Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1873-12-23
For the Spectator.
OF JIG Dp6CLdIUT
Church Hill Tunnel, Docks, &c.

CQuIcn Hill iuunEI, LOCKS, &c.
Editors Spectator
Your readers | am sure are interested in anu
thing pertaining to the Ches g. o. r. r., much
less the construction of that portion of it that
enables its multfarious products to debOuch in
to tide water. When l make the declaration
that the most intelligent people in Richmond,
embracing It's merchants and business men,
whose interests are so greatly blended with the
future of this wall and even its editors, as class
know comparatively nothing of the magnitude
of the work embraced in the extension of the
branch road to tide water. it will not be regard
ed as strange that your estinformed readers will
be gratifed at any information on the subject,
without caring for the source whence it may be
derived. AS people, we have AS much county
pride as may be possessed by the population of
any other county in the old Commonwealth as
she auas a0hen entire We will not be insensble
to the need of praise which will be bestowed up
on the citizen of our county, adopted if, you
choose, but who married daughter of one of
the families that our people, for many long years
delighted to honor, with the bestowal of a most
responsible and important Office, and who, was
for number OF years resident of Stsunton.-
| refer to Col. Il. d. Whitcomb. To him. as the
chief ngneer of this great road, will this branch
road to the river, if he had in no other way been
connected with it, serve a monument that will
hand his name down as long as the mighty
James continues to lave its wharves, or bear its
multifarious products on its bosom to the marts
of the world.
On the morning of the 10th inst, the writer,
in company with two other gentlemen of the
county, accepted an invitation from Col. Whit
comb TO accompany him, and some other officers
of the road, connected with this work, on q
jaunt of ms pection of the tunnel and the docks,
&c. After dark and threatening sky had clear
ed away, we took our places on an engine he
aid ordered Tor our accommodation and In few
moments entered the west end of the tunnel now
rapidly approaching completion. We had not
| only the benefit of the lights carried by some OF
the officers who were with US, but the many
lamps of the workmen yet engaged in finishing
| up some parts of the interior work, afforded q
fine opportunity to the entire tunnel with its
| heavy granite base but the smooth beautifully
| trimmed arch, that will compare favorably with
any work of the same kind not only in the Uni
ted States, but in any part of the world. This
remark Is founded upon minute detail of the
| mode of construction too minute and extended
to begin here Suffice it to say, let any inteli-
| gent person see the work, and learn of the mode
| and method of its being carried on, and my word
tor It, if he at any time had any mlsglvings as to
| its strength and safety he would at once cast
| them to the winds. how few there are prepar-
ed to believe that this branch road from its point
of divergence, say lOO yds. west OF the point al
which passengers now leave the cars. to the end
of the coal wharf IN James River, is three miles,
or that the tunnel proper is within, say $50 feet
| as long the Blue Ridge tunnel or that If lift
| ed up ON end Its apex would be very nearly as
high as the top of Elliotts Knob above tide
| The width, for double track is 264 feet, and
height of arch, 20 feet, with curve in the tun-
mel a few hundred feet from its eastern end, that
causes reflection of light on the northern side
and top Of the arch for some distance immedi-
| atey at the bend, that has pleasant effect on
| the eye lighting up it does the track for sever.
| al yards The quantity of brick and granite en-
| terlng into its construction is immense-the for
mer made near Rockets, the latter from the
quarries above the city Col. Whitcomb re.
| marked that With knowledge of the difficulties
he had to encounter in its construction, and OF
the facilities tor driving tunnel such the
| Blue Ridge, that, experience has taught since il
was built he would much prefer to make one
| like the latter, than second Church hill tun
nel But the difficulty did not end here. After
| emerging from the eastern end, an immense GU
bad to be made to reach Gillies Creek and al
ter it had been opened on a level with the bot
tom of the tunnel, a slide of the entire hill OF
the northern side, for distance, say, from YOU
office to Pleekers Building, took place, love
2OO yds) that filled the cut, and to obviate thu
labor of Sisyphus, an immense granite retaining
wall, wide enough to embrace large sewer il
its base, had to be built to carry off consider
able stream that doubtless had something TO d.
with inducing the slide and of which the pas
ser by would never dream if not informed of it
But more anon. VALLEY FARMER.