Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-09-08

or THE WORE
Armed with a letter Of Introduction to Col l. II.
klriin, chief inspector OF the water-worxs extern
sion, STAR representative repaired 10 the Cham
pain avenue shaft OF the new aApeduct. IL was
early morning, and the night "shift," as the force
OF men who work through the night are termed,
were just coming up from their toll. To those
| down In the depths OF the long tunnel the night
was the same as day. AS these men, with their
clothing bespattered with mud and slime and their
hats Dedecked with the small miners lantern,
whose faint CLEANS guide the strokes OF labor in
that four-mile dungeon. came up an equal force
was preparing to descend, for night and day the
work Is prosecuted. Col kirlin was on hand,
as Is his custom, among the earliest
You don't mean do 20 down yourself do your"
he inquired, after reading The STAR mans note OF
| Introduction. The reply was in the Affirmative
The STAR had directed a thorough inspection OF
the work down In the depths, In order that the
public who are SO much interested In the COM
pletion OF the extension might know just what
| progress is being made, and when they may hope
Tor frliton OF long deferred hope. "All right"
responded the colonel, .Tl take you through with
pleasure; but you don't want to go down with
that suit OF clothes 'Tll supply you with toggery
suitable to subteranean Investigations" In short
order the colonel and his STAR guest were ap-
parelled Ill style that would have landed both In
station house had they ventured into the city.
Rough overalls, dark blue flannel shirts,
high rubber boots and common wool hats
so discOlored by smoke and begrimmed with dust
as 10 ALMOST utIy any lurLner Suyng, even In the
depths OF the tunnel Col. Kirlin next selected
from shell In his Office two coal-Ol lamps pro-
Sided with handles, and somewhat resembling tin
dlpperS OF small size. These he filled with oil,
Lighted, and gave the command:
"Now FOLLOW Me-"
few steps ana they stood upon the cage or ele-
vator TO the shaft Col Kirlin touched a bell and
the descent began. Down, steadily down, 136 feet
below the surface of the earth. Half way down a
steady trickliny OF water fell like a summer
shower the water penetrating TO the skin. A
slight jar told when they were at the bottom OF
ane tunnel Jul, mel, NOW hold your light well forward
led the way. DARK! Yes 1t was as dark as Erebus
and the tunnel atmosphere had no night booming
10 ascertain the actual condition OF the work;
there was no turning back. The faint glimmer OF
Col. kiriin's lamp shone ahead as THE STAR man
splashed through the water collected in the bot
tom OF the tunnel
THE TUNNEL LINING.
The first fact OF interest to the public that
impressed Itself upon the cropping STAR investi-
gator was that great deal more OF the tunnel had
been lined than was generally supposed, and that
the WORK Is much nearer completion than persons
unacquainted with Its actual progress imagine
In TINS connection 1t may be as well TO state that
the lining OF the tunnel, or rather the necessity
Tor lining II, has retarded the final completion OF
the water-works extension, and mas really been
tue cause or the public disappointment When
the pan Oh sinking shafts and running the tunnel
through sOld rock Was adopted 1t was not believed
by The eng heers that lining would be necessary
Ihey mad bored deep enough 10 find what was
apparently solid rock Of the description desired. IL
was then estimated that the only cost additional
TO what Is termed an open tunnel-that is sinking
an excavation weep enough ami constructing q
tunnel or maSonry-would Oe the extra depths OF
the shafts required. The rock appeared TO be
SOiid But after the work was begun IL was dis
rock; that while IL was solid and hard enough
when IN the bosom OF mother eaTtn soon alter IL
became exposed 10 atmospheric influences IL grew
soft, and that while the atmospheric vista
Client 10 satisfy the eXacting lungs OF the
man accustomed to breathing above ground
IL had very
DELETERIoUs EFFECT
upon the rock, which was designed to be the natu-
raj lining Of the tunnel. Beside the decomposing
qualities OF the rock, there was another disap-
pointment in store for the engineers They found
that great natural assures existed. These assures
are nlled with soft clay, and when The STAR ex-
plorer examined them they suggested the idea OF
veins in the human body. Between the hard rocks
these StreaHs OF sof. clay occur and soft that 1t
can De removed with The fingers. AT first IL was
thought that it would be necessary TO line the
tunnel only ia patches, as IL were; only where
these fissl,res appeared, for they are always ac-
companled by Strata OF soft rock, or or lock much
softer than the general character round In the
tunnel; but a closer examination dem
tunnel what It ought to be it must be lined ned
throughout from one end to the other The en-
gineers all agreed that should any mistake be
would endanger the permanent value Of the uin-
net Hence 1t was determined that, in order to
make the WORK what IT ought to be, the lining
row being put In as the nnal touches OF the great
Tunnel
THE BRICK ARCH
The first plan, after determining to line the en-.
tire tunnel was 20 erect within 1t an arch work of
brick, covering the bottom, Sides and TOD, II an
arch may thus be described. The first work done
with the lining was upon this plan, and
the explorer passes through semi-Oval OF
solid brick WORK, firmly executed, clean, and
neat. Along the bottom trickleS a small
stream OF water, but the TOD and sides
remind one OF some cleanly-swept courtyard. 1t
wa not long before tine engineers determined that
an artifcial bottom was not necessary; that the
rock 1T the bottom OF the tunnel did not need any
covering, ana they changed their plan TOT one
more economical, which Is now being carried oul.
AT present the tuhnel Is oeing lined with stone
anu brick, stones constituting the sides and brick
the arch, the bottom being composed OF the hat
ural rock. This Is much cheaper than the Dian
inst ADOPTED. On each side a stone wall Meet
high Is erected. This Is a masonry wall COMPOSED
OF the pick or the stone taken out OF the tunnel
Where SOFT stone Is encountered IL Is rejected and
sent 10 the TOP among what Is termed the muck.
In order 10 better understand the present status
OF The tunnel perhaps IL should be explained that
under tn, original plan that 1t should supply It's
own support without artificial lining OF any kind
the dimensions were to have been by IL feet.
Of course these dimensions could not be regularly
maintained, as the work done chiefly BY blast
Ing. One or the nrst things that directed the at
tention of the engineers 10 the Character of tine
rock was the irregularity OF the hole they
were Undertaking To bore. In some places where
the rock was SOFT or full Of assures II would blast
out or feet beyond the designed Dimensions
Hence when complete system OF lining
was determined upon it became necessary 10
trim the tunnel that Is TO cut out the irregulari-
ties far as practicable and put 1t In shape for
the masonry work. Now this lining is nut In with
all the precision OF the best engineering and
mechanical skill Since the flooring, the bottom
OF the tunnel may be described To the ordinary
reader, has been abandoned, the plan OF erecting
A feet stone walls on each side and building the
brick arch upon them has been adopted as the
permanent method OF improvement But even
under this plan economy Is consulted. Where the
natural rock Is hard am strong only courses OF
brick are used In the arch, but wherever there is
any sign OF assure or weakness three courses
are put In.
CAUSE OF DELAY.
The work OF lining the tunnel has been pushed
forward with diligence. In making the appropria-
ton for completing the tunnel Congress Inserted
clause fixing the outside limit OF time al Noyem
Der i next. This requirement could have been
complied with had the parties under whose SUPER
vision the work originated recognized the import
ance OF making the shafts larger. As iI is these
work below is retarded because or lack OF capacity
to lower material. AS has been already men,
toned, the tunnel has to be trimmed to fJ IL for
the work OF lining. To make this more explicit
IL Is necessary 10 revert TO the fact that the Orig.
nal plan did not contemplate lining. Under that
plan, Inequalities in the tunnel OF no sort of
signlficance; but the arch, constituting the lin
Ing, must be symmetrical, and before the masonry
can be laid trimmers must do their work. In
other words, II 1t had been found feasible TO
utilize the natural rock, IL would have made no
difference whether the tunnel for the volume OF
water varied few feet from the designed dimen-
sions OF 7xll or not; but when lining, making a
perfect arch, became necessary its proportions had