New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-11-27
THE HOOsAO TUNNEL.

TIE OPENING TO BE EFFECTED TO-DAY.
xNRARRA ssMENIs AND DELAYS IN. THE BEGINNING
OF THE NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. OF THE WORK
METHODS OF SCIENTIFIC ADMEAsUREMENT-A
DESCENT INTO THE CENTRAL sHAFr-MODE OF
pRukIlN6-UsE OF ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
OVERCOME.
lrRoM THE sPaClM CORRESPONDENT OF THE TmBUNE.l
NORTH ADAMS, Mass, Nov. 25.--The eth of
November is Thanksgiving Day. Massachusetts, has
cause OF Thanksgiving not enumerated in her Governors
proclamation but which, imagine, viii not be forgot
ten by the ,devout men Of Safest. and Com
mercialwharf II everything goes right and
present probability is not defeated, the last
charge OF powder necessary TO break through
the thin partition separating NewYork from Massachu
sets will 80 Oft on Thursday afternoon, and Massachu-
etts will have fulfilled the threat OF years standing,
toilet light through the Hoossc Mountain. Several score
OF her citizens Will express their thanks by making pill
grmaSe 10 the famous mountain, and. clothed in oil
cloth. with mud Tor ashes, walk q miles through the
mountain heart The time, therefore, TO write the his
tory Of this great legislative commercial and engineer
Ing achievement has come.
EARLY DIFFICULTIES.
history Of the Hoosac Tunnel all details Is
al almost endless task The legislative bis and hear
tugs, tho reports OF committees, memorials remon-
srances and private pamphlets this subject Of the
last ~ years would, If stacked up in orderly pile,
almost rival in size Mount HOOsac itself Massachusetts
has not gained this new avenue 10 commercial pros
peT1tI w IOltly. sne mas done II by hard
labor and through host Of dlScoura gemcnts and
ve1atons which would have parayzed fainter
AearL The engineering difficulties involved in so
large enterprise have indeed been great Courage,
skill and logged perseverance, have been
necessary overcome them. Bnt these tho only
di1cultcs The wsrk OF making the tunnel would have
been recreation 1t requires great faith to remove
mountains big piece OF Is represented in
he HooSlc tunnel This faith did NOT inhere in the
public mind ana had TO be awakened. To make people
believe its feasibility and give their voice. influence
and money toward the project SIX second in
d6cuiy to boring the hole itself To devise financial
u,.b0d by which the project should through
another mOuntaD Iu fact several mountains OF little
magntude had 10 be removed before HOOsac itself was
reached
Tho financial and legislative problem was like the en-
cheering one: How shall make both ends meet 2"
II WAS question Of means wei ends Aud after
an has done" asked the melancholy prOgnostlca-
tor after that hole is put through the mountain will
hreay be worth the trouble, time ana expense II has
COST Z" The h0ck OF doubts that up aud baekened
the SKY when the project moOted were like the
loeuss IN Egypt. THIS 20 ago. The first idea
Of tun1eing under the HoOsao Mountain dates
back however 30 years before. 1t proposed
about thai time to make canal from Boston
TO The HuJsOn River by way Of tine Deerlsld and
Hoo5ac Rivers. Toe Hoosac Mountain was ~iite as
much opposed the canal as to the railroad which
then an infant invention, and the Board of Commission
ersanpointcd IN 1876 to examine the project with very
intrepid judgement. advised the cutting Of a tunnel
through the mountain. The geological character Of that
region Was then comparatively little known, and the
real difficulties of such undertaking were perhaps not
sowen appreciated they some years Later But
It seems that even then the commercial mel of the
East and Vest saw the necessity Of eGectinG some
promise with this natural bar to intercourse.
Wien later tho survey made Tor the Boston and
Albany Railroad the idea Of the tunnel for the time
being given up. The road was finished in 1871. TIE
Hchlug road through the northern part of the state
vas completed in 1si3 The Vermont and Massachusetts,
which continuation Of the line Of tae Fitehburg,
Was completed two or three years after.
EAMROAD UNDERTAKES THE ENTERPRISE.
miss railroad company, known as the Troy and
Greenfield Road, incorporated for the purpose OF
building road rom point at near Greenfield 10
the State Nae in WILLIAMSBURG, there to connect with
ANY road leading the City Of Troy thus form
ing with the Titchburg and Vermont and Massachu-
sets another through line from Boston to the West
The petitioners in their address TO the Legislature of
ls asked FOR the privilege of building their road
With their owp money" The act incorporating the road
required it to be located and built within seven years
The idea OF the tunnel involved in tas plan though
was not expressed IN the act Of incorporation. All
that they that the State would allow them to
ke this mountain their shoulders They would tun
Del tie burden in seven years This doughty corpora
non had an authorized capital Stock Of three and a
half Millions In 1919 they were authorized 10
alter tho location In 1850 the time for the
location extended In 1851 the Company had found
that the obstinate mountain would not melt away by
simple act Of tho Legislature, and that If they
going find their right of way they must really bore
for IL way dawned their minds too that II
would DC great privilege after all TO build the
road With their own money as they had seemed 10
think would be in the original petition They there
fore asked the state 10 become partner in the transac
ton and invited loan. Such proposition met with
decided opposition in the Legislature and from the
press and defeated In 1853 a company again ap
Piled for the State loan, and discussion which |
developed considerable feeling was revived. The |
application again unsuccessful. The petition. |
ts however. were familiar with the parable Of the
UNJUST judge and renewed their importantly.
Il was aually rewarded Ia 1854 the State
passed an act @aurhoriznR loan Of the
State credit 70 enable tho Troy and Greenfield Railroad
Company construct the HOosac Tdnne Ihs act pro-
yded loan Of credit to the amount OF S2,OO00O0
upon condition that when tOOOO0 had been subscribed
10 The stock, and % per cent actually paid iD seven
miles Of road built and 1000 linea feet Of the tunnel
Completed" then 100000 Of scrip should be delivered
When ten miles Of the road finished and ready for
us and feet Of the tunnel had been completed the
second instaument Of tOOOoO would become due So on
the seventh installnent after which 1850 inea feet
Of the tunnel was 10 finished condition of each
advance So that the whole Of the 100000 must be paid
before scrip all delivered and subject to this
promise THAT the last 400 OF said scrip shall be re-
until SAID Company and their successors or repre-
INITIATIVES have ened said railroad for use through no
HoQsac. aud aid continuous railroad from Greer field
t The line Of the State IN Willamstown'
contract was made with T. w. serrell & rCo to con-
,tuc the road and tunnel for 100000 ut, notwth
standing the liberal offer from the sta' capitalists
failed come forward with their none v and the cor
praton found itself unable TO raise the 100000 neces
y to their receiving State scrip They pettioned
legislature for "a state subscription Of $4,000 the
soek. to enable them 10 draw the state scrip. The
ttate refused. The second contract for the