Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-07-05

Of 1877 $40 feet to the mile. Proceeding on, we
soon reach the station of Sileneu, and ascending
| rapidly. pass the ruins OF Gessler's detested
| stronghold, Ewing Uri, then crossing a finely
| constructed iron yiaduct S2S feet in length.
| whose center rests on massive parabOlic pillar
| 0I solid masonry 147 feet high. and spans the
| hadeTau valley 40 feet above the bed of the
| stream flowing through it, the picturesque sta
| ton of Amsteg is attained We look back and
| admire the colossal buttresses of the yiaduct
| just passed. the Windgalli mountain on the
| north and the BirstenstOck on the south consti-
| tuting the same. both of which continue their
bold outlines TAR up into the valley on our left.
| Here commence
| SERIES OF ENGINEERING TRIUHPHs
in order to attain the requisite altitude within
/ the limits of grade allowed, and avoid the con-
stantly recurring avalaHchos from the treacher-
Gus BirstenstOck and the mountain opposite.
No less than six tunnels numerous bridges
galleries and securely walled entertainments are
! TeSorted to before we reach the next station of
Gurtellen, distant five miles and 2.427feet above
| tide water.
| At Inschi the track boldly crosses the chasn
OF the Reuss river, on an iron bridge of 252 feet
| span, whilst the water. 256 feet below, dash
| ing angrliy over its narrowed rocky bed. sends
anon misty spray aloft." Passing on
higher and higher the line seems fairly to carve
| its way in and out OF the preciptOus cliffs until
! finally, nearly opposite the famous PfafeuSprung
| canon, it pierces the mountain. and developing
| into the first spiral tunnel with a radius of 800
| feet and 4, 80 feet long energies higher up on
! the mountain side, and winding along crosses
the Lower Maienreuss bridge. from which look
| ing up. tier above tier. may be seen two addi-
| tional bridges spanning in dizzy height the deep
| receding gorge. The Lower Wattinger bridge
across the Reuss is then passed, and abruptly
| entering the opposite mountain side, another
spiral tunnel, 1916 feet long, and of the mini
| mum radius is developed. emerging from which
| the turnpike and then the Reuss is recrOssed on
| bridges of fine proportions. when entering an
other. the seventh tunnel since leaving the last
station. distant only five miles, that of Waseu,
unexeelled in the beauty of it's location, amidst
| some of the grandest monuments of engineer
! ing skill. OvershadOwed by those of the great
! Creators hand. Here we have attained an alti-
/ tudc of 3. 055 feet. Our train is now facing due
north from whence we came. and on we speed
| apparently right back to the valley Just left.
/ But we soon cross model structure. the Middle
/ MaenreUss bridge, and are here riveted by the
I pcturesqueaesS OF the scene around Us. for be-
/ low to the right like mountain riyulet PUSHES
I the turbulent Reuss; a little higher the turnpike
winds Its sinuOuS course alOng"-and just
above it the Lower MaenreuSs bridge, over
which we have passed, boldly spans the chasm
over which we are now speeding. whilst on the
T left. high up above us like a gossamer web, the
| Upper Maienreuss bridge, over which we are
soon to pass. is visible
OUR ABATEMENT HAS HARDLY REACHED ITS
HEIGHT
before we dash into the 1888 feet long Leggi-
stein or third spiral tunnel, and. emerging, find
ourselves again facing SOUTH and far below us
to the left. tier beneath tier, the parallel lines
we have just traverSed. Passing over the Ent-
+ schigtha! and under its well-constructcd gale
~, We cast longing glance at the eyer-memOr-
able scenic beauty OF Waseu and its enyirons.
/ Then. Tecrossing the Ronrbachthal. we enter
the NaXber9 tunnel. 5, l21 feet in length, and
soon reach the station Gocschensen 3G3S feet
above tideWater. and five miles distant from our
last station.
HERE COMMENCES THE GOTTHARD TUNNEL,
the greatest of modern undertakings Of the
Kind. With the exception of a curvature at
its southern entrance it runs in a straight line
of 40 02S7 feet. or o. miles from one end to the
other. Its apex half way attains an altitude of
). 10S feet above tidewater. some 6 800 feet below
the highest summit Of the GOtthard group above
and 3.2ol feet below the pass on the divide. The
northern entrance at GCeSchensen has an altitude
of 1858 feet. whilst the southern exit at AirOO
one of g. 156 feet. The bed of the tunnel rises
from its northern terInini for space of 4-5th
ues5 perct.. or 143 feet is then carried on hOri
Zontally for distance OF ,047 feet to the apex
when it enters upon decline at the rate Of 0.5
per CT for distance of ,4t3 feet whilst the re-
E1airder of 14.S45 feet to the southern exit
| dmnishes to 2 and per ct.
| Its entire cost is a fraction less than twelve
million dollars.
/ Work upon it commenced June 4th, 1872 was
| vigorously prosecuted from openings made both
/ at the northern and southern points of entrance
| and despite the volume of water encOun-
tered as it burst forth from the great assures of
! rock on repeated occasions. SO accurate were
| the estimates and surveys, that allowing for the
| mudlhcatiOnS agreed upon during progress of
the work. the period allowed for construction
could be strictly adhered to, and so during the
! last days of February, 1890 the workmen in the
two sections were gladlened with the sounds of
each others blows upon the rocky walls con-
fronting them, and near noon on the 29th of said
/ month, with cordial greetings and loud huzZas,
| proclaimed the great work accomplished.
But the untiring, firm, fearless, and gifted
Fayre was not privileged to witness this glori-
Gus result OF his faith and arduous labors, hay
ing on the 18th Of July previous. whilst on a
tour OF inspection in the tunnel. been struck
down by stroke OF paralysis, from the effects
of which he soon after died. His heirs and
t0nGSmen however, at once placed Director
Bossi i'll charge, and the WORK, despite this
painful and heavy loss, was SO vigorously prose-
cuted that by the 1st Oh January. 1882 traffic
through the tunnel was temporarily arranged
Tor and mail matter transported north and south.
The system OF eXcayating and draining the
tunnel. also the mode Of constructing the requi-
site masonry. have given Fayres skill as an en-
gliieer undy wing fame. No less than
NINE DIFFERENT SYSTEMS OF DRILLS
We're employed in the course Of the work. of
:
only So of the Ferroux and % Of the McKean-
the latter as modified by Segun being strictly
speaking, the invention of Fenner Taylor of
Washington, D.C.,--were retained. The great
est number OF wOrknen employed at any one
time on the tunnel work aggregated 5000.
whilst the total number OF hands engaged at
any one time upon the tunnel and approaches
thereto aggregated not less than IL COO. super
yised by over 100 engineers. One kiloineter
/ (.62i3) apart, throughout the whole length of
the tunnel, lantern disks are placed. and bell
| signals for passing trains are arranged for in
like manner. whilst a telegraphic cable for gen
era, and special service is provided Tor in the
tunnel Thirty minutes is the time affixed for
the passage Of trains either way through the
tunnel.
The mean temperature in the tunnel during
progress of the work was 49, Fahrenheit.
Although the immense quantity OF water
| at times issuing from crevices retarded opera
lions somewhat it was none the less useful,
| proving valuable motive power for the COM
pressed air engines used in operating the drills.
/ The southern opening of the tunnel caused all
! tile springs and rivulets on the slope south and
east of Airolo to go dry-their waters evidently
! finding vent into the tunnel from whence q
! powerful stream was constantly running. Land
. bad y. 80