Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1872-12-14

AN IMPORTANT EVENT AT BOosAC TUNNEL
THE EAST HEADING AND CENTRAL SHAFT
EoNNEcTED.-The most Important event in the
history Of The Hoosac tunnel took place To-.
day The heading from the central shaft met
land effected a junction with the heading from
khe east end, and the workmen have passed
Through from one section to the other. On
TUESDAY morning last, Mr.. Walter Shanly, re
turning from brief absence received lnlorma
Ition that new, and, it was supposed, more
accurate, measurement of the distance brought
1.-THE two approaching headings more nearly TO-
I,gether than had been supposed, and gave hopes
] that the breach might he made on Wednesday,
instead of on Saturday, as has been announced
in the papers. He accordingly prepared plans
for the final blast, and gave his orders. As is
well known, the central shalt heading has been
driven al the top Of the tunnel, about seven feet
in hight, TO be enlarged at the bottom as soon
as the vexatious water problem was solved.
The east end heading, on the other hand, has
been driven at grade. Had the TWO headings
been continued far enough, that from thl cen
trail shaft would have gone directly over the
east end heading, leaving from four to six feet
space between the floor Of the first and the roof
of the other. The plan adopted was as follows:
The central section heading was driven down
ward as the junction was approached, leaving not
more than iour feet distance vertically between
the floor and the roof TUESDAY, afternoon Mr.
Sbanly gave orders to stop blasting ar the CEN
trail shaft, and to drill two holes, each eighteen
feet deep, the first TO start from the breast of
the heading toward the roof of the east end head
ing, and the other to start from the floor
of The central shaft in the direction of
the breast Of the cast end heading. Blast
ing was meanwhile 10 be proceeded with at
the east end until, according to the latest
measurement, the horizontal distance between
the TWO headings would be only fourteen feet.
On " ednesday morning visited both the east
end and central shalt with Mr.. Shany The
foreman Of the latter section Mr.. ROskrOw, had
ordered two test holes 10 be drilled which should
unite the two angles Of the headings, IL all the
measurements were exact These holes were
drilled by last evening 10 a depth of eighteen
feet six inches without making an opening
through. ltwas therefore determined TO drill
new holes from the central shaft and blast this
morning. Early this morning we started again
Tor the central shalt aud descended az about
hai-past ten o'clock. A blast was made from
fourteen holes loaded with nitro-glyccrme, at
about hali-past eleven. The whole blast re-
CURED elghiy-lour feet length Of elycerine Or
ABOUT slNly-three pounds the LARGEST quantity
ever used al one time IN The tunnel. Ii is possi-
bic that ihls blast made breach sufficient 10
let water through. At any rate TIC wafer de-
scended mysienousy from It's former level, but
none Of us cared 10 examine the matter. as two
Of the charges failed 10 explode AS II would
require some time 10 reload the holes. some M
which had merely burned out without cyplod.
ing, we returned 10 the surface and remained
until about one O'clock when we descended
again. Soon a second charge equal in weight
TO the first, Was exploded aud sc advanced 10.
ward the heading. We were met al distance
OF four or five hundred feet By returning work
men, who announced diat a hole was thrOupb
We proceeded in through choking, binding
smoke from The giycerine discharge 10 the head
ing, when surefn0ugh, We found that comlnu.
nicatOn had been opened. Six apertures had
beed made and although They were but drill
holes and cracks 10 The rock The men Of the
two gangs were conFcrsinq through them. Our
pinps held al the openings were Immediately