The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1878-08-02
OPENING THE sUTRO TUNNEL.

came up from below that MIR. SutrO
was coming. The Savage men replied
that they were about to blast, and the
usual blasting signals were given by
pounding on tho rock. They wore
answered by the tunnel men, who filled
the bottom of the drill hole with clao.
Eight Rigoret powder cartridges were
given that the blast was to be fired.
All hands withdrew to the station, and
there was a dull roar that shook the
ground. ...,- ...-....i.. ts-.
All rushed pell nell to the spot to
SEQ the connection. About half way ON
the drift they they were net by a
binding rush of smoke and a blast Of
hot air that scolned to come from Tar.
tarus. Tho reporters lantern went out
with draft, and one after another the
rest of the lights succumbed to the
tremendous air current. All groped
their way along the drift, which was
as black as Erebus, and presently
came to tho big hole which the blast
had knocked out Of the rock. 1t was
about five feet square, and through
the gap which had been rent by tho
blast the lights of the tunnel stteametl
same time n shower of finc dust and
fragments Of quartz shot from the edge
of the opening in the face of tho men
in the drift.
All hands now stripped to the buff,
and with picks and bars began to
enlarge the opening AS each fragment
OF rock fell with II crash, II cheer went
up from below, and tho Savage men
responded heartily. The heat increased
perceptibly, and the foul air, which
had found it's level in tho crevices of
the tunnel for years, found its way
into the Savage drift, with the over
powering aroma of perspiring mules
and sweltering men huddlcd in the
header with the heat 40 degrees.
The Savage men faced the sudden
heat ganeiy, but at times were COM
pclled to group round the end Of tho
compressed air pipe and drink in the
refreshing and cooling currents as
thirsty men gulp down water.
After the hole had been consider
ably widcned, Superintendent Gillette
ordered q ladder brought, and it had
been let down to the floor Of tho tunnel,
which was about ten feet below the
level of the drift, and Mr.. Adolph
Sutro realized his dream of years by
coming up through the hole into the
Savage with two sons. HcshOok hands
with the party and went into the $40
station to cool of, after which he went
back by the way Of the tunnel to tho
town OF Sutro.
An American flag was placed in the
giraffe as soon as the blast was made,
and in few minutes it pointed up the
shaft in the great draft as stiff us a
piece of tin. A flag was also hOistctl
over the works. -
This morning tho draft Of air was
still very powerful, but lower in tenn
pcrature. The opening of the Sutro
tunnel has as yet malc no pcrccptiblc
difference in tho temperature in the
Consolidated Virginia mines. 1t was
hot in tho Gould and Curry to-day,
but there is no doubt that it will soon
become much cooler. Tho survey made
by James and Wrinkle was found this
morning to be correct to an inch.
tFrom tho Virginia City Enterprise.J
a great volume of air is rushing
through the tunnel and out at the top
current Of air coming out mt tho top
ofrthe shaft is such that handful OF
bits of paper being tossed into the
shaft they arc sent whirIing up to the
roof OF the works. Tho state Of the air,
now that it is in motion, is such that
the Sutro mon cannot remain in the
tunnel without being made very sick
and it is the same in the Savage drift.
They had big jolliiication down at
Sutro yesterday afternoon. All the
men were invited to the SutrO man.
sion. Sutro made speech to them.
There was no lack of refreshments of
all kinds. Last night the firing of can
non was heard in the direction of the
town of Sutro for some hours. Mr.
sSutro was allowed tho honor OF being
the first to pass through tho tunnel.
He was half naked when he crawled
up into the Savage drift, and seemed
overcome with excitement. Mr.. SutrO
now gets his Enterprise through tho
tunnel, and it will soon DO utilized
for sending all manner OF things from
this city to the town of Sutro. In Il
few days the tunnel will have so far
cooled as to be comfortable.
a prompt and c1licacious remedy has
been applied to the tramp naiady in
Alexandria, Virginia The farmers OF
the vicinity had been greatly annoyed
by the dcprcdations OF the paripatetic
maraudcrs, seventeen of whom were
surrounded and captured at their rem
dczvOus by a party of special police
from Alexandria,, taken before a mag
istratc, sent to Jail for seven days IL
close confinement, and are to no fec