The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-05-12
THE NEW BERGEN TUNNEL.
COMPLETION OF AN IMPORTANT woRK-THE
ENoISEERs REPoRr-A COSTLY UNpERrAK-

COMPLETION OF AN IMPORTANT woRK--rHE
ENGISEER's REPoRr-A COSTLY UNpERrAK-
IxG-rHE OPENING TRIP TO-DAY.
The new Bergen tunnel OF the Delaware, Lackawanna
and Western Railroad Is A. last conn eted To-day IL
will be opened 20 trafic. and ihoss who live along the
line OF the old Morris and Essex and the Boonton
branch viii have for rejoicing. owing TO The
constant delays OF this road Mt either end OF
the Erie tunnel found to be absolutely necessary
10 the development OF the trafnc controlled by The
company that a and shorter route should be
established.
Tho increase traffic Oh the Eric Railway has been
SO great that az certain hours OF the day the Della
ware and Lackawanna trains subjected 10 vcxatous
delays at the Eric tunnel From the day when the
celebrated "rog' was naugurated the west end
OF the tunnel the present time there have end
less disputes between the TWO companies regarding
the right OF way. The Dew tunnel will not only
AFFORD speedy accommodation, bu, viii shorten the
distance from Hobokcn TO the Hackensack meadows
,wo.th,rds OF . mile. Tho present route has very
abrup. curve at either end Of tho Erie tunnel
the new route will be dirocs line from the dcpo. in
Hoboken distance OF three miles. THIS viii cfec,
saving In time OF minutes. besides avoiding the
wear and tear incident 10 curves.
AS tho new limo starts from the Hoboken ferry only
few feet above tide watcr mark ~ has been iound
necessary in order the Erie road at tho west
end OF tho tunnel, 10 carry the new ino up hoavy
grade Tho summit OF this grade is 1T the end oi
tho new tunnel where she Erie 800 cct from
the entrance and angle Of about sixty degrees.
Tho line three streets and branch OF the Erie
Railway. cast OF Bergen Hill and two streets
and Two railroads west OF the nil Tho
marshy character OF tho sol! and the great
depth Of mud rendered IL necessary especially tho
eastern side to use . large quantity Of filing The
piers OF one bridge had not been completed than
Tow weeks when half OF the immense pic OF masonry
.a ed- The broken rock taken
ton disappeared in the mud as fast dumpod
for several weeks forcing the soil up on either side to
distance OF 100 feet from the cmban krnent Earth
filing would have been superior, in the opinion Of the
engineer, but earth ming was scarce, while stone was
plentiful on the route.
THE yxaINEERs REPORT.
I.ackawanna and Western Railroad presented his re.
port Of the completion OF the great enterprise TO Mr.
Samuel Sloan, President OF the company, yesterday
and tho latter gentleman kindly furnished it 10
preventative Of the HERALD. The report though not
lengthy, is very compre hcnsive After setting forth
tie difficulties encountered In tho work tho report
states that the route Is fully completed and open
Tor traffic shafts Nos ?, ard 9 and tho 'pockctn
arc YET to be ined.' but tho work VIII
survey was mado in the spring Of 1873, aud tho
tract awarded on the 10Th Of August in the same
y ear to Mr.. John McAndrew, OF Scranton. There
delay In the progress OF the work. arising
from the panic and from several strikes. The tunnel
mile west and half mile east The grade Oh the east
Is thirty feet from the river ascending 10 the bridge
over tho oil the Eric, fifteen feet TO tho milo
through the tunnel 10 tho summit over the Erie,
here il atans elevation OF thlrtyeight ana half
feet above nigh tide. The grade then descends west
on both the main line and the Boonton branch,
twenty six feet the mile. There eleven miles OF
single track In the new Improvement.
DIMENSIONS OF THE TUNNEL.
The tunnel is ~ iect IN width and 4,219 feet In
length exclusive the arch OF 50 feet at end and
Is at the other making total length OF 4,279 iee or
seven in NUMBER giving light and ventilation and con-
sructed on plan SURPRISING that OF any smlar work
Of the tunnel, and all surmounted by brick wall
rising TO height sixteen above the surface and
open on top so that the smoke may freely escape
II at FIRST designed 10 have an open cut at shaft
No. f. which is about midway, to the extent OF 300
feet but this idea abandoned ana there was con-
structed instead large shalt, 81 by Is feet Here
signal station may be placed so that two trains may
be the same direction ut ono time, thus doubl
ling the capacity OF the tunnel
SOLID STRUCTURE.
Tho masonry In the sde walls TWO feet thick and
a brick arch twenty-five inches thick, covered with
felt and aspnaltum where there IS n chance of water
leakage. The space between THIS ana the rock Is
arching Is carried threciourihs OF the length OF the
tunnel the remainder being solid mass OF rock 80
apprehension may be felt In regard 70 the al-
ing OF fragments of rock. better idea Of the extent
OF the great bore may be formed from tho fnct that
o. 900 cubic yards OF rock and 49, 900 cubic yards OF
earth were excavatcd thcrcfro In bridging the tun-
mel cubic yards OF rock and 500 600 brick laid
Though tho contractor estimates tho number OF brick
nj ml,onsl The track is OF sixtyeght pounds steel
rail and the ballast consists Of broken stone Tho trap
rock was found DO difficult drill but easy TO frac
ture
THE COST IN HUMAN LIVES
The number OF men employed IN the work was 600
on au average working two gangs night and day of
len hours each Thirteen men were killed, either by
falling shafts by premature EXPLOSIONS by being
struck pieces OF falling rock by being run over
by cars and about dozen more or less injured. An
IS related Of one man who was injured and
narrowly escaped death. He was removed to another
part OF the tunnel, where he was killed few days al
lerward
OUTSIDE THE TUNNEL.
The bridge over tho Hackensack River is second only
In importance tho great excavation ITSELF II con-
tans wo spans Of 1893 feet each and draw OF
1876 leet the length Of the bridge all being 600
feet. The masonry and iron work have won the nd
mratou OF all railroad men who have inspected the
structure canal and dock are being constructed in
which will be 600 feet in length and 90 feet
in width SO vessels may BIO loaded from The tracks
on either side.
WORK.