The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1873-11-06

Aa Chi. great work approaches as
completion she .a,aren af Che uatls.
5a regard 90 at increases Ateu fleets
rasperHuz TIE eatrrBnse NAV aat Bee
aausleame Gu vaar readers
A glance al the physieal rcagr.phv
ai New Fnetsa8 crrl.fa. il rltrr,
Baweaa ,ta valleys oitAr Raasaa river
aaI lako Chamlla.a Ga the west and
,be Caaaoraeut river sa tbe ras, T., a
range af maaaia.aa extending ham ths
northern paft of Vermont across Mass.
aehasttts ar into tho state af Caune-.
ural For q a.staare of twa hundred
miles there are Pro dapressians .n tis
range which permit che superGrIal COL.
strgetsas af railroads naaiag fg direct
Haes. aHa wi,h moderate GRADES cas-,
saa wesl lram ane valley ta the other.
The attemus that have been made %
meet tho RAPIDLY increasing demands Of
business Foe this dtrcctau. have con
by cucaltaus routes. which pfal8ag the
distance. and bF grades ahicA greatly
lacreA~r the cost of transportation and
la the winter months seriously inter
fearing with the movement of trains
The Tunnel ohyiatcs these difficulties
connecting Boston and Albany or Troy
by lines several miles shorter than anv
ether They are exempted from mauD.
tain SHOWS, and, which is still more im.
portaat. possess an Unreasonable al.
vantage iu grade.
The Tunnel runs from the valley Of
the Hooslck river on the west side of
range. 90 the valley Of the pcerdeId.
90 the east. distance Of nearly FIVE
miles. The mountain on The east end
rises abruptly from the entrance. At
the west end the debris and soil at the
base Of the mountain necessjtatcd the
extension of brick arch about g00u
feet 10 leugth from the entrance With
tits exception the entire distance is
through solid rock. At the east end
il commences at the base Of perpen.
iicuar cli1. only a few rods distant
from the Deer6eld river From each
end the Tunnel rises to a summit at
the bottom of the central shaft. on a
grade of about tbirty-throo feet 10 the
mile This provides for the free flow
Of water, which percolates through the
seams and iutorsuces Of the rock, and
also saves the generation and escape Of
steam and smoke for half the distance
through the tunnel "a cars will run
each way, from this point, by their own
gravity The bore is ample for the ac-
commodation Of two tracks between
which a channel is sunk, a. a conduit
for the water, The distance from the
east end TO the central shaft is To-
s31 feet This part Of the work is yir.
tually completed aud ready for the per
mauent rails The machine drills that
were employed in cxcavating most OF
the eastern end of the Tunnel were
driven by water power from the Deer.
field river. Between the central shaft
and the west end. there was, on the
fst Of October 552 linea feet Of rock
heading 10 be removed, before the en-
tire distance Of the line from each end
viii be opened This will doubtless
be accomplished before the first Of De
cember next The enlargement of the
unfinished portion Of the Tunnel to the
adequate size will probably be com
pIcted before another autumn, possibly
hy midsummer. The broken rock is
NOT removed through either entrance.
boat boosted through two shafts. that
- the west cul ls about 21oo feet from
ulr opc5iug and is 81, feet deep. The
craIral shaft ls SUNK from depressed
point or valley. which lies between Il G
crests OF the mountains The western
crest is three miles distant from the
eastern end and rises about 1900 feet
above the Tunnel The central shaft is
1929 feet deep. The machinery for
hosting the cars that are alternately
ascending aud descending these shafts.
and for supplying the compressed air
which drive the massive drills. is pro.
pe led by steam Each Of these drills.