Mountain Home bulletin. (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1888-1889, 1888-08-18
THE noosAc TUNNEL
One Of the Most Wonderful Trlumphs -
American Enterprise.

American Enterprise.
The Hoosac mountain stretches
across the western part OF Massachu-
sets, and forms a natural barrier boz
1--WE en- tn at State and New York. How |
to make direct line Of communica-
ton between these neighboring States
was problem that 1t took half q cent
ury to solve. At the point chosen for
the excav alton of the tunnel. the top
Of the ridge is 2 500 feet above the
level of the sen, and is approached on
the east by the valley IT the D,ertield
river, and on tho west by the Hoosac
river. tributary Of the Hudson.
These valleys begin not more than
five miles apart. and thus allow rail-
ways to reach the tunnel by easy
grades. As early as 1925. commissions
ers Of the Legislature reported in
favor Of tunneling the Hoosac mount
ain for canal, bnt nothing was done
about it, and in 1871 railroad going
over the noun ain was completed. and
tho tunnel project was abandoned.
The building Of a tunnel. however.
was embraced in The plan Of the Troy
& Greenfield railroad. which was in
done ON it for some years, owing to
the difficulty of obi aiming asistan &c
from III State. In 1854 the State Leg
islature passed an act providing for q
loan of credit to the amount OF 81. 600.
600 for the construction OF the Hoos nc
tunnel. but the gift was hampered by
coaditio which made il not directly
available by the company. and thus
J the work was greatly hindered. Sew.
eral contracts were made for the exca-
walton of the tunnel. but all fel
| through by failure Of the company t.
meet payments when due. and tho
: work was not begun with vigor unit
: 1857. 1t was then carried on unit
' July 1861. up to which time the Stat
4 had advanced nearly $500. 900 for TIN
0 work. but rs the State officials thel
0 refused to longer certify the bills o
: the contractors, work was suspended
. and the project was entirely aban
h toned by the railroad company. Il
!. 1862 the State assumed control of tn
it work, and appointed commissioners
: to supervise it; these found 'serions de
y fects in the tunnel plan and recon-
mended important changes Wor
h was begun again in December. 1865
o but so slowly did it proceed tn;
> he Hoosac tunnel became to the pee
r Pile of Massachusetts symbol OF n
le impossible and I'm atiainable re suit
But the second veritable epoch In tn
i history OF the enterprise may be sal
II 10 date from 1868. when the State d.
If eiled, after much discussion, to hav
II he work completed immedintel,
10 The contract was then awarded to til
DO Messrs. Shanly, of Canada. who vigo
as Justly prosecuted the work. day an
rs light, and on Thanksgiving Da,
to N ,vembcr 81. 1873 the laborers at
vancing from both sides met, an
nj light was admitted through the tu
III mel 1t was completed in Marc
OF 1874, and trains wcrt running throu.
rs 1t by the following September. II
rk length of the tunnel is % OBJ feet
he four and three-quarter miles. 1t is
p feet wide, and varies in height fro
% to 26 feet. The grade allowed
ee 26 feet to the mile during the emit
IS. distance. fl, M each portal to the &c
~ trail shaft. making the interior sunni
at more than 60 feet higher than t
Id ends. There is a central shaft in t
IN. unnel which occasions suffice
Die draught to venilato it quite effectu
int IL. The entire cost If the tunnel
M. estimated at $40 900 0)O. The Ion
Ia est tunnels in the world are tho
wn through the Alps. OF these the A
Ia. berg six and one-half miles lor
les the M mt Gems sew n and three-gui
sse Ter miles, the ST. Golhard nine mi
mt and quarter, while the Simplon III
VS. el. now in process OF construction.
lie to be twelve and half miles long.
,ht Chicago Lster- OCEAN,