, 1872-12-17

rectiI concerned IN the tunnel WHO "itnonoeo
(by ear) the blast which, 20 far as can ever be
known, first let air through, and the only such
person who saw the passage OF
the first men through from one heading to the
other, but for an unnumbared series ol Kind
nessea and polite attentions which can only thus
be acknoyledged we learned & a. ana q e. fass ena
but neither Of the drills at work On the test holes
had appeared. Mr.. Shnu1y went into the head
| ing md could hear distinctly every blow Of the
drills on the other side, and could even deter
| mins With some precision the direction in which
! the we're working. Climbing the mountaia
oncs more we found the situation inside just
| vhR had been supposed. Mr. 6hanly had en-
| terained some hopes that the final blast might
hav been put in on that "wednesday after
t nool; but these were now abandoned BY
wel4ing drill was made long enough to sink
the.est holes to depth Of eighteen feet SIX
incleB, and yet it did not let the air through.
Ether the measurements we're wrong or the
diectiops we're not exact, or the holes mad been
pointed wrong. We returned to North Adams
to be back at the central shaft early on this
a When Ts aacended once more ne found that
sme progress had been made. A minor blast
I'D brought the two headings nearer together,
| sd there was every prospect that the breach
.ould be made before sunset. Arraying our
elves in waterproof clothing from head to foot,
18th little miners lamps as guides for our foot
teps. TIE made the safe and sure, but slightly
lisagreeable, descent Of the central shaft.
Those who enjoy ride on q hotel elevator
should try this-if they can get chance. You
lgo down as If you we're stone dropped from
Ehe hand. You have no light but that from the
few miners lamps, upon whose Wlcks the water
drips and spatters as it drips but does not spat-
and all over you. The splash Of water and the
rattle Of the elevator against Its guides are the
only sounds, and you hardly get used to the
motion and to the singular pressure upon the
ears before you are at the bottom.
We had a rough climb upon the "bench" " OF
stone, and learned that the blaster had already
gone in to charge the holes. We took 3 position
only about 200 feet into the tunnel between Two
piles Of rocks, and patiently waited for the e1-
plosion- Presently the miners came focklng
80 far, 1000 feet or more, but the blast was to
be the largest ever put into the tunnel. Four
teen holes each with six feot Of nitro-glycerine,
VAS an enormous charge. It should be remark
ed in explanation, that "glycerine," as it j; is
ssraagos ssa as an inaR aeh and Err REhssssnths f
in diameter, and is measured by the foot
As it weighs an ounce to an inch the charge
put into this great blast weighed si1ty-three
pounds-enough, one would suppose, to tear tho
first slight thud, then puff, OF rather wave.
of air, which e1tinguished every Light but one of
the score or more in the hands Of the miners and
Of our party. The miners had been betting
NQ2Lne1 L118 Q1aSC WQu4u uI1fe LlIouEQs 1Q8Y
started forward with hurral, declaring that it
must have gone through, because it made 30 lit
tie oommotlon. am free to confess that the
commotion was quite sufficient SO far as my Own
feelings wero concerned.
We also advanced toward the heading, but
we're met halfway by workmen who said that
two Of the holes had missed fire, and We retreat-
ed in dignifed manner to our former position.
Here the code Of signals proved useful. A let
ter had been despatched early IN the morning to
Mr.. John Blue, superintendent Of the east
end, informing him that there were to be two
blasts in the central shaft heading aud warning
him on no account to let his men approach until
the signal had been given These two holes
having therefore missed fire, the glycerine men
could go into the heading in perfect conf
dence that there was no danger,-ez-
cept that from an explosion Of nitro-glyceriue,
and OF that they have no fear. To us IN our Sc
cluded situations was brought word that in ad-
dition to the missed holes it was discovered that
several Of the other charges had burned out, and
had not exploded. It will always remain ques-
tion whether this blast did not, nevertheless, let
through q hole. Water poured into some Of the
creEices sunk In a mysterious manner But
whether an opening was OF was not made By this
blast, another Was necessary before any good
could come of it. As this would occupy some
time, We ascended to the surface as the best way
Of passing the time.
The first blast had taken place at about half
past II o'clock. When ne descended again, the
men we're very nearly ready to blast once more.
They had charged fourteen holes again with
eightyfour feet Of nitro-glycerine. We resumed
our old quarters, but had not long to wait be-
fore the thud, louder than before, announced
the almost simultaneous gush Of air, which left
us this time in total darkness. Again the men
pressed forward, and re followed more leisure
". At distance of about five hundred feet NC
came upen the miners, who had remained far
ther in. An epizootic seemed to have seized
them, one and all. Every man Was coughing
%n Ivnn f6n +1-.
tween any two such forcible expulsions Of air
from the lnngs. As the fumes Of the nitro nitro
sive, wondered at this; ;, but sub
sequently I got taste Of the smoke
myself. As soon as the complete explosion Of
ali the charges was ascertained, and the COM
pressed aiI-pipe had been carried into the head
ing to drive out the smoke, ne proceeded That
was the worst experience of tunneuing man
could have: Hardly had gone fifty feet when
attempt to cough my head off. How stumbled
through that four hundred fest OF choking
smoke, coughing at every step, stumbling over
great rocks, developing one-sided tendency
which led me to 60 astray continually to the LETT,
lamps OF my companions in advance OF me
this is but q recollection that has come to me
since / fully recovered the use of my proper
senses. WAS placed by my companions who
saw my nearly fainting condition, where the blast
Of air from the compressed air-pipe blew in my
face, and I quickly WAS on my feet again, but
with an oppression on my chest that has not yet
disappeared.
A ho1e-gix holes-through, Was the report.
They we're but cracks or drill holes it, is true,
but they were openings. A stick vas passed
through from one heading to the other and
back again. 4 short conversation WEB held,
much more difficult On our side SO far as speak
ing was concerned than on theirs. The
wind came through the openings with
tremendous force, making our efforts literally
talking against the wind. But ne could hear
them distinctly. Lamps and candles placed be-
fore the openings had their lights Immediately
e1tinguiehed. But even this was not the hole
ne wanted and meant to see. More drilling and
blasting would be necessary, and ne ascended to
the pure air Of the mountain top once more to
get dinner.
When We returned We heard the sound Of q
blnst as ne were descending the shaft. Pushing
forward to the heading we saw that this hnd
been etfectual. There was hole nearly foot
III diameter though from end to end, distance
OF sixteen inches only, and We could
see plainly through it the faces Of
the gnomes Of the east end. few wel-directed
blows of the hammer on the hand-drill enlarged
the aperature so that the attempt was made to
put boy through. HeT Was too road-shouldered,
and another was selected. Down he went five