Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1872-12-17

THE HOOSAC TUNNEL,

North Adams, Mass, Dec. 18th 1872.
| ltorrespondence Of Boston Daily Advertiser.
Inc must important event in the history OF
the iioosac tunnel took place to-day. The
headlng from the central shaft met, and effect
! ed junction with the heading from the east
end' and the workmen have passed through
from one section to the other. send YOU
tonight only brief report of the more re-
cent occurrences. reserving q more detailed
history until later. On Tuesday morning las,
Mr. waiter Shanly, returning from a brief
absence, received information that new. and
1t was supposed more accurate measurement
OF the distance brought the two approaching
headings more nearly together than had been
supposed, and gave hopes that the breach
might be made on Wednesday, instead of on
Saturday as had been announced in the pa
pers' !, lie accordingly prepared plane for the
hnal blast and gave his orders. As 10 we'll
known, the entlal shafting heading has been
driven at the top of the tunnel about seven
feet In height, 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
the central shaft would gone directly over the
east end heading, leaving from four to six feet
space oetwe the floor Of the first and the roof
OF the other. The plan adopted was as fol.
| lows: The central section heading was driven
downward as the junction was approached.
leaving not more than four feet distance YER
tlcaily between the floor and the roof. Tues.
day afternoon Mr.. Shanly gave orders to stop
blasting at the central shaft and to drill two
holes, each eighteen feet deep, the first TO
start from the breast Of the heading toward
the root OF the east end heading and the
other to start from the floor of the central
shaft in the direction of the breast of the east
end heading.
Blasting was lille to be proceeded with
at the east end, until according to the lates,
measurement the horizontal distance between
the two headings would be only fourteen feet.
On Wednesday morning I visited both the east
end and central shaft with Mr.. SAanly. The
foreman OF the latter section, Mr.. Roskrow,
had ordered two test holes to be drilled which
should unite the two angles of the headings,
If all the measurements were exact, These
holes were drilled by last evening to a depht
OF eighteen feet and six inches without max
ing an opening through. 1t was therefore
determined to drill new holes from the cen.
tral shaft and blast this morning. Early this
morning we started again for the central
shaft. ant descended at about hall. past ten
O'Clock. A blast was made from fourteen
hoies loaded with nitro -glycerine, at half-past
eleven. The whole blast required eighty -four
feet length OF glycerine, or about sixty.three
|
time in the tunnel. 1t is possible this blast
made breach sufficient to let water through
AT any rate the water descended mysteriously
from its former level, but none of us cared to
examine the matter as two of the charges had
failed to explode. AS it would require some
time 10 reload the holes, some Of which had
merely burned out without exploding, we
returned 10 the surface and remained until
about one O'Clock, when we descended again.
I N . nnn IL
IN weight to the first, was exploded and we
advanced towards the heading. We we're met
at distance of four or five hundred feet by
returning workmen, who announced that Z
hole was through. We proceeded in through
a choking, binding smoke from the Rlycerine
discharge to the heading, when. sure enough,
we found that communication had been opened.
Six apertures had been made and although
they were but drill holes and cracks in the
rock, the men of the two gangs were convers-
ing through them. Our lamps held at the
openings were Immediately extinguished, so
strong was the draft from the end towards the
shaft. The progress made was satisfactory
| so far as it went, but more was necessary,
and accordingly we retired once more to day.
light while two or three holes were drilled,
which it was hoped would make an actual
breach and allow people to pass from one
heading to the other.
We returned an hour or two later, just as
| the last blast was made, and Fastening for
ward to the junction we found that there was
hole about a foot in diameter between the
two sections. This was speedily enlarged
| by hand power, and at four o'clock precisely
a sdall boy was let down from the central
shaft into the east end, amid the shouts and
| cheers of both gangs. Another person of
larger size followed, and then the east end
reciprocated by sending up two of the men of
its gang, who proceeded to the shaft, and
were the first to reach the top of the noun
tain from the east end without ascending it's
slope. Mr.. Shanly himself was BY to well
come his workmen through this narrow aper-
ture. Having seen the practical opening of
this junction we returned to the surface and
to North Adams.
There are a great many curious and inter-
estng facts to be related in regard to this
event which must be postponed until another
occasion. To satisfy a natural curiosity
which will arise at once, l may say that
although the engineers have not yet had an
opportunity to verify their calculations, by
the result it is certain that the error is scarce
ly more than a foot either in grade or in line,
and it may prove to be very much less. An
other fact which is likely to have an impor-
tant bearing on the matter of ventilation
when the tunnel is finished, is that the draft
from the eastern end into the central shaft
tunnel is so strong that it can only be likened
to very powerful wind. The air whistles
through it with great force, extinguishing
candles and lamps held in its path, and whirl-
ing dust and minute pieces OF rock into the
eyes of those who peer curiously through TO
the other side. By Tomorrow morning the
aperture will be enclosed so that person
may walk through without difficulty. The
result of this days work may be briefly sta
ted. he ponderous pumps of the central
shaft may be Immediately abandoned, and
the water problem being solved, work may
be begun on the west heading of the central
shaft, so that by October Is, 1873, if all goes
well, there will be an opening through the
Hoosac Mountain from east to west.