River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1880-08-05

a Description of the Great work
That is TO Connect Two Cities by
Rail.


the Hudson River Tunnel Company at
the foot of Fifteenth street, Jersey City
which resulted in serious loss Of life
and the destruction of considerable
amount of property 1t is known that
twenty-one of the workmen engaged in
the construction of the tunnel were en-
tombed III the works. but it is by no
means certain that this number will
complete the list of the lost As is
usual i'll most great disasters, there is a
wide difference of opinion i'll this in
stance concerning the responsibility for
the terrible casualty. The officers of
the company throw the blame ON the
workmen, and as the tongues of a ma
jority of those in the tunnel at the time
are stilled forever, there is no one to
tell their story except the escaped men
who are still in the service of the com
pany, and unwilling as rule to jeop-
ardize their positions by making any
statement rejecting on their employ
eIS.
For several months past the work of
constitution has been kept up night and
day, the men worked in reliefs, or
''shifts," as they themselves term the
division of eight hours of labor Midnight
on Tuesday shift of about twenty
eight men went on duty, and were to
remain at work until another gang took
their places. About 4 80 they were
preparing to leave the tunnel when
William Burchell of No 729 Ninth
avenue, this city, the Waterman and
lockkeeper who was on duty on the
surface of the ground near the mouth
of the shaft, perceived something UNI
usual below. What followed is told in
his own words. He says:
II first noticed breaking of the
ground outside the shaft at once
entered the shaft, going down the
stairs as far as | could, and saw num-
Der of men i'll the air-lock. There were
about six, as near as | can que ;.
could not make them hear my voice
through the door. but / wrote ON piece
of paper Il few words, telling them to
open the inside door and liberate the
men III the entrance to the tunnel
placed the paper on the glass bull's-eye
of the door and they understood it and
signalled me that they could do nothing
even for themselves The door which
| stood was held fast by the compressed
air within and also by the water and
silt, which were falling fast through the
roof. They seized a crowbar and
broke the bulfs-eye, allowing the com
pressed air to escape, and then with my
aid the door was forced open and they
came out into the shaft. The water at
the time was waist high in the air-lock.
The other men were inside door fur
ther on, leading through a temporary
passage to the tunnel. | went in at
the risk of my life and tried to force
this door, but it was utterly impossible
to do anythinG-evcn to make the men
hear me. All the men in the air-lock
escaped, but in what manner the
others died, will never be told
The construction of the tunnel was
begun in 1874, but owing to litigation
the work was suspended during a con-
siderable period of the intervening
time. The commencement of the work
was made by sinking a perpendicular
shaft or well, thirty feet in diameter by
sixty feet deep, at distance of 100 feet
from the water, at the foot of Fifteenth
street, Jersey city This shaft is built
in solid manner, and lined with
fom-foot brick wall. The bottom of
the shaft is the level of the roadway of
the tunnel when thelatter is completed,
but the work toward the river was
started at about half the depth of the
shaft, the tunnel thence descending, by
series of steps, till it reaches the
grade intended. This is only temper
airy device, but it gives an oasy grade
at the commencement which facilitates
the furnishing Of supplies or material
for building the tunnel, and that por-
ton of the shaft below the present en-
trance is now used as a great receiving
cistern, into which is forced water and
silt from the head of the tunnel.
The manner in which the tunnel is
being built differs from anything here
tofore attempted in this line
that principal is adopted of using
compressed air to keep out the water
and partially to uphold the earth. AT
the commencement Of the work, while
the tunnel was being excavated through
made ground, consisting largely of Gin
ders, it was found impossible to main
tain the required pressure as air escap-
ed through the loose material This
difficulty was obviated by placing can
vas several feet below the surface; but
as the tunnel descended the earth was
found sufficiently compact to render
this unnecessary. The air pressure now
used in the tunnel from II to 20 pounds
per square inch The iron plates which
form the exterior shell of the tunnel are
rapidly put IN, so that the workmen at
the heading will always be protected by
an iron ceiling, and thus the earth
above the tunnel is furnished with Il
is made. 1t is supposed by some of the
workmen that one of these plates gave
way allowing the water to force its way
through, and thus causing the accident.
The tunnel is nearly round, and its
shell is a round cylinder, about % feet
high by 20 feet broad, made of boiler
iron and worked forward in sections.
This iron is inch thick and the plates
are feet inches wide some of them
are and some 6 feet long, and they
have a 21-inch fanges on each side.
through which each plate is bolted on all
four sides to those around it. Addition
al strength is attained by the breaking
of Joints as the different sections are bolt
ed together, the width of the plates, 2
fe~, s inches forming the width of sew
eral s.. )ns or ribs by which the cylin-
der which constitutes the framework of
the tnnnel is advanced. Inside this out
er shell is wall ofhalfburnt brick laid
in cement. This wall or lining, is feet
thick, and extending completely around
the interior, presents the form of an
arch against any outside pressure,
whether vertical or lateral
In the prosecution of the work the
men at the heading first dig and spade
forward thin semi-circular opening,
representing about the size and shape
of the top of the tunnel, leaving the core
or main portion ofthe earth untouched,
only excavating sufficiently to allow
the top plates to placed in posi-
ton, where they are bolted
and braced before the earth be
meath is taken out. In proceeding ON
the plan the work, as it progresses,
shows fouI TO eight sections, or widths
of plates, in different stages of compile
ton, the NEST advanced ones being ex-
tended out as a kind of mood, well
braced up, until all of the earth in this
core be removed, and the plates are
put in position around all sides of the
shell. After this is done the bricklay-
ers follow, and, in making their two
feet-thick lining to this shell, are care
r 4 l.. Al. IL. 4