The Wilmingtonian., 1886-10-23
Nearing Completion.

probabilities, will have its terminal in New
York City by December 1st. The West
bound track from the Schuylkill to the Sus-
queharna is now receiving its finishing
touches.
The solidness of he road bed of the Balti-
more and Ohio indicates pei ect safety at
the highest attainable.rate of speed, and at
the same time it reduces to the minimum,
the discomfort of railway travel. Arrange
ments aie well nigh effected that will give
all possible encouragement to local traffic
between this city and Philadelphia and be-
tween this city and Baltimore. Trains will
run at convenient hours at high rate OF
speed.
Tie management of the road have express
ed their marked qualification at the patron
a.e given the through line aud the New
York connection will greatly augment their
Western traffic.
The Philadelphia Press in speaking Of the
work III that city says:-It was just o'clock
Monday afternoon when "Charley" the
section A of the Baltimore and Ohio tup-
nel, waved his handkerchief to the operator
standing behind tile guardhouse in Fair
mount Park, near the Green Street entrance.
In an instant the electric current shot along
the slender wire down nine cavities drilled
twenty feet deep, and with mighty roai
and earthquake shock 200 pounds of dyna-
mite hurled 1000 cubic yards, of solid tap
rock skywald as easy as an elephant would
'oss aside an obstructing buncle of straw.
The solid mass held back for an atom of a
second, az if unwilling to 90, and then rose
straight as plumb line fifty feet in the air.
1t settled back an angry and gnarled mass,
hopeless confused and broken. 1t was the
last large blast in the big tunnel, and on this
account seemed the more unwilling to go.
1t was monster dam, 30 feet wide, % feet
deep, stretching clear across the partly dug
out channel. Il lay about 100 feet South OF
he Green Street temporary bridge. All the
afternoon the Swede and No 39' oil the Ital-
ian laborers had been carrying the dreadful
explosive to the spot and carefully tampng
q ;,,t tha al h. A a.,
minutes before A o'clock the wires were con-
nected, the danger horn sounded, the red
flags waved and Policeman Wallace, of the
Ninth District, rushed about warning labor
ers and spectators.
Before the ground had stopped shaking a
thousand persons focked to the scene. Not
quicker were they, however, than the tive
great wooden scoops dangling at the ends Of
long cranes which an engineer sent diving
down in the midst of tho broken boulders
ready to begin afresh the gouging process
which is cleariuga dark underground way
for the Baltimore and Ohio's shrieking en-
| zines. The ten pound weight ON the Safety
| valve of stationary engine was shaken of
md the escaping steam created temporary
panic, which was quickly allayed when the
prudent engineer fastened back to his post.
THE TUNNEL SOON TO BE FINISHED.
The tunnel is rapidly nearing completion.
| Ia four places only are there distractions OF
any consequence. The principal obstruction
at the head of the Spring Garden Street A
| pace Of dirt and rock, about fifty feet iu
,eugtb, obs;ructs the passage. At least SIX
ty swarthy laborers are picking and digging
At the spot and ill ten days the swinging
out of the ditch to the top of the big pile,
tom which the city contractors are constant
ly cartng away stone for building purposes.
The next obstruction is the pile broken up
yesterday, aud the third is one similar t.
that of Spring Garden Street, but greal
deal smaller, and directly under the Green
Street temporary bridge. The last is al
Failmount Avenue, where the big main o
the WaterwoIks crosses. This excavation
Mill be LETT to the last but already strong
ron frame is ON the ground, to be put il
,,lace as bridge for the huge black irol
pipe.
Tue contractors Tor that part Of the tunnc
lying between CallUwhiIl Street and Fair
mount Avenue are Drake Station & Usher
Mr.. Usher said with satisfaction yesterda,
IS lie saw the big blast g off without hurt
my anybody-tue biggest blast with one ex
ceptiun since the work began: "We shal
Ue through in six weeks at least, and ther
Is no reason why traius should not be abl
TO pass through safely by December /. w
J already have begun to ballast at the Callow
hill Street end Of the tunnel aud will lay tn
tracks as fast as we can The present oh
5 structions ave nothing but child's play to &C
rid of. After they are gone we shall have t
smooth up but that won't take long"
s More than 100 stone masons and bricklay
$ ers are rounding the archwag as fast as tn
: way is made clear. Alb nut three weeks aye