New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-01-02
TIE WEEHA,WKEN TUNNEL.
RAPID PROGRESS MAKING on THE WORK.
now TIE ENTERPRISE Is CARRIED oN-woRKMEN
BUSY DAY AND NIGHT.

RAPID PROGRESS MAKING on THE WORK.
now TIE ENTERPRISE Is CARRIED oN-woRkMEN
BUSY DAY AND NIGHT.
The tunnel through the Palisades at Weehawken.
| which has been talked of for many years, having
| been first projected by the old Midland Railroad
| Company has been IN course of construction LOT
! sono time and is to become the southern terminus
| of the New York, Ontario and Western Railroad;
The work IL being carried on by force "l over OuV
men, which with the aid oi electric lights continues
| the work day and night. Superintendent Coleman,
of the firm of Ripley 4 Coleman, the CONTRACTOR,
| saiH to TRIBUNE reporter that the tunnel would
! be completed 10y July next The methods OF tach
taing the progress OF the work on the tunnel nave
attracted considerable aIteCtiOn from engineers ana
tunnel builders account OF the ingenious devices
used TO overcome many OF the obstacles IN subtcira
mean rock excavations, and because OF the rapulE
| with which The work i, executed: reporter re-
Gently visited the work and examined the processes
| used in digging a hole nearly mile III lehGth
| thro1gh solid rcck; lie was accompanied by
Michael Coleman. who has charge of he constinc-
| company. e,
! The tunnel proper will be about lour-ffths OF a
mile in length and twcnty-seven feet IN diameter
with luunel-shaped entrance on the NeW-lnIk
size sixty feet i'll diameter. narrowing Tor @'V Irei
10 'iH mean uiahc''I o. SIII ''i,o' i 90, .", ,,t
nent of the eastern end OF the uicl Is en- aG'o.ll
Of the proximity of the river, which would maze the
curvature OF the tracks too abrupt unless tiS pro-
vision were made The approach 10 me western
end of the work viii be an Opcn cut three CuGtlS
of mile long from the Ilackcnsacl meadows 10 NE
entrance of the tun lc increasing III ucWH J."
righty-iive feet at the mouth. rive shafts nave
been sunk from the surface Of the Palisades 10 le
level of the IOad-bed, varug IN depth from - 10
90 feet the heading being worked noth WAYS irn"l
the bottom ot the shaft At each shall - rItE'l
hosting engine. with double eeNd'"F cdlFNlh"
jmmIeS7 down empty and bringing them up
loaded with the fragments ui rock when nave ncrh
blasted by the rOCkucn. The cnglnc-r00ulN conan
also boilers forces and the necessary materials ana
tools for repairing the drills preparing the cart
ridges for the blasts. aut electro machinery Tor
lighting the work, which Is also used 10 explode 'Hc
mines.
loo 4 few fpi
blasted in h0th directions from each llrst >haIt
by rs feet Is sunk from the surface % the lever ol
the tunnel; that part directly under NE Shait y
made deeper than the general leyeI OF Tie TUNE"
forming small Pit into winch the water the
tunnel flows. From here il Is forced to the surface
bV a steam pump. The elevators are then luJ IN
Mace They are the iilst OF the kind ever GseI M
tins country. The guides of the cars a!t steel
cables instead of frames OF IRON 81 wood 9nch as
usually used. These cables ar" fastened I" me
rock At the bottom of the shaft and made suih-
GENTLY rigid to hold She III lis place 10y tension
secured lv "a iaCk->Crcw above the mouth OF me
shaft There Is an al vantage III using THIS kihu q
elevator guides because of the lorce OF the explosion
in he tunnel when a blast IS hred. rom lhrtN TO
forty holes are drilled IN the rock each from iN2Io
six feet deep and are heavily charged with highly
explosive blasting compound 80 great Is the force
of the explosion that everything has 10 lie remover
from the shaft AZ each iring. When me ho's nave
been charged with the cartridges ana ere, "i' con-
lunlcat!nns made with wires to the battery Out
side, the drills. electro lights. toniN' ears eic are
taken to the surface ana Tie cdb4cN are urI"c.l,d
from their fa-tcuiug@ and drawn up. lhcA the
electric current Is closed aud the blasl ; h,d.
causing the earth 90 shake for distance of half
mile. Nearly ohe-haI NI we uiAG 'oi.Si''. . ~
!oaulhg tht I"itH 'ii' HliIS '"th' NV 10y IN "
loot OF the smart ohiN allows Ten oI ulIa "
WORK al each HeGulhG' 'ieN aIc "uI''H ~ IolI-
pressed ar, "hIch ~ coh'e'ou ~ ''y Sn"''S -. "
iarec man running nom me chtlI.; Us d. ,
1901 OF tle IallHi"oH 9stt d"o 'num, LIZ. ,''o
iuhhS!' ne mani - 'n,, i",, -, tI,, dI;iis
lOuI-IHCh PPc' "ul" l""o W.. NJ r 10
WueIc each iIiCuiiH' I''''''' ~ 49, -; H..
thlouAh ueNIIIe rHnpeI H"N5l "a li, ,a;, - -
pouuIs 10 14c si'aio '''I' - , ,r, ~ ,,,.,,,rt
u"'lIno'N ~ w ,,..-,,r,' i. I..d r.
an wv VI VA ,n i. t -, - am
Supp;s =, Gi,. e,ch NJ rtgLt, drill. tLror,l
~ W =. ,i,. -, IAN boi,. q, f,fl.
i"t " ~. -, L r ~ ,,oj' ,ri,is q. Finished
O., ',,,,,r...,r fr,,.r ht fem rr,..u.s ami
~ -"
"uiIVlN . .I ,..t o. ,..,,t.,.,,s or ,,.,no ,,r,
'Ht VI 1"o II ~ i.,',. o. ~ it i,'r,I,.i,.,
pieH~c" an s'lu "a ~, ''t I' ,''I ,rrEiI
thect Oh me '.o'lho'' IL ,'', ~ d,iI "
DE ih!"SsIole 10 u>C S"",";t Z" va y al 49,, ,i
erou," i.,t,era tn the ,rn,
Win Ndl''t' anu ~, .i. ; t.., ,I'. J,'.i
men WIZ 'nr f and ,n.i,g. he ti,,,
cII@l,s a. ',tlC'i, u" ii i, Nv
~ r, 80 ,I. ,rg ,,tmroi difficulties have
. III sum, ,,,''j ,,;,r tI,a,irr f. drIal fine ma
49, a. tI' tnrnrl rnatI1,, n. rr,sary n slower aad
~ ',,, ,,,in ~ Li..,iu,, 1lue nj those q.,s
L t ,4t., .,'l .t,,ne t,I,ITi in shaft No - IN
no ,"i , ,t,.o ,,i h re,i,iI,.d t. ,,.of Of tLe
-. - ~ ,,,,,,r'aJ a.. tir,irrs os f1st a. lie
l, ~ v,v'rcd The ordinary mode OF timber
l"Ch We ~ ''',. We i' va ''''''' No. !
case as the explosions would disi"d1' them ald /
sl. la