Connecticut western news., 1873-06-06
A Gllmpse nt Roosnc Tunnel.

The HOosac tunnel itself is little over two and three-quarter miles (25,O3l feeD in length from portal to portal, and it's course is due east and west. North Adams, which is now the terminus of the Troy & Green field railroad, Is about two miles northwest from the western portal of the tunnel. The grading and mason work between these two points is being performed by McAllen & Co.,. independent of Shanly's contract. The first point of interest that arrested my at tention while approaching the tunnel from North Adams, was the old Haupt tunnel. commenced several hundred feet down the mountain from the west end of the present tunnel. Here large amount of money and time was spent by Mir. Haupt in dig ging tunnel, which unexpectedly let out the bottom of mill pond and caused the tunnels abandonment. When the west end of the present tunnel was commenced the loose rocks and dirt proved source of great annoyance to the engineers, (by run. ming down into the tunnel who, to obviate their difficulty ,lwent about ?. 400 feet up the mountain and sunk the western shaft, 32O feet to the grade of the tunnel where they found hard rock. To avoid this caving in process permanently, heavy brick arch 6 bricks thick) was constructed to the dis tance of 5000 feet from the western DOT tai. Up to this point the upper part of the tunnel resembled huge barrel, but the re- mainder of the way it is very rough and jagged. A constant dripping of water from the top, with small streams of water which burst forth from the side of the tun- nel. renders navigation on foot extremely muddy, and forms quite large brook, which is carried off by means of ditch two feet wide and five feet deep. The grade from either end to the central shaft is 26 feet to the mile, to allow the water to flow off in both directions from said shaft.
 The distance from the central shaft to the western portal is l2.2OO feet, and 2,ooo feet of this on Thursday, May sth, was all that remained to be worked. The present rate of progress is from 10 to l2 feet per day, and about 300 feet per month, and in all probability the tunneling will be com pleted some time in the month of Novem- Der this year, for Prof. Moubray, (to when we shall refer more particularly hereafter, informed us that as the ends are drawing nearer and nearer together the miners work with more force and energy, and that % per cent. more work is now performed in the same time by the same number of men than wher fcur miles of solid rock was tc be blasted through. ..- .. ..
 There is but little doubt but what Shsnly 6 Brother will finish their entire contract which included track laying, by May 1st 1874, making It nineteen years and two months from the time when the first blow was struck. #er - z. ..
 But one track will be put down at pres ent, although the business will shortly de mand two. This will make pretty close wsrk, as portion of the cars of modern times are II feet wide, which will leave bu eight inches between the sides of the cal and tunnel, and the same distance between trains when passing. The motive power brought to bear upon their drills is com pressed air. These drills make 800 strokes per minute, with force of 200 pounds The miners are mostly French ,and are pait $2.25 and $2. 50 per day. .-
 Those desirous of seeing some of ths grandest scenery in the New England state' will do well to take passage on the SIX. horse stage which leaves North Adami every day for Hoosac, across the noun. tains under which the tunnel is being con structed. When this great engineering project is completed Boston will be nin' miles nearer, by rail. to the Hudson rive and the West, than by the Boston 6 Albanl railroad. zs.,-t eli ..-t ..-
 Prof. c. M. Mowbray, the inventor O nitro-glycerine in it's present form, is al English gentleman of high culture and yer! courteous demeanor. He came to Nortl Adams six years ago, and has supplied tn tunnel contractors with glycerine since tha time. This glycerine has eleven times tn explosive force of powder, and is furnishe' at $l.25 per pound. During the month o April last 10000 pounds were used in th tunnel. This article is not the same as ths manufactured in Germany, which cause the terrible explosions in New York, Al pinwall and San Francisco @ few year slnce, but is much safer compound. Tn Professor is shipping it to all parts of th United States and meeting with great SUI cess. The works are situated in close prox imity to the western shaft. A sign over tt entrance reads as follows: 'Nitro glyce inc works. All persons are warned 1 keep away from the works-dangerous. If the old evil one was prowling around il side of the yard unclaimed, there would ss much use for statement as abo, mentioned as at the present time. As V were so unfortunate as not to meet u
 Professor until after an explanation of u works, Cat safe distance, to wit 20 TO-
 awsy,) several interesting items concernil the manufacture of this article will have
 be omitted. u-r ART.
 TIE SENSATION OF DROWNING. pr. Ho
 man, of Dixon, Ill.,, who was one of t
 victims of the recent bridge disaster
 that town, and was very nearly drowne thus describes his sensation while in t
 G- Al