New-York tribune., 1875-02-09

tally distance OF forty feet from which points connec
tions with the tunnel will be made by vertical shatts
ing eight by fifteen feet. Before building the archnS.
however the shaft has to be cleared Of the heavy t
bers and chnery used 10 It's construction ana Also OF
loose rock. In sinking the shaft, foorngs were but,
xtytwo in number at an average distance OF eighteen
feet apart These constructed OF heavy timDers
placed horizontally and secured In the rock walls nde
pendently OF one another TIE amount OF timber used
In this way and supports for guides for the cages or
elevators estimated 10000 feet IL weighed sixty
pounds per cubic foot. Allowance being made for the
aso for the loose poeS Which Is liable to s met With
almost poiut, idea s given OF the difficulty 70 Do
long dreaded. being considered by engineers, contract
ors. aud workmen extremely difficult, ana possibly
Many OF Tic timbers are decayed. and all covered
with too slime collected In their long damp imprison
ment. THIS renders them slippery and hard 10
handle, while huge masses Of loose rock. disturbed
by the removal of the woodwork may come come
The work was begun last November under the dreotlon
OF r. A. Bond young member OF the tunnel engineer
corps, upoa the following plan, cOntrved Dy nlm a
movable platform covering the entire area OF the smart
MS 0eng lowered 70 oors nc hoVs Nv
OF ropes aud chains eight fstenngs each independen
wrerope cable II inches in diane ter attached to tue
hoistng power at tue top Of the shaft TO wtnn tnree OF
four feet OF the floor to be removed aordng the miners
comparatively safe and position In which 10 per
form che work OF cutting away the timber Inc maie,
rial Is placed IN bucket aud hosted TO the top, tne
formerly used wing been abandoned AS ast as
floor Is removed and the shaft cleared the platform Is
Of the best miners. Carefully selected for their temperate
habits, faithfunrss, and SKILL are thus working py
shifts, day and Dght ID this about one hai or tho
difficult work has been performed without loss OF life OF
serious accident. The platform Is now hanging at
hight OF 900 feet When the shaft cleared stone
masonry work 20 feet high will probably be built around
the top, to prevent thing from falling In.
Between the central shaft aud the eastern portal
large amount of archiDg Is still to be done and
similar to the the western portal IA 10 DO
but al the eastern The journey through ibis
section Will hardly repay now, as there Is no work
IN progress and the walk s dangerous monotonous ana
tresome. The arching still to be done In the tunnel Is
vari0usly estimated by experts. The most generally
accepted estimate Is 5000 feet The contract Tor me
work has been taken by b. N Farren, who to be paid
by the yard Messrs. Shaniy tunnel contractors VINO
finished their contract In December claim To nave ost
SeoO0J In the work. owing to extra arehng, excavang,
&C., required of them, though they Will probably DC
reimbursed by the State through special appropriation
be the Legislature. Ther have been no fat jobs
connected with the tunnel and strange as II may seeW,
the cry OF rings has meyer been raised against the
enterprise by Its 0st bitter enemies TIE tunnel Is 1t
ple5 Icing aud It will take loaded freight train 40 mn-
utes to pass through. An experienced railroad man
estimates that when traffic is fully opened there VIII 10
three trains constantly running through the tunnel
When the Hood OF Western traffic shall come pouring
through this thoroughare the Value OF tie work VIII 10
appreciated and Massachusetts, Will have some com
pensaton for her expenditure OF si3OOoOD upon tne
and the connecting road owned by tue State ana
Tor the sacrifice Of 142 lives