Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1889-07-31
Letter From Down East--Des-
cription of the Great
HOoSaC Tunnel.
NORTH ADAMS, Mass,,I
JnIV 20. 1889,

| July oOi icoV'
EDITOR TRlBUNE:-Hoosac tunnel
is situated 1876 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 lo5O
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" Yes, said a by stander,
and its pity the same finger WASH t
thrust through that mountain. 1t
proved 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 q 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, It's opera
ton consisted in the revolution of a
set of knives on its outer edge, cut
ting a groove Is inches deep, then
it was run back and the Intervening
rock blasted out, when it was run i'll
to position again. Hand drills were
used for a 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 & Co., of
Montreal, for ~ millions. This COM
pany used the BurleiSh compressed
air drill with success. Carl ..
Wederkinch, Danish engineer, sur
veyed from II central point Oh the
mountain summit for Il shaft which
should be in liEe 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 this Danes work, with that
of A. w. Locke, engineer in charge,
was demonstrated when all headings
met nine years later with variation
of but ZIG of an inch. There have
been no accidents in the tunnel since
its completion in 1875, from falling
rock. A long distance from each end
is arched with brick, averaging seven
courses in thickness. For II 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 illumi-
mated day and night with over l 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 end at the
rate of 725 gallons per minute west
and 1876 east. The middle is so to 60
feet higher than either end, requiring
pushing engine on heavy loads half
way, while no steam att all 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 of
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 I 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 it's history, from
which this sketch is mostly derived.
The tunnel cost about Is millions and
was sold to the Fitchburg r. r. Co.
year or two ago, for which the state
received 5 millions in bonds and 5
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 2,64O feet.
Tri-nitro Glycerine, explosive used,
100000 pounds, being 81 pounds to
each cubic yard of rock.
Depth of central shaft 1,028 feet.
Lives lost In its construction 1876.
Began 1851, finished 1875.
hoped to have sent you more in
teresting account of this great work,
but have done as we'll 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.