The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1883-03-14
THE sHONKIN TUNNEL.
Which Jas. McDevltt is Putting Through
An Enterprise Which viii. Result
IN Great Good

An Enterprise Which will, Result
I IN Great Good.
Last Friday party consisting of t. E.
| Collins, Paris Gibson, David G.. Browne
and a representative of the RIVER PRESS,
accepted Sheriff McDevitt's ivitation to
a ride over to the tunnel which the latter
is engaged in running through the hill,
on the other side Of the river, to tap
! Shonkin creek. Crossing at the upper
ferry and passing the primitive stable on
| the other side of the river over the walls
! of which Montana thoroughbred had
| bis nose elevated in an attitude of disgust
| at his airy quarters, Jim's speedy team
soon brought Us to the foot Of the hill
| below the mouth of the tunnel. After
alighting, and with base ingratitude
leaving jim to unhook and hitch the
team to the wagon all by himself the
party ascended to the hole and were soon
going Indian file into the ''innards" of
the hill. At the face of the tunnel we
found Henry Wright, who has charge of
the job, and another man, busy at work
driving the hole still further in.
On this side of the hill the tunnel,
which is just five feet high by four feet
wide, was then in 116 feet. 1t is now in
the very hardest kind of stuff to work
on-a sort of clay which is as close and
as hard as solid rock but they are still
ms alysn NV III,
hours, working night and day shifts.
On the Shonkin side of the hill, which
was reached by climbing over, a Job
which none Of the party would care to
take every day, the tunnel, for the
first hundred feet was through softer
ground, and workmen were in 12S feet,
making four feet per day, but are now
entering the hard clay and progress will
necessarily be a little slower from this
on. They have still about 200 feet to
run, and it will be at least five weeks
before the job is completed.
We have spoken of this tunnel before,
and given some reports which had been
told us about the progress of the work,
but it was not until we had visited it
that we realized the magnitude of the
job that Mr. McDevitt had undertaken
or the benefits likely to be derived from
its successful completion. The ditch, or
more properly the cut, leading from the
Shonkin to the entrance of the tunnel,
and which is already started, will be 45O
feet in length, and from five5to eleven
feet deep. This will make the entire
workout and tunnel-a little over 900
feet, and the estimated cost will be over
$1,000. a fiume will be laid through the
tunnel Of capacity sufficient to carry the
whole OF the creek at an ordinary stage
Of water, with a grade of an inch and
quarter to the rod.
The mouth of the tunnel, on this side,
is some seventy feet above the bottom
land, and this will enable Mr. McDevitt
to carry the water to any point he de
sires, either On his own ranch or on land
belonging to other parties, and in conse-
quence Of the pressure to be obtained it
can be used as a motor or for irrigating
purposes. 1t will certainly make the
land Oh that side of the river a great deal
more valuable, and even. if there is not
one inch sold Jim will soon be reim-
bursed for his outlay from the fine crops
which the water will insure him. Still,
it is not everybody who would under
take the job, and Mr.. McDevittis enti-
tied to a great deal Of credit for the
enterprise which he has shown in this
matter.