Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1871-07-24
AND POTOMAC RAILROlD.
The Potomac aAd Easfsra Branch
BrfdSes-Ths TEHasf-0shsr Work
Ia and Gsfssde fhs DisfrSef.

south, i'll bring Us int close communion with
productive pOrjon OF Maryland heretofore
almost isolated from Us by impossible country
roads.
THE BRIDGE OVER TIE EASTERN FRANCE
now building, crosses that stream diagonaliy,
connecting with the west bank at a point near
The goyernment magazine The piles for that
part OF the structure through deep water are
nearly all driven, and the heavy timbers for
stringers are being put in place. On each side
al the channel, as far as the fats extend, an
earth embankment has been filed i'm TO deep
water, and where this embankment stops on
each side abutmenfs are to be built and a draw
placed for the accommodation Of boats. This
bridge viii be finished 50 that locomotives can
eros or IL by October.
THE ROAD THIS SIDE
makes a curve along the shore. and passes south
al the Congressional Cemetery 10 a point Ter
tweca the Navy Yard bridge and the old bridge
eaStOf it where il enters Virginia avenue through
a deep cut in the bank, which extends to the
TavIne somewhere near 18th street southeast.
This Is long and deep cut throug Oh coarse gravel
and occasional layers of red and brown CLAW.
Some OF this clay, when dry, Is very hard, and
presents the appearance Of red chalk Through
this deep cut, extending from the Tayine
TO near the bridge, a wooden track has been
laid for horse cars, which kept busy early and
late carrying this gravel to the river filing ex
tending the road inwidth aud length. BY means
OF this temporary railway, one horse can draw
a. mneh as eightwith the ordinary horse carts.
ms excavation viii soon be completed as far
rs 18th street east, where
THE TUNNEL
commences, on the east side Of the street. The
entire length OF this tunnel Is through a vast
gravel bank, and great precautions are neces-
saTy TO prevent the banks from falling in. The
work here Is necessarily slow, as the Dirt has TO
be earted long way to be dumped Other diff
enlties are encountered; the water and gas pipes
which-suPPly the navy yard run down Garrison
up, until means can be taken to sink them under
the bottom OF the tunnel; the water, too, which
oozss out OF this gravel, aceumulates, and has to
be drained of. The excavation for the tunnel.
however, nr,sa
(from sth TO 9Th, ON Virginia avenue remaining
untouched. The tunnel proper extends from the
east side OF 18th to the west side Of 9TH streets
east, and the remaining distance, to the market
house, where the road comes out to the level of
the street, is handsomely walled up ON each side
with rubble work, finished with Coping of
dressed Seneca stone, along which is TO be put
substantial iron fences.
TIE DIRECTION OF THE ROAD
Is changed at Garrison street OFF from Virginia
avenue 10 streetsOutheast, over which street il
passes to the west side OF the canal, southwest
from the Blagden residence. and follows up the
canal to Virginia avenue; little or no grading
being necessary after il leaves the tunnel until
IT crosses over the Long Bridge into Virginia,
with the exception of a lew feet which has to be
streets. southwest, and filed in near the Long
Bridge, TO meet the elevated grade there.
CHARACTER AND COST OF THE TUNNEL WORK.
The work commenced on the tunnel the 5th
day Of July, 1s50, and will, in all probability, re-
quire another year to complete IL. The esti-
mated cost is not much less than one and half
tunnel 10 the Eastern Branch. Most OF the stone
used for arching, and side walls, is brought from
the Potomac blue stone quarries, above George
town, and nOated around on sc0vs to the navy
yard bridge, from which point IL is hauled to the
tunnel. -Four heavy derricks are used for lower
ing the stone to the places in the tunnel, and a
in the vicinity OF Garrison street and virginia
the city.
A large number of railroad ties are in readi-
led M nm ham Is Of fha Ia
Branch, and the steel rails viii soon be coming
in Tor this section Of the road. Some of them
are already ON the ground, and viii be laid this
season.
Operations at
THE LONG BRIDGE
are also progressing as rapidly possible, con-
sdeTing the difficulties the company have to
contend with and the extent of the work 70 be
accomplished The eauseway from the Virginia
shore to the abutment Is completed, save where
an aperture has been left open for the plank
way 70 the water, on the upper side, and on
which the heavy stones are uniOaded from the !
boats and rolled to the top OF the causeway,
where they are cut and fitted for their places
This abutment wall of blue stone, laid in |
hydraulic cement, with the coping Of light sand
stone, presents very substantial appearance,
and II pronounced a No. job by good judges.
Between this abutment and the channel there
are four stone piers, almost completed, and be-
tween the channel and the abutment on the
south end OF the center causeway there are eight
piers now being constructed. making TWELVE alto
gether, besides the draw piers at the channel
hese piers are all built upon a foundation Of
plies or yellow pine, tipped with an iron point,
before being driven, to penetrate far below the
bed of the river, into a hard gravel bottom.
These logs are brought from AecOtink creek, |
and furnished by Captain Troth. The piers are
placed as far practicable on the sites OF the
old ones, as the foundations there thought To
be more secure. The work OF building one of
these piers is very slow and tedious; five rows
of piles have to be driven close together, the |
width % the hridge With two foot space be- |
tween each row.
Err,
These piles are then sawed on squarely under
water, al depth Of about six feet below low |
water mark This is done by means of an in |
geniOus machine conrrived by Chief Engineer |
Partridge, and consists Of circular saw at |
taehed 10 an upright iron shaft, kept in position
by heavy and well braeed framework and 1
s;ructed on a fat boat and movable about where |
ever wanted. This iron shaft can be lowered or |
raised TO any desired point, and belt which |
passes around the small drum through which 4
runs the SHAFT, and around a larger one near the
engine at the rear Of the boat, drives this saw |
nst as wen below as above water, and cuts of /
TO receive the timbers- The piles are then /
secured in place by E-inch square oak timbers, |
which are placed along on the rows of piles and \
secured by a long heavy bolt Of iron driven 4
through and deep into each pile. Across these |
are then laid a close flooring of Pinch square
pax timber, bolted down in the same manner to |
The bottom timbers- A frame work OF the same /
size timber is then placed around the border of /
This floor and bOlted down, forming a kind of 1
square solid oak box on the top and Il inches /
deep. This Is nearly filed with concrete made
Of cement and rubble stone, and soon becomes /
a hard az granite ledge. The stone founda-
ton IL then built upon this, and the pier is
carried up TO ten feet above high water mark, |
out OF the reach OF the highest floods ever known /
in this river.
WORKING UNDER WATER.
When there Is work 10 be done under water n
diver with a diving bell and complete parapher-
malta for breathing purposes, goes down and /
works away for hours at n time. This man has /
been brought here from Annapolis, and with /
boy attendant, does all the rnpki5ious work, /
charging the company $50 per day for his ser
vices.
TIE PIERS
are al of cut sand stone, brought from Aauia
Creek and Free Stone Point, and are auarried |
aIid sent here by contract. The distance he
tween these piers Is 133 feet, and they will he /
shed by the 1st OF October il tide and weather
permits.
The iron materials consisting of rods, angle
blocks, eaps, bolt, nuts, screws, braces, screw
bolts, Of all pattern and sizes, are ON the ground
ready for use. The heavy stringers and timber /
work Tor the bridges are being framed ON the /
grounds beyond the old taveruton the Virginia
,ide OF tie river. This timber Il of the best /
quality OF oak, and will be dressed up aud 1
painted with OIL and lead.
Nothing further needs 20 be done with
TIE CAUsEwAY
Tor the present; IL i built up nearly to the es-
II il.he AMI fha 4.