New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-07-08
UNDER TEE HUDSON RIVER.

| A group of men stood ON the pier at the foot OF
Mfrton-st, North River watching with wonder vo'eut
rothing and bubbng In the water about thirty feet cub
almostunder the bows Of the ocean steamer that lay IN
the dock One Of the thought It might be the screw
of the steamer making the conmoton hut the suppo-
ston elected OF rdcule at his expense lor
supposiug that steamer carried screw In her bows
another suggested that the bubbles and foam were
caused by fishes fighting down IN the depths-a neory
which seemed more plausible until newcomer ais-
| sipafed 1t authoritatlvely.
@No faint fishes doing that" said he; IFS men ~
| wort down there-"
This seemed more improbable than the screw Of the
steamer but the man. with the air Of one who knew
| what he was talking about, continued
sTnem bubbles come from pressed air down IN the
tunnel that goes right ont under here and under the
| river whore the digging now Idont know
how they do It, bat I'm blamed If I'd hike to dig down ~
such place Back over there is the place where the
tunnel starts"
THE TRIBUNE reporter entered the Enclosure where the
work on tho Hudson River Tunnel Is IN progress ana az
the invitation of Colonel d. c. Hsskns the father ot too
enterprise, made trip down anc Into the New iefA
end of the tunnel First be removed his outer ciotnx
and put on pair OF rubber boots reaching to the nips
flannel shirt and old hat Transforming him INFO the
appearance OF a aborer In the sewers. Descendinga
ladder about twenty feet the top of the caisson was
reached wnero the airlocl Is entered FMS Is STOUT
iron cylinder resembling those old boiler heads Always
lying around iron foundries IL IS placed ON
heavy foundation Of brick ana in the din light arounf'
beams and portions machinery be fantiy seem
The man leading the way has candle that no nshts'
and then he asks II you have ever had any experiences
with eoupfessed air, ami you have not ne tells you
acts rather queer aud some people cant stai,e
but II you feel 1t hurts your ears much you must ase
hold OF your and pun out your cheeks linen ne
Turns or faucet in the midst OF the visitors spprenen
sioas and theair rshrs out with noise as II wnole
boiler fl OF steam was escaping When this nose mas
subsidized pulls open round iron door IN the sr-sck
enough TO creep through and there
little compartment In which three men can be packed Ii
they sit IN crenchng position with ther knees drawn
NO 10 their heads Are yeu ready " the guide ASKS
and then turns on air that with heavy fog
and cold rush and puts out the light Ones head De-
gus II IL swelling, and roaring sound ms
II water trying to forue its way into the ears Is
followed by keen sharp pain that makes one hoio the
nose and the breath well and pun out the cheeks until
nearly suhocatcd BY this time the noise stops Out
breathing causes q peculiar sensation; the voice sounds
rs Il had become separated block or two frou the
body aud Is dicult to hear what any one else says
This Is the soclmaon speak and the rest Is con-
paratiyely easy. Theicande reiighted and another
roa door first opened and the reporter jumps
through bottom OF the a-lock doEp beside oiack
hole that looks II might lead into dungeon Down
this black Ole are pair OF Shiny ladders that descend
fifty feet branching On the bottom To tho hoor OF
the caisson The sides and wallis arc brsccd and SIP
ported BY massive wooden trusscs fully foot thick that
restore confidence by glance at their strength An
electric lamp shines out from On opening In the side OF
the essson and IT easy to pick ones way through the
water shaft that starts cot under tho BED OF tho
Hudson River.
The tunnel viii consist of two shRss, the north shaft
only been advanced for distance OF 40 fce ex-
tending under tho per and TO that point under the ships
bows where the water from the wharf bubbing
mn 10 the surface The form OF the shaft s not quite
round being eighteen feet high and only sixteen feet
wide large enough give abundant room for the largest
railway But only half OF the real size OF the shaft 10
cavafei material that can be carried out more easily
the whole tunnel u completed 10 the eye there s
siaT and q aoor OF damp clay Near the end OF the
tunnel, the workuen are engaged, wooden
water tins space Will alsD be ned IN It's turn the
tunnel pushed forward. Tue heavy pressure of air
that Is maintained from twenty 10 thirty pounds
square inch aboye the uniform fifteen pounds pressure
especially noticeable after the conditions become
f.uar but ar<ale sfect IL To be In TIE
WAY which IL viii had an outlet In the smallest crew
lee even y not large enoas ~ aan r Tue c po' 81
square inch the Interior OF the tanne forces the sir
tns3usn Ind ses the bu5ss seen on the surface OF
the river The only water hat comes into the tunnel
s mat wch comes in the head where the iron she'll
i being put up the brick-work and the OF
this water Ia ronttved by the pressure OF tue air u
increased the win not rise In tae space that has
opened What appears most sttanse at irst y that
lrrsh into the tunnel water little ealt
thn 10 cannot he tassci II comes from springs aud
eurests nader The elayey bed % the yer asd the
water directly under the volume OF salt water that
IL fossng twenty feet their heads The work
eight hours, and three changes are made during the
twenty hours Healthy men experience no ncon-
Period IN fsis atmosphere likely bring symptoms
Of the caiss0n disease. or ms the miners call IT. the
qured advance and complets one section OF ten feet
IN the New-fork eni oI IN" Tunnel Inc wal OF onck
thekness beug less than two test The variation
q caused by the ipossibiy OF running out the iron
sl4faa In nm
90 the Sew-Jersey side the north tunnel hiss been
tunnel is 600 feet in length The last section OF tho
north tunnel the New York 81 e WAS nnshed ON
friday June D. and the folio wing week the
begun the south shaft snng II from the cais.on
THIS rs nov In proEress and nothing Is being done On
IL slow owing to the delay obtaining the means 10
prosecute IT, but Colonel Haskins Is determined not
have AZ stop entirely. 5. H. Fneh the chief engineer
sung who has directed solely the extension Of
We have made a nav chapter in engineering" no
said to the reporter Not only the best american en-
Condemned Methods and predicted that ve would
able to get outside OF ths ealsson on the New
York side You wc have built IT'S feet In shan,
and We nev digging out the otncr
Why should II be more difficult than the Hoboken
Because there we struck SILT heavy clay. at the
start that pretty eneotua protection aainst the
start the New-YoF tannel In a bed of sand through
which the air continually rsrcea It, WY The aisa,ty
and sand. and we had several blow-outs' that IN
@ tns $ S
further with the saisd."
How long would it take to anish the tunnel with
adequate work 2"
VITA every means would guarantee TO a hole
under the river inslde OF eighteen months.
Have you any doubt OF the ability to complete the
wprs a.
No. have not. The only obstacle to our progress
that conceive would be should upon rock
overlad with sand That would present difcult PROT
lam solve but, mind you. say Tins h only posi-
bty. The tunnel VIII be $500 feot under the river,
approaches OF 5000 feet either ri ic
total length 1900 leftover two miles. The maxi
depth Of the earth above u In twenty feet, and
the wrter nj the deepest part Of tho river IL sixty
deem"
Colonel Hasklns said In regard 10 tho work ON
the tunne.: Our arrangements about made 50
that begin work once in0re with q full force
inc death OF Mr. PARK. the president OF the company
nd he aeffinR