Morris tribune., 1889-07-31
Letter From Down East--Des-
cription of the Great
Hoosac Tunnel.
NORTH ADAMS, Mass.,l
July 80, 1889.

July 80, 1880.
EDITOR TRiBUNE:-Hoosac tunnel
is situated 1856 miles from Boston Oh
the Fitchburg railroad, and was con-
structed to afford the most direct
route to The great northwest, for the
extensive manufactures of New Eng
land; also to receive the great cerial
product of that boundless region for
the sustenance of New England, ana
expectation. 1t was surveyed In 1901
by Laomi Baldwin, who exclaimed
on viewing the result of his work,
"surely the finger of Providence had
pointed out this route from the east
to the west.n Yes, said by stander,
and its pity the same finger wasn't
thrust through that mountain. 1t
proved q formidable task, cutting
through five miles of solid mica-slate,
interspersed with veins of quartz.
Work was commenced in 1851 by the
Troy and Greenfield r.. r. Co., who set
up a Is ton boring machine costing
thousands of dollars; it cut hole ten
feet deep and twenty-four feet in
diameter. When its work was done.
it was sold for old iron. Its opera
ton consisted in the revolution OF
set of knives on its outer edge, cut
ting groove 15 inches deep, then
it was run back aud the intervening
rock blasted out, when it was run in
to position again. Hand drills We're
used for few years, when the state
of Massachusetts by reason of pre-
vious loan of millions on mortgage,
foreclosed, and assumed control in
1865, letting the contract for its COM
pletion TO Walter Stanley d Co., OF
Montreal, for AZ millions. This COM
pany used the BurleiSh compressed
air drill with success. Carl 0.
Wederkinch, n Danish engineer, sur
veyed from u central point on the
mountain summit for shaft which
should be in lire with the headings
on either side of the mountain. This
shaft was sunk to obtain two addi-
tional headings for working, also as a
necessity for proper ventilation. The
nicely of tAis Danes work, with that
of A. w. Locke, engineer in charge,
was demonstrated when all headings
met nine years later with o variation
of but ZIG of an inch. There have |
fsy In, ltn CHI
its completion in 1875, from falling |
rock. A long distance from each end
is arched with brick, averaging seven |
courses in thickness. For IA years it |
has been in total darkness, but for |
the occasional torch of the track |
walkers and the telegraph office at its
central shaft, but it is now iIlumi- |
mated day and night with over 200
incandescent lights. The grade is
quite steep and this seems to be the |
greatest fault in its construction. A |
reasonable grade is necessary, how
ever, to admit of the rise of impure
air and smoke, and the fall of water |
which pours from each eud at the |
rate of 725 gallons per minute west |
and 1876 east. The middle is so to go |
feet higher than either end, requiring |
pushing engine on heavy loads half
way, while no steam tall is used the
other half. Passenger trains require |
but ten minutes to go through now.
The average number of men en-
ployed during the last 2 years of con- |
struction was 1000. A special school
was conducted for the children off
these families, and the writer taught
the last term this school was kept, |
walking up the mountain side each
morning to the most unruly crowd of
school children ever met, but some |
of them are head and shoulders above |
me to-day, in some respects at least.
The cuts shown were loaned me by
Mr.. E. A. Bond, for II years an engi-
neer in the tunnel, who has also COM
piled book on its history, from
which this sketch is mostly derived.
The tunnel cost about Is millions and
was sold to the Fitchburg r. r. Co.
a year or two ago, for which the state
received 5 millions in bonds and
millions in capital stock, thus losing
several millions. The following
figures may be of interest:
Length of tunnel, 4.84 miles or 25,-
OBJ feet.
Width "a feet, double tracked.
Height to top of brick arch 26 feet.
Grade per mile 2,640 feet.
Tri-nitro Glyeerine, explosive used,
100000 pounds, being 81 pounds to
each cubic yard of rock.
Depth of central shaft | ,028 feet.
Lives lost In its construction 1876.
Began 1851, finished 1875.
hoped to have sent you a more in
teresting account of this great work,
but have done as well as / know how.
The industries IN this vicinity are
very interesting, chief of which are
paper, calico, shoes, zylonite, ging-
ham, wooden, etc. L. d. M.