorplishcd at tie eastern end. and
4,o02 at tho western end. THIS leAyes about
two and one-half miles get 10 accomplish. Tho
der contract, arc pushing it forward with much
greater rapidlty than eve. before. About fifty
feet per week il now tho avcrsge progress, and
VIXEN the central Bhaft shall have Been sunk
lacks niHcty-four fcet) hesdinGH will be started
both wass from 1t, when more rapid advance
will be made The contractors are confdout
that trains viii be running through the tunnel
within thsee yeats. Their time for finishing
the contract expires March !, 1914;
one hundred and atty miles to Troy, and
thence through the lesser vale. Of the Hoosac
for about thirty more brings you to North
Adams, which is located at the western hAse
Of the Hoosac Mountains. 4 pretty, bustling
yllsge II i, With good hotel, two ncwspa-
interests. We reached North Adams At night !
and early the following morning prepared for
the trip 10 the tunnel A horse WAS mustered
into service for the purpose And mounting him
We started on. Aride Of half mile brought
us to the west end Of the tnnnel: Twenty
Eve hundred feet further up the noun
! tain We GANG to the "west ehaSt, which
we prepared to descend And hero let us re-
| marx that visitors arc well received By the
/ Superintendenra and employees, and are fur
| great work. Tho descent It this point il made
| IN sort Of box eleystor, open en- ono sido to
admit car, such as the rock and debris NE
taken ont upon. One OF these eleyAtors is
coming up while the other is going
down. Tho depth Of the shaft il SIG feet OF
ity Church spire- Douniug : rubber suit,
which Was provided for the purpose. and With
teet encaAed in rubber. boots. We nnAde the de-
scent in company with the foreman OF the
gang Of men then 1t work
From the bottom Of the ehA{t to the west
terminus the tunEel Is completed. For por-
tinn Of the distance, IN consequence OF the
shattered condition Of the rock, it fs encAsee.
| With brick. The tunnel is completed toi
about 2,500 feet beyond the shaft. the e1tirs
dietance 1t this end being 1907 feet, Nith
OCT ''ianteFns dinly burning We marched
o yer piece Of rock u1 timber. Some aye
hundred feet from the end We w<re forced u
Chamber up oTer the rocks several feet. for
the heading ia carried forward st tho top in
noisc "a Of ha1f dozen cotton mills, and ~
many printing presses, as We drew near The
end Of our journey, md. after jumping aside
several times to Ayni1 imaginary casa, we
gathered from the foreman, who shouted it in
eu1 ea1s 1t the vesy top Of his 1oice. thst tat
These drills arc. driven by coaapEease;s
| al, which is also used To ventilate the tunnel
| The rock now being wuried through ts quitt
hard. Sitro-Elyce11na Is being used 1t pres
ent. The voTfmen hers, as 1t other points,
are divided into three gangs working eigh'
tion OF hosditier. The drilling machine:
seem to do their work RAPIDLY md edectually
and they crate shower at dust and Babel Q
sounds that makes the roef-bound eompa1t
ment perfect pandemoninn4; There Tes' s1
Of us, with the miners czndles, hks ; mulh
tude Of freAiea, throwing htful gla1e ove;
the scene, It is place that no one wools
caro- to re1n1in in long, and how the xorkne,
stand it i a mystery. To be innured ~ SUE
| to be shut up With such terrific clatte
about ono's ears aids to the discontinue.
After being hanled up again into Daylight
| and laying 1side our rubber garments. y
mounted 1,u horse for = Esde over the monI
tain, dutancc By the zigay road Of neA1l
eight miles, to the eastern end Of tho tunne
: Aid delightful ride it was, well ahaded, AZ
! IN abundance Of really splendid bcene1y, nal
, | ing it highly enjoyahle- Up and still up U
: mount,in side, with the beautiful Hoosao "a
nit Is passed, and then down again On =
other hde, With the pictutesgue Decrde
River and Valley 1t your feea. Ibe1c aEe son
r ! Nen titled fzxn4 upon the rely summit OF y
: rneuntain, but tho high country, N TOE mA
4 Of tbs tunnel, md in ~oSt Of uatra-s*&te Ts!4