Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1879-11-05
THE BIG TUNNEL,
On the c., Il. v. N w. X. r., at
Flushing, y.

Il
Gently visited the long tunnel lin process
of completion near Fishing, Belmont
county, by the Cleveland, Tuscarawas
Valley and Wheeling railroad Com
panv, and has written the following
description OF the great work:
The tunnel has an alignment east and
west, and we first visited the eastern
approach, which Is about one half mile
i'm length. On this side all the earth
and rock taken out of the cut and east
ern entrance OF the tunnel is waste, and
must be disposed of Somewhere else
than on the road bed. This is accom-
plished by means Of an inclined plane
of about $50 feet in length on the in
cline. There are fifteen rollers to carry
the wire rope with which the cars are
drawn up. At the top is a steam en-
CINE of about six horse power, ,withIa
revolving drum for taking up the wire.
There is a wire reaching to the foot OF
the incline as a signal wire, and when
the boy attaches the car this wire is
drawn, which causes the whistle OF the
engine 10 hlow, and the engineer APP
plies the power and car is drawn to the
top and delivered 10 another car-bOy,
who conveys it to the dump. The
empty car is then let down by friction
brake on the drum 10 the track below.
The cars ascend the incline in two and
one-hali minutes, and contain one and
one half yards OF rock. Perhaps three
miles would he a fair estimate OF the
length of iron railway track laid IN and
about the tunnel, and quite number
of cars are constantly in use. We now
pass over tine summit OF the hill to the
western entrance, and on this side the
excavation has reached a distance OF
about thirteen hundred feet. Through
the courtesy of Mr.. Darragh we were
shown the entire work, and were taken
up To the "headng.' The tunnel Is
Illuminated with a new style OF gasoline
lamp. which gives brilliant light and
has no objectionable odor. In the tun-
mel we noticed sidiugs for the making
up of trains FOR carrying away the rock.
None but men OF experience are allow
ed to work i'm the heading. These men
keep the direction and blast away
portion of the rock, making an eXcava-
ton of perhaps ten leet IN width and
twelve IN length, and always maintain
inc that distance in advance of the
other workmen. The rock is then cut
into two or more steps or benches, and
on each bench a gang OF hands Is en-
ploved. and at the bottom of the lower
bench the ears await the delivery OF the
rock. Owing 20 the treaCherOuS nature
of the rock above, Mr.. Darragh requires
Temporary timbers to be put mp every
five or six feet, until sixteen feet has
been attained, when the permanent
timhers are erected, and through his
watchfuI care not one life has been lost
i'm the tunnel, an assertion that cannot
often be made concerning works oil
similar nature. vt the western
entrance to the tunnel there
is a stationary fifteen morse power en-
cine for the purpose OF furnishing fresh
/ air Tor the wOrkmen and driving out
/ the smoke and foul air from the tunnel.
/ II Is furnished with aSturdevant blower,
and the pure air is blown through seven
inch piping to the healing. The tim
! her used is of the best of oak, with eight
plum posts to every sixteen feet, also
. eight braces. The plum posts measure
/ lOxlO inches, the braces lONlO, the caps
! lOxl2. and the mud slliS lONl2. 1t Is
I lined with twoiuch plank aud securely
| packed. We heard an experienced con
I tractor saw that il is one OF the best tim
/ bercd and packed tunnels in the State.
/ Mr.. Edward Darragh has this contract,
as well as all the heavy work on the
road. He is assisted by competent
and cnterprising foreman in the person
I of Mr.. O. Brjen, who is ever on the watch
10 have the work conducted in q speedy
. and thorough manner.
The work is one of great magnitude,
the length o. the tunnel being about tit
teen hundred ieet. 1t was also attended
with many difficulties and hindrances
which required a great degree of faith
and energy to surmOunt. The tunnel
inc has been through solid rock, which
coul6 only he removed by blasting, and
surb is the nature OF the locality that
the work was mostly carried on from
the west. At this writing there are
about two hundred feet OF rock to blast
away. when the tunnel will be complete