River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1876-11-02
The one-MiIe Bore Beaeath The Hudson.

The work of tunneling the Hudson,
says the New York Express, between
Jersey City and New York is proceed
ing slowly, 'the company not caring to
put on full force of men until the
right of way question has been settled.
All difficulties of legal character will
be adjusted within few weeks, and
then it is the intention of the company
10 begin work on the New York side,
bore under the river and meet the
wOrkmen from Jersey. The work on
this side will be begun at the foot of
Morton street, the tunnel running near
ly straight across the river to the
foot of Fifteenth street, Jersey City.
The entire length of the tunnel and
its approaches will be $4,000 feet
with depot track to be added-being
about one mile under the river and
nearly three-fOurths of a mile on each
side.
The engineer of the road, w. IL.
Paine, says the company purposes to
employ as many men as can be sue
cessfully engaged in eXcavating and
laying brick. changing the men each
stretch of eight hours. Thus, by con-
slant work, il is believed the tunnel
can be advanced five feet from each
and every day. and the whole work
completed in two years.
The work was commenced in NOvem-
Der. 1874, after extensive experiment
tai behring's down to the depth to be
occupied by the tunnel.
The depth of the shaft is little
over seventy feet, and the greatest
depth of water under which The tunnel
Will pass is sixty feet. The extreme
grade is two in a hundred feet descen-
ding from Jersey City, and then, as
cending on the New York side. three
in a hundred for fifteen hundred feet,
then two in a hundred 10 the New York
end. The bOrings already made show
that the soil through which the tun-
mel Will pass is for the most part of
tenacious silt, undertake by sandstone.
Near the New York shore rocks are
encountered and gravel, which is con-
sidered favorable for tunnel cOnstruc-
ton, not offering any seTionS difficult
ties to the builder, as would bare sand
and mud. The tunnel walls will be
constructed OF brick and cement three
feet in thickness and circular in form.
The height of the tunnel will be TWEEN
ty-fOuE and the width tWenty-six feet.
4 double track will run through it,
resting upon stone ballast five feet
fIOm the bottom. The walls will be
painted white and lighted with gas.
Heavy steel rails will be used, which
the company has all ready prepared.
penum3tic tubes, gas and water mains
can run through the tunnel beneath
the track if desired. so that New
York gas and water may be sent to
Jersey.
When The t,.nnel is complicated
passengers can be carried. without
change of cars, from the South and
West. as well as from Newark, Pater-
son and Elizabeth. Freight trains
will have transit at night and milk
trains in the early morning. The COM
pany proposes to use its own locomo-
tives TO convey the cars through the
tunnel. Those will be very powerful,
and will be run without bells or whis-
ties, but by signals, aud will consume
their own steam and smoke. All the
connecting railroads are to have an
equal right to have their passengers
and freight transported on equitable
terms.
The company contemplated a tunnel
beneath thu East River, which will
make the link complete and do away
with the ferTyboats as cOnveyers of
freight, and obviate all the difficulties
of fog and ice which now trouble the
companies with railroad depOts in this
city.