National Republican., 1873-05-07
THE BALTIMORE AND POTOMAC TUN.
NEI. ..

Description and Progress Of the Work.
The Baltimore and Potomac tunnel, running
through portion Of the western section Of NE
city, Is upon the verge Of compietion II was
begun In May, 1911, and the city ordinance giving
the Baltimore and Potomac Railroad Company
the right 70 construct the tunnel under the bed.
Of certain streets requires the portion on those
streets TO be finished during the present month.
This requirement will be complied with. The
track-lAyng Is now proceeding with, about half
a mile Of the tunnel being already laid with
double track OF steel rails and stone baiiAsting.
The tunnel n made with two open cuts, one Of
900 feet, near Boundary avenue, and between
ollyer and John strests and the other o. v ~
mont street. Exclusive Of the open cuts the
tunnel Is s,t4s feet long, and with the open cuts
,Sss ieeS & y oonnee,s ne s, Bsi,m9ss cream, ,nd r0eS
road at North avenue bridge over Jones' falls
the portal Of the tunnel being At the western
,Ss e q sss e,ss then follows ss
70 John street The nrst open cut, that
between Oliver and John streets viii be
street the he line foIlows wilson stree, 70 Pennsy
winchester street. Here h the other open cut
snd asS 20 for ora Sspo, Ippo .si"h viii Se ccStsd mere
fronting on Pennsylvania avenue. Passenger
will descend by stairs from the depot TO the
bed Of wineses,er street, 20 dilmos street where
u ends, connecting with ita road running Into
the open country. The distance between Bolton
ina, q Wss sssG s %scy
worked by making open cut, then archlng the
tanneL covering y over and restoring the grade
the llns Of the tunnel crossed have been de-
nected and carried along parallel with the tun-
mel until the asoendlna grade Of The later a.
lived the sewers TO pass above or below the
| arch. The most serious difficulty. and one not
encountered In tunnellnR outside u cities, arose
from the streets being built up with houses on
each side. To prevent the earth cavlnR In and
| causing the houses adlacenl thereto TO crack and
| settle, n was necessary TO make the sides OF the
cut vertical, and to support them with heavy
| timber. The tunnel II constructed 40 a. TO
/ almost insnre stability and safety.
The masonry at the abufments ell along the
tunnel rests on solid rock clean Aand, or gravel,
sides Of the cut. some springs were struck, bot
| a. the tunnel Is entirely down hill 10 Jones'
falls, The water has slupiy been turned into the
turned win ave rnEs Of bricf and wen bscfed
with rubble masonry. The side walls are Of
massive masonry, Of Cockey.yllle marble, rock
| facel, bat dressed n beds ard Joints.
| The following are the oficefs under whose d.
| rection the tunnel has been built: Thomas Sea
brook, general manager Baltimore and Potomac
ii. Carter, engineer In charge Of the tunnel;
/ Thomas Rntter, contractor for the tunnel. Tue
coat OF the tunnel, u is estimated, viii be about
ming through the tunnel somewhere about the
Tue wesiern Maryland railroad cOnpseu with
rosa tunnel atiS Zee, ions aq begins =, aso ths wss %
| ern portal OF the Baltimore and Potomac tun-
mel, running under the bed OF Hoffman street TO
sITosd pssses ATOM 10 M de a. Ssnaep TSs
| greatest depth OF cut of the Cnlon tunnel IL %
feet, and Of the BALTIMORE and Potomac tunnel
g feet Tue union tunnel Is also nearly COM
u