Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-02-14
Thisis necessary from the fact that the particles

| in constant operation, owing to the quantity of
water encountered in the tunnel, and the dis
haust from 1t is deafening: A man is stationed
at it constantly to attend to it and the cages,
as the case may be. The signaling is done by
| means OF a wire connected with a steel bar,
located in the hoisting house on top. This bar,
| when lifted. strikes large steel triangle: the
number of times 1t is struck indicates to the en-
| gineer what he is to do. Proceeding toward the
west heading, short distance from the portal,
the reporter came upon party of men engaged
IN enlarging the tunnel for masonry: Here
in the bottom of the tunnel, and two men We're
putting holes in the side by hand, while the
others were clearing up the bottom and loading
| so as not to retard the work in the heading. A
short distance further on the tunnel was found
with timber. At this place the rock is so soft
that it will not support Itself. Here some men
were putting more timber in position Beyond
| them another party was taking up q bench in
the tunnel and timbering This heading had
but one drill running, the rock being too soft to
by hand. Climbing over the bench about sixty
feet further on, the reporter came to the head
% y Of were ENGAGED in dr
advanced The bottom of this portion of the
tunnel Is very wet and muddy. and getting over
to be oozing in all over, but nobody seemed to
| mind 1t. All seemed to be intent upon their
own business. An this portion of the Tunnel is
| being prepared for lining with masonry. While
remarking about 1t an old tunnel man said:
| "The sooner 1t is arched the better" Going
back and into the east heading, just beyond the
shaft the visitor came upon forge in full blast,
| which presented
AwEIRD AND INTERESTING SIGHT.
Here all the steel used in the tunnel is sharp
| ened. The smith when asked how he liked
| work down there, replied: "An right" and kept
| on hammering away at his steel. Going on to
the heading another lively sight came 10 view.
Attached to iron columns four drills were
dipty OF f1o
hard. These drills were operated by seven men,
who seemed to be on them, over them and all
the tunnel. The noise made bv the drills was
terrific. There was very little broken rock in
this heading; the men were engaged in extend
Ing the track close UP to the breast. The gov
eminent inspector takes the pressure OF air in
each heading twice each day. The foreman
inch would run the drills to their utmost capa-
city, and was far superior to steam pressure, be-
and dn Wsen
In the other headings had just fired and were
blowing out the powder smoke and gas with an
each heading by line of pipe four inches in d.
ameter, laid at the side of the tunnel. The ex-
aaqst nom the drills ventilates the tunnel aid
which is inserted air Jets at intervals to keep
up rapid movement of air to the shaft and up
the same. Retracing his steps toward the shaft
the reporter had proceeded but half the distance
to 1T when deafening report was heard, accom-
walls OF the tunnel seemed
TO ROCK AND vIBRATE,
and the reporter felt as though he had been
suddenly subjected to a powerful squeezing
| and lifted from his feet, his heart jumping in
his throat. He waited with intense anxiety
the final CONFUSION, which threatend to ami
hilate him. To make matters worse, the lights
had flown, and the reporter and his conductor
were enveloped by an inky and oppressive
darkness, which, however, was soon dis
PEELED by the scratch of a lucifer. When the
showed evidence of a great effort on his part to
disguise a large smile When the reporter
Dan wha !e was cdna he replied;
the bench.' Fearful that Daniel might
have some more holes to fire, the reporter
the shaft, and hence to the surface of the earth.
The distance from this shaft to it's west head
Ing is 90 feet to the east heading ,o20 feet.
From this point the reporter proceeded to the
cast connecting shaft in the rear Of the Univer-
sity buildings, called by the men
| "HowARD UNIVERSITY SHAFT
It is located in the line Of the new reservoir
The rs inch pipe, which is to connect with it,
Is partially laid. This shaft has but one head
Ing leading toward Champlain avenue It has,
however, the same equipment as the other
shafts, and is the deepest one on the line, being
LAB feet deep. The sinking of it was difficult
matter, as it passed through auicksand great
being forced down with hydraulic jacks, below
the surface of sand in the shaft. The work OF
lining the shaft with brickwork is In progress,
from the bottom up. This work interferes
somewhat with the work In the heading, but is
being pushed with nth. all the vigor possible. An
can be worked as soon as the lining reaches
g. podnt, !. ABOUT bout ten feet above where
and greatly expedite the different parts Of the
shaft Msch Pe has he TO
rnasons. By means of rubber hose the jets can
be ben moved from point to point as desired; The
ing, % that tie water is caught and conducted
S4as pa as ad In an The
to the interior OF the shan. The. III.
ing Of he es n shat Is w 15c5 ea9d FL
inches thick, outside of which the space to the
filled with stone closely packed. Some of the
timbering is removed as the work Of lining
Teaches s them Ss The PUMP in this shaft also
drills were runnins,' and the entire space
was very hard and drilled very slowly. The
larger portion Of the tunnel at this end requires
lining it being already dcs by tb1ng
Pressor building s located on Rock creek, near
| 1O0x4O, are placed six boilers Of one hundred
horsepower each and four 24x3O Ingersoll air
| COQlpTeSSOrS. In LQe corner OF the building two
| large tanks receive the compressed air direct
| from the compressors. From these receivers it
passes into twelve-inch iron pipe running to
in firing the boilers. The amount of coal con-
sumed Is twenty tons per. diem, large pile
| being stored near the building. This is the
| largest plant Of the kind In operation It works
| very satisfactorily.
After leaving the tunnel the reporter found
| the contractors, Messrs. Beckwith and Quack-
enbush, at their main Office, No. 1908 Bridge
! street, Georgetown. This firm, which has been
| In existence twelve years, has had contracts
With various railroads, states and cities during
| that time amounting to millions of dollars.
| eve pay the top wages" said one of the mem
| bers Of the firm, "and encourage our men by
| the payment Of premiums, monthly, to those
who make the best progress. Our machinery
| furthermore, being the best of the kind Known
| or In use. We have an abundance Of power.
We are connected by telephone with each of
| our workings, and can talk with any man upon
| our works within five minutes. We have a
| superintendent at each shaft, who is directly in
| charge. Night and day our works are being
run, working all the men we can to advantage
TIE TINE REQUIRED TO COMPLETE THE WORK,
| When asked regarding a report that it would
require two years longer to complete the work
| than the time specified In the contract the con-
tractor said: "Our contract for this work was
executed October Goth, 1883, and requires us
to complete the work on or before the 3Oth day
| Of June, 1886; 1t also provides we shall make
| seven feet per day in each heading Upon an
| examination Of the country, under which the
L HpYrny nal ovSA In rHr&n