Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1888-08-24
THE hoosAo 1unns.
~"' VI '"e Most Wonderful rr,umrs. -
American Enterpr,s..

'"e Most Wonderful Triumrn. =,
IN, american Enterprfss.
A"e II 'osac mountain str.,oh..
across The western part OF Massochu.
'os''' anu forms natural barrier ho.
."eeh mat Stale and New York H.,
~ make a direct line Of communities.
'loh between these neighborinp STAT.
was y problem that it took half a cent.
"ry 10 solve. At the point chosen o.,
'ne excavation Of the tunnel tho ,o,
u the ridge is 2 500 feet above ,h M
liver OF the sea, and is npproac hed on
me east by tho valley # the d ,ertiela
..sor' ana on the west by the Hoosac
river tributary Of the HuJsoa
These valleys begin not mora ,han
I'VE miles apart and thus allow r.;,
ways to reach the tunnel by easv
srades. AS early as 1925 commissio..
ors OF the Legislature reported q
favor OF tunneling the Hoosac mou,,
am Tor a canal. but nothing was dam
ABOUT It, and in 18il railroad oo,na
over the noun ain was com pleted. and
Inc tunnel project was abandoned
Inc building of a tunnel bowevor
was embraced in the plan Of the Tr'v
" Greenfield railroad, which was IN
corporated in 1913 but no WORK w..
tone on it for some years, owing to
."e ihcnlty OF obtaining assistance
rom TN State. In 1854 the State Leo
stature passed an &C. providing for a
loan OF credit to the amount Of ~ 600
wv for the construction of the Hoo.
un 81. but the gift was hampered bv
co'uitlo which made 1t not directl,
AVAILABLE by the company, and thus
me work was greatly hindered. Sev.
RAJ contracts were made for the exc,.
va''on OF the tunnel. but all fell
through by failure Of the comrany 10
meet payments when due, and the
. work was not begun with vigor until
1907. 1t was then carried on mill
my 1861. up to which time the State
'ad advanced nearly $780, 900 for the
work. but as the State officials then
feiused to longer certify the bills of
t''e contractors, work was suspended
.nd the project was entirely aban-
Toned by the railroad COMPANY. In
1862 the State assumed control of the
work, and appointed commissioners
TO supervise 1t; these found serious de-
fec's In the tunnel plan and recon-
nenued important changes Work
was begun again in December, 1868.
but SO slowly did it proceed that
he Hoosac tunnel became to the peo-
pie OF Massachusetts a symbol of all
impossible and unattainabie re Suits
But the second veritable epoch In the
history OF the enterprise may be said
o date from 1868. when the State dc.
'ided, after much discussion, to have
he work completed Immediately
The contract was then awarded to the
ucssrs. Shanly, of Canada, who yieor-
'usly prosecuted the work. day and
light and on Thanksgiving Dav,
N 'vember ~. 1873. the laborers ad-
vtncing from both sides met and
light was admitted through the ,un-
'"L 1t was completed in March,
1874, and trains wera running through
t by the following Septem ber The
length of the tunnel is 25 OBI feet or
four and three-quarter miles 1t is 26
feet wide. and varies in height from
% to 26 feet The grade allowed is
70 feet to the mile during the entire
distance, from each portal to the CEN
raj shaft making the interior summit |
more than 60 feet higher than the
ends. There is central shaft in the
unnel which occasions sufficient |
lraught to venilate it quite effectual-
y. The entire cost IF the tunnel is |
estimated al $40 900 0OO. The long
'st tunnels in the world are those |
through the Alps. OF these the Arl-
berg six and one-half miles long.
h. Mont Cents seven and three quar-
er miles, the ST. Gothard nine miles
nd quarter, while the Simplon tun-
ell. now in process of construction, Is
q be twelve and half miles long.
chicago Inter- Ocean.