Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1884-01-31
BOHEMIAN TUNNEL.
Celebration Of Its Formal Opening to
Traffic.
Grand Banquet---NOtable Speeches.

Grand Banquet...NOtabIe Speeches.
On Tuesday last, the 22d, the people of
Gallatin, and particularly of its sprightly
county seat celebrated the formal opening
to traffic of Bozeman Tunnel. An excur-
sion train conveyed large number OF cltl-
zens, with Division Engineer J. T. Dodge
his assistants, Engineers Becker and Hoag-
| land, and Contractor James Muir, up the
divide to and through the tunnel. The
return trip brought the party back to the
city at seasonable hour in the afternoon,
where later in the day, a banquet was
spread, healths drunk, speeches made, and
Joyous time generally took place. Among
| the citizens who delivered themselves elO-
quently were Koch, Anderson, Wilson, and
of the railroad people, Dodge, Ford, Beck
Ter, and Hoagland.
Becker, as resident engineer, gave some
interesting statistics, as reported by the
Auant Courier. Work was commenced on
the tunnel February II, 1882. Two men,
who threw out the first shovels' full Of
earth, stayed till the work was completed.
They were Frank McCloud and Tom Cos
grove. The pay rolls showed that thous-
ands of men had helped in making the
bore N. B. Turner had been superintend-
ent of the work. The length of the tun-
mel is 3,610 feet, and height of mountain
236 feet over roof of tunnel. The grade
rises from the east side twO-thirds OF the
way through the tunnel. The highest
point is $685. being the highest point on
tho entire line, and II feet higher than the
grade in Mullan tunnel. The cost of the
tunnel was twenty times greater than the
overhead line. The greatest amount of
work done in one week was 54 feet un-
lined, or As feet lined. The distance from
east end to where the lines met was
2,3OO feet. The average daily progress
was five feet and seven-tenths, being
seven -tenths greater than Mr.. Muir had
contracted to do.
Mr.. Koch said the ride to-day was over
historic ground, that of the few places
where historical events cluster, in our vast
Territory, BOzeman Pass is one. Even
Col. Dodge had tried faithfully to avoid it
and find another route for the railroad, but
was compelled eventually to adopt and
cross it, The first discoverer of the Rocky
Mountains, Frenchman named de Veren-
drye, probably crossed this pass 140 years
ago, and Clarke, in returning from the
Pacific coast eighty years ago, more than
likely followed the Indian trail which
leads directly over the tunnel-He referred
to the trips of the st. Louis fur traders,
few years later, and the attempt of Eman-
uel Lisa to establish a city near Three
Forks, remarking that the Blackfeet in
those days were too many for him, as
mosquitoes and alkali have proven for his
successors.
For Years Gallatin and adjacent valleys
now far different class-men who build
homes-are coming over the Pass:
Il hear the tread of pioneers
OF nations yet to be;
The first low wash of waves where soon
Shall roll human sea-.
In few years after the first settlement
OF Gallatin dark cloud hOvered over the
Pass, in the Blackfeet, Sioux and Crow In
dians This was broken by railroad en-
gineers pushing their way down the Yellow
stone But again our hopes were dashed
to the ground; the financial crisis In the
East put stop to railroad building. The
outlook was indeed gloomy, but it was the
darkest hour before the dawn. We turned
to and helped ourselves; we knew the
country must be opened and the whitened
bones on many hill tell of the struggles
and ultimate triumph. New life was in
fused in the Northern Pacific, and again
the engineers pushed their way into the
Yellowstone valley. Colonel Dodge estab
lished his headquarters among us, and we
carefully noted every word that came from
his lips that told of what the railroad
would do. 1t was soon settled that the
railroad must come over our pass Ground
was broken, men rushed in and build the
track, the last spike was driven, Mullan
tunnel was opened, and now we celebrate
the completion of the last link OF the
great line binding the East to the West.
He complimented the engineers for their
skill and audacity in running the overhead
lines, and said: Where can one find a
higher monument of engineering skill than
the line over the range at Mullan Tunnel"
He also complimented the engineers for
the skill which directed the men working
toward each other in Bozeman Tunnel, so
that when the headings met it was found
there was no variation by either party from
the established line.
He spoke of the work of the pioneers
that they had done their work boldly and
well had laid foundation for a great
State; that all that was necessary was to
build up on that foundation. He closed
his remarks by again complimenting the
engineers, saying that wherever they may
90, east, north west or south, they shall
ever bear our kindest wishes, land may
their lines fall in pleasant places"
To the toast, "Col. j. T. Dodge and his
efficient corps of engineers" came this re-
spOnse:
Bozeman has special reason for celebrat-
ing this event. Ever since Bozeman was
the range east of you has stood |
a frowning obstable to your progress aid |
with the outside world. |
He spoke of the manifold difficulties of
crossing the pass, either in summer or
winter. 1t was for long time the obstacle |
which stood in the way of the approach |
Of the Northern Pacific, and made it un-
certain whether or not in should come by |
your doors. Less than three years ago it
was unsettled where the line should leave
the Yellowstone Valley. 1t was provision
ally settled as far as the mouth Of Shields
river, but whether from there it should
cross the range by Bozeman, Trail Creek,
Flathead or Sixteen-mile pass was unde-
termiped. l was instructed to find the
best route over the range, and realized that
it would be an unpleasant fact to discover
a better pass after the route was per-
located. Mr. Van Welt was de-
tailed to run line from near where Liv-
ngston now stands, over Bozeman Pass,
and to return via Trail Creek
With Mr.. Becker, made a personal
of Flathead and Sixteen-Mile.
We found over mile of snow on the sum-
nit of Flathead Pass. At Sixteen-Mile
we found the summit over two hundred