The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1872-09-11


.., .r,,, q, the Richmond Di>rHtchl
.,r.rr Wru7t >trrurN SrR,NGS,}
NA''.' srutrml,Cr d. 1872.
,.,rovinr telegram has Just been re-
!" ..Grcar Ecnd Tunnel. September
n.".m,-, To ,aptan William X. johnson,
M" rn- nrn,I is ready and waiting for the
j'', ", are ali packed up and wall for
'IHiN' ,..i,,n "a Kirhmond. Signed Thomas
,r'h>l .. Tho completion of this great work.
ia':'Ih ,n,,rI> 80 much credit upon the ccntIT'c-
N." ,,n,irr some details IN ,rSnrdto II ~
..,,,n,- The contract Tor Inc tnfi''i WI,
,,,l.,n April. 1870. and work commenced
,r-.n, shaft =. ~ivtN feet drtpa' WESTERN i"r.
-, IN Ntv: hut the und"rTrHund ""rk III
.,.,, ,r,r;al commenced III Nlhc'hnci'
IN anA from shan III January, iN'l.
,,,,t : one hundred and cl@bty icct aerp.
v,., ,,,,cr WIS II first Il great ohstaclc 10
,b, ,,,o,cr,,tinn Of the work; Yet, OWN" 10
=, 80. r..lo.o,,,i Formation Of the ground. TINS
-. ....m,d IA have found some other out
y. and did NOT seriously rctard tn" con-
frs,tor. Il j. n"" diN.
rtryryr,y,TloS OF TuE Tunnel
o..,., .rnfr |. 30 feet deep. commenced IN
,.n,,,y I,,2. Daylight between Shafts :
.; :, snn feet. l., December. 1SIl; be-
,,,,., ,,>tcrn rnd aud Shaft !, 1.9oo feet.
,.1. E,hru,v, l&,2: and between Shafts
.,ua ' 800 fret rn :iSt May. 49,,
From ,iN huudr,1l I" eight hnhdrrd men
,,.r. ,mriov"d in the construction OF the
tunnel; al,nlI, one thousand in all the de-
,,r,m.n;, connected with it, over one
hundred >hantics were erected. costing
Sl0o0a. For blasting, four hundred Kegs OF
,,r,i,r rrr month were uSrd. The nialcTla'
r. lr removed consisted of slate and >and-
.,,ue. viii; II wrre encountered throughout
,r. whole extent Of the tunnel. one mile ana
a.r,rr,r lnn~. To the hardness "i The worn
vrr, added the risks, HangcrS. and
r<rEETAINrlES of \ TREAcHFKorS ROOF.
Won now na>s through the completed tun-
r,4 in ,v.rf; 9! >afctv-the roof we'll lncked.
,sia. protected ly Scg,ucntal arch OF strong
,iml,r resting on upright heaTs ol solid
c,k. one million ivc hundred thousand
t.rt hoard mca.tii1. were required Tor this
r,;r,o,c. Tie roadway is hallastcd by the
,l,.t4i, ~ III" tunnel Itself.
Thus ;Ias been completed the largest tun'
rr. up,n this road III time unprecedented
and fully up Ia tn" Dnti'act, 80 rs not to de-
II, fcr day the hying NJ The tIT'rk. 1t must
h. remembered. loo. that this work l. in TN,
l3r Of the wilderness. and that men. ami
nas. food n",~>>ary for their support. carts
lr"l>. ard equipments OF every kind. have
H. he
,otlrcTED FROM AGrFNT DISTANCE And BRo,-Gtr
TO Tul END or TnE RAlLRoAp.
ln1 then .arricd thirty-tivn miles over noun
f,,n roads ~ down the Grecnl,rier river in
i~rt"tuN that were inprovi-cd for that pur-
yo,, rhrsr circumstances add I" the justly.
,1nri 'rrriation OF all connected with The
construction u; ~" Grpa. Bend tunnel. Yet
g.! - t!,,.c difficulties were >uImcuntrd l..
- '"cts:y. i"rcth"uCllt, ard active super
vi,,ou # the contractor. William X. John
~ IT.. assisted hv lis cousin. Thomas ii
nUru. the "cnclal superintendent.
ihc admirable harmony that has per
,rlod the whole force. faithful and cthcien
managers and earnest and willing men. all
whom seemed inspired with Il Just aud hc
'"lHin. pride III the successful accomplish
men, of the work. have secured its earl,
completion.
4. II. Talbot i the resident engineer il
'hrgc of this wolk. The line run over th,
>'dr> und summit Of the mountain had to ht
Transferred down the shafts and reproduced
Ihl> WAS done 50 accurately that the centre
lu' and grades struck without any rcrccpti
h!' error.
TIE RAILROAD ENTERS THE TUNNEL
directly from the open valley of the Green
hrIT wihcnt any p"rccptib'c ascent. and
>'j!drnt, rUi.r> into the tunnel and emerge.
iu'ot nu1vw %uyr, and, passing through
her T1f 81
III" banks al the river. The road has to
iak" this cour-r in order to avoid an inn
lacn>" bend in The river, from which C!rcuhS
'i.lHc" the tunnel claims it name. The
.-AIy hcIc becomes cminently wild. pie
iar'>4ur, and beautiful. The tourist vii
h,rr observe the liant bOulderS that have
N "Idcu ilmr> lcen thrown from the moun'
iuH-'"l> and washed down ny the thcr
lH"NHlain "c'irn "a MatCr- seeking tumul
'i"'i>'N IN '-car" through the gorec> OF
m'@nttju> which were
tlsir A~rNDfR IN THE COMMISSIONS OF
NATURE
'o admit It's passage. There tbeSc bouldels
ne II they rested countless ages ago, wher
lIl> ocean became dry land. and there they
wei ever remain rs enduring monuments,
l"tln@ how these river gorgeS were formed.
IN PASSING the rapids of the Greenbrirr be-
10" Nanns Ferry. u large boulder lying
~ III" river WAS pointed out IL deserving
attention. Ii i called the Whales Head
nom supposed resemblance to that levitt
''iah "i the >ea>. 1t is sixty feet long, and
nigh and broad in proportion. SO aS to pre-
the resemblance. | regretted the omis'
SION "t "A description of this natural curl.
">l'. IN my previous letter; and yet, when
'h'>" huge houderS appeared in view. upon
emerging from the Great Bend, the Whales
Head seemed hardly worthy Of mention IN
comparison.
Easing down this part Of the road
'htouTh unbr0ken forest, you come to The
mouth Of the Greeubrier river, five miles
u>;'nt. Here is presented II scene OF ell
'hnI!iinS beauty on the one side Of the river
.'ilu OF grandeur on the other. On the left
There Is stretched out before you level
VALLEY LIKE A PATCH OF HEAVEN,
la'i'hGahd finding home, surrounded on the
"lle sd" by the Greenhrier, on the other by
W" river. and the whole by towering noun
'''h> That seem 10 guard ii from the pr0tane
"o'ia' On the right are the abrupt, perpen-
y" 't'r ellis that ovcrtEng the Grcrnhrier ar
appr"acIc, The New river. These cliffs
''ihr The traveller With aiDaZcment whcn he
''al hcholdS them; though they become
S'n'" ~ comparison with the cliffs OF New
ImN'l' Which have given to the New River
,'h''loh It's cliici and most imposing clntiac'
'.,oc. Here ends the Allegheny Division
=, ,i' railroad, Of which Major Peyton Ran
""ph l. division engineer. The near com
pn;l'n , OF his work mus, inspire the admi-
''''"n of his many friends for the fidelity,
~ ,d"''gE' Hkl|l, and untiring devotion he has
''>l''!e3 III It's execution. \ TRAVELLER.
-, u" N"'i> disaster investigation is being
",' ''%"' Al OCCASION Of wrangliDg and political