Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1876-10-05
Communication.
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- Our Radlx Letter.

'.Etti> terraneouSI Sh0Wer' oE 81
TO the Editor of the Observer
-'a New York, Sep. b %, 1876.ai
. AS sfIis mag be my valedictorJ
letter, | will embrace the oppQrtu
nifty to give you a little sketch of
the scene of He'll Gate operations.
Nearly seven years ago the United
States government In view of The
numerous disasters to vessels at
tempting to pass through this ap-
propriately named channel under
'hnfavordble circumstances, app6ifi-
ted aconmissionto examineand re-.
port upon the best method OF deep
eniHg the channel sufficiently 10
make it safely liavigable tor craft
Of all sizes IL Working down
through the river bed was decided
too laborious and difficult, ides
the inc5nveniencs to passing yes
sells of having the echanhel ob
strncted by the Golfer dams which
such a method would necessitate
The bold plan was therefore adep.
ted of cuttihg;Out the rock beneath
the shoals by working from shaft
sunk on shore. Active operations
were soon begun, and have been
continued with but slight iatef-
ruptions During most, OF tie
pastayear the excavations have
been open t0pubnc inspection, and
have been visited By thousands"
'G1On lGilc of the hottest days iof
the past summer | sought bJth.a
and relief, IN these cool
getting both and "a, good
wetting in the bargain, The en-
trance}is a great .citcular pit cut
down through solid rock and de-
scended. by.a Succession Of rough
staircases fastened to its. wal L. On
The bOttem of this shaft stood the
tool houses and steam engines that
drew Jand hoisted the store and
.pufIed away ceasslt ssly 1.-THE end
hess task OF pan1pingOut tlre wa
ter that poured tbrdugh. the seams
of the river bed. a.Frum the river
sideLOf the pit diveIg9d pnmefous
dM k hoIiz0ntaf tupnels, like. the,
fing rs OF AN uutstretchad band =
On the rockyllfo4r Of thsse itpD-
pels or 'aeads," LII mining. parlance,
were laid narrow gauge tracks on
whichrran small cars drawn blythe
engines outside: whehgTemeved
the fragments as Fast bs disIOd ged
by thenbtastsauAt the ehtrauce
toJ.Gbe tunnel were sevarsl men
and lboys1who sremed to be aceu-
mulntiHg colossal aifortunes by trent
ingscumbrellas land taEcbes It0 ca
gersIo explerers.f tAltered waiiihg
somedime fora turn i-seeuredJdh
outfit of thisIeh Taaer and boldly
stupbledfiHto theyaYHiPs black.
ness oil shenearest lehGa TBS damp
very lrefEeshi4g q at.
first afterthe baa'nutside, tutsoor!
began to feel chilly. and mpggg ,nan-
atmosphere .admirably7cadopt
to give sopel hiss death Of cold =
Through the million ereYi1as over
head and oyer sihesrep9h sities OF 9
he rqeks, the river streamed CON-
iinualIy y; making the floor "a Eap c
1ing brook. 1t was .j4st liba abe ?
,Pgl out in a-bsayB EalpIOnfa gitchy
larry night III The gPter pa4tereds
,nj my umbrella at eyeE8usiep-
While r9m,snd then / would Pass
lpdersns some -eXtraIo. large leaf,-
yeuHgb1N Niagara dweh!d
come rattling down INTO N.Y. frhiL
protection, almAst dFiging5a, eholeg
.hropghl my HatheE Clumsy ncQger .
qg. The torch W4ssim plYa sp9ky-
title oil lamp hung pntbe end Of .
/ stick ike the, regular campaign.
.orehes, only intended to be held
4oiiig9ntaAy in front; giving a RI.
licueualylrs small amount of hght,9
md could oply be, preYepte ed from
gpomipiousy eXlinguishment by.
;arefp4ya steeringIt between theu
lrPpsI ado00 N u ..
After the first feW-steps from
he mouth. Of 9he4eas, trsnsverseI
.umels3were IencquRtered Mt sfart
pserva4s, enlystoDe, enOugh7 being
eftin the5 columns at the iBtersec
,tOns tn support the mighty. ROOT
lbove ytFhe 7systeaBf ol .Htumrels-i
l5tgfeornb g neatly liirrseraergs o' 5
.heo aipvflbfdland awA4 prbapsIee4
pest undeRstpod 6yfi1 ceuIpsglsdn
with the-mefidians dteefgng from
lhs p otsaOtsA aalsaJeIaa4 Ia efS'I ted
5g shespEra]rIs 9fIIA4ltiuits both
;9!pppsi,apdoFogf l4meFrd g. TO-
Bfiiss4lk gith g.it3,To edanl ,l7PY pug gps ~ %%agshs
I al frs; sipp6sed 8as IBs-ried TO,
.:ta9, .:ta9 fg1k2sa.3 bur + soon saw saw toI be
Isrlg1n ~ Ne gaikbg4ll&lifoTstB
charges OF dyuamJtjawoieht9ey
have ia-tnew-reo-fveei For ov"r-
naifi nr lrjuwi iroyea Tata.aiIsA THIS
.yiio 41oY wyH al bs'Toq