The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1872-09-19
Tbs Great Tunnel Through.

Way-Description or the Couutry
The 9ntry OF the Tuaaei-LOveii.
meas OF the Scenery, &e.
Correspondence Richmond Dlspatch.l
GREsxBRisR Wars SuLpHUR
SPRINGS, September 8.
The following telegram has just been
received: Big Bend Tunnel, Septem-
Der 6, 1872. To Captain William r.
Johnston, Jr.: The tunnel is ready and
waiting for the train. We are all
packed up and watt for transportation
to Richmond. Signed, Thomas Dunn.
The completion Of this great work.
which ref .cts go much credit upon the
contractor, may render some details in
regard to it Interesting. The contract
for the tunnel WAS made in April, 1870,
and work commenced from Shaft 3,
sixty feet deep at western portal, in
Nav, but the underground work At the
eastern portal com menced in September,
1872, and from Shaft = in January,
1871. Shaft . is lS0 feet deep. Much
water was a great obstacle to the pros
ecution of the work; yet owing TO the
geolog cal formation o. the ground, this
water seemed to have found some other
outlet, and did not seriously retard the
contractor. It's now dry.
| rup pyr.v.rtnS np rpR rryyR
from Shaft !, 80 reet deep commenced
in January, 1872 Daylight between
Shafts . and 3, 300 feet, lst December,
1871; between eastern end and Shaft
| I, 1900 reet, 18th February. 1872; and
between Shafts ] and 2, 23OO Ieet, on
3l-t May, 1872.
From six hundred to eight hundred
men were employed in the construction
OF the tunnel; about one thousand in
all the departments connected wi b it.
Over one hundred shanties were erected
, at cost OF $4,000 For blasting tour
hundred kegs Of powder per month were
used. The material to be removed con.
sisted OF slate and sandstone, which
were encountered throughout the whole
extent OF the tunnel, one mile and
Quarter long. To the hardness OF the
work were added the risks, dangers and
UNCERTAINTIES OF A TREAoHRRoUs ROOF.
You now pass through the completed
tunnel in perfect saiety-the root, well
packed, being projected by q segmentsl
arch Of strong timber rrstiug on upright
beams OF solid oak One million hve
hundred thousand feet board measure
were required for this purpose. The
roadway is bsIlssted by tue debris Of
the tunnel itself.
Thus has been completed the largest
tunnel upon this rosd in time unprece>
den.ed and fully up to the contract, 80
as not to della, for a day the laying OF
the track. 1t must be remembered, too,
tnat this work is in the heart Of the
wilderness, and that men, animals, food
necessary Tor their sup ort, carts, tools
and equipments OF every kind have TO
be
COLLECTED FROM GREAT DISTANCE AND
BROUGHT TO THE END OF THE RIAL
ROAD,
and then carried thirty five miles over
mountain roads or down the Greenbrier
river in battesux that were improvIsed
Tor that purpose. These circumstances
add TO the Justly carmel repu' alton OF all
concerned with the construction OF the
Great Bend tunnel. Yet all these diff
cuties were surrounded by the energy.
hrethousht, aid active supervision OF
the contractor, William X johnson,
Jr assisted by his cousin, Thomas II.
Dunn, the General Superintendent
The admirable harmony that has per.
vaded the whole force. faithful and
eff .ieLt managers and earne-t and
willing men, all OF whom seemed in-
spired with a just and becoming pride
in the successful accomplishment OF the
work, have secured ts early completion.
r Il Talbot is the resident engi-
neer IN charg. of this work. The line
run over the sides and summit Of the
mountain had TO be transferred down
the shafts and reproduced. This was
done so accurately that the centre line
and grades struck without any percepti'
blp error
THg RAILROAD ENTERS THE TUNNEL
directly rom the open valley OF the
Greenbrier without any perceptibe as
cent, and suddenly enters into the 'un-
mel and emerges into q narrow gorge,
and, passing through another tunnel, 1t
then proceeds again down he banks o.
the river. The road has 10 take this
course in order TO avoid 90 immsnse
bend in the river from which circun-
stance the tunnel claims it's sam.. The
scenery here becomes eminentIy wild.
picturesque, and beautiful. The tour ct
will here observe the giant boulders
that have 10 olden times been thrown
from the mountain-tops and washed
down by the then mountsin ocean of
waters seeking unanimously 90 escape
through the gorges Of mountains which
we're
CLEFT AsUypER IN TIE ooSvULsIoSs OF
SATUKE
to admit its passage. There these
boulders lie a. they rested couotless
ages ago, when this ocean became dry
land, and there they will ever remain
as enduring monuments. telling how
these ri.er gorges were formed 10
passing the rapids Of the GreeDbrier
below Msons Ferry, large boulder
lying in the river WAS pointed out a.
deserving attention. 1t is called the
Whales Head from Q supposed resem.
bIance TO that leviathsn OF the sea-. II
is sixty feet long. and high and broad in
proportion, % a. 10 preserve the resen-
blsnce. ! regretted the omission OF .
description OF this natural curiosity in
my previous letter; and yet, when these
huge boulders appeared in view, upon