The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1880-07-02
UNDER THE HUDSON.
Progress OF the Tunnel that Will Con
meet New Jersey and New York.
New York Tribune.

At the foot of 18th street. Jersey City,a
low woo,ien blildiug has been erected,
which has the appearance OF ln overgrown
shauGs rather than the beginning OF AL i'm
u,rtauI aud d tficulC work. TINS building
contains the oiiicc vi tho Hudson Tunnel
railroad Company, aud also the engines,
electric generator aud air compressor. ln
the c,nter oi the building u shaft 3D feet IN
diameter has sunk Io Tho depth Ut 6O feet.
lIs lower portion IL used as y receiving tank
Tor The mud removed from The iuunei.
A b ,uL midway uuwn the shalt has b en
ii,,urud over. Juttiug out from tho rver
side Ui the tank Is what appears to DO n
large iron O.iIor. This 10 The Air lock. aud
air tight cha ber made vi uDe-half iucl,
rolled on and Xix feet IN diameter aud 10
~ length, through which everything passes
III euto, ing Or leaving tne tunael. by its
use pers8us passing IN ale gradually accus
tuned ta tho change ID AIR pr ssure. about
SIX minutes usually beiug taken IN the "p-
| eratIuu. From Lhe AIT lock, winch ID Iit-
tio abovs the top VI the tunnel proper, the
| excavation vas extsntrd St . graceful DE-
cline until the g. quirsd depth WAS reached
about 60 feet b low high water mark.
The exterior structure or shell of the tun-
mel CONSISTS Ut a Q, iiud-r of one-half inch
b,,lerplAt. iron. WITH = lining of BRICK two
ieet thick securely anchored to it. the
| river un the line 0f Lbo tunas' Is about o.
$40 feet IN width, and is largely composed
Of blue clay. with mixture vi sand and
| other substances
| Tue excavation is begun at the top, and
| carried forward in sections. The plates oi
winch the iron casting Is composed are
placed III posiL,on as fast AN sufficient space
| IA exeavared. These plates are "a feet IN
width by 3 feet and ieet 10 length. Tney
are boiled together by means Of angie iron
sec..red to their edges. The brick work Is
| LAID Al rapidly as circle of sections Is com
| plst+d. The silt 10 thrown back into y
Uo,l, into which Is runDisy u str am OF wa
ter forced from pump IN the shalt by the
pressure Of the coud-nsed ar In tbs tunnel.
This water, carrying about One-half the
silt, is blown out through six-inch pipe
into the receiving tank. The remaining
portion 10 carried into the flushed tunnel.
The Office is connected with the tunnel by
Telephone, and the electric light il usrd
both IN aud out OF the tunnel. work being
carried ON throughout The "A hours. Au
average Of about four feet Ii finisncd daily.
The tap OF the tunnel will have an average
distance Of about 25 ieet below the rive'
bed. Thus makes necessary n considerable
| gfauo, ~ the TtNrE nv spssc pOH"eS te0o"cs
the depth Of 6U feet. By the agency cf com.
pressed air, at pressure vi IA t0 "a pounds
10 the sQnaue inch. this mixture of water,
clay aud sand IN the exc walton 10 kopi
firmly 10 posit ion that It might be worked
forward in terraces or benches. thus Obvia
; ting ali nece~s,ty for staying or bracinr
~h,ie excavating the silt or placing in poa'
tion tho upper sections 0f the iron casting
So cor pActIy % the slit iwld that an expe
r,enoed workman, with sharp shovel. vii
carve out aud shape the top or sides y
easily m if he we're cutting cheese. and cAi
prepare exactly the place for each sheet.
The entrance 10 tho tunnel ON tho New
, Jersey side will be ~ . pint about three
fourths of mile from tho river. The ter
. minus III New York has not been settled
but the tunnel vill enter the city at th'
foot of Leroy street. An underground dc
pot will he u-sd, scd npwhcrs silI tho tract
be less thsn 10 feet below the surface. fh
approaches on either side will be 20 feet u
/. width and ~ feet high. With . double track
I but undcr the river there viii b two tun
: nsls. side by side. esch 10 fees In heiaht an
l7 feet vide. and zach containing singh
track. Work 10 nov 10 prRress 10 oni
one or these tunnels, bat everything is Il
readiness IN b~giu the AdtMsins Ons IN
/ ! fsv daya, wh~n operations can be- b~gnn "
. ] New York side ass0. With app, owed "a
cilif,es IL is ~ ,4scs~d that each section MI
/ b advanced q the rate Of nve feet pe
dAy.