The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1890-09-13
USBER ST. CLAIR RIVER.
The Great Railroad Tunnel az Last
Completed.
THE TUNNEL cosT AN ENoRMous sum

Iutt luIutl. Sitcu., Aug. Zo.-Ihc
great railway tunnel under the St.
Clair River was completed this fore
noon. The ringing Of bells and the
sound of whistles in the vicinity of the
tunnel announced that something un-
usual had taken place. Ali the boats
OH the river commenced to blow their
whistles.
Chief Engineer Hobs0n, of the
Grand Trunk, arrived at Sarnia early
this morning in his private car. He
was the first man to pass through the
tunnel, followed by Engineers Murphy
and James, the Hon. G. Mckenzie, NJ.
p, and DR.. Johnstone, of Sarnia-
Sunday afternoon the working force
on the Canadian and American sides
were passing tobacco, ETC., through the
hole bored between the two shields,
and conversation was carried on during
the evening. 1t remained for "the 8
o'clock shiftr to remove the last of the
earth. Six hundred people, all of
whom are connected with the tunnel,
have walked under the river from the
United States TO Canada and vice
versa since its completion. Str Henry
Tyler, President Of the Grand Trunk
Railway Company, was expected to be
present at the opening of the tunnel,
but did not arrive this morning.
HOW THE WORK WAS DONE.
When the Grand Trunk hallway
Company purchased the old Chicago
n Lake Huron Railroad in 1880 it
entered the field with a through line of
its own to compete for the immense
amount of through traffic between the
Northwest and the seaboard by way of
Chicago. From this time the two btg
iron car ferries at this point were kept
almost constantly at work. With the
purchase Of the Great Western Rail-
way of Canada came the possession Of
another through route from the North
west, from Milwaukee to Niagara Falls
by way of Detroit. Although the car
ferries al this point and at Detroit did
the work of transporting the trains
between Michigan and Canada salts
factorily in the summer season, during
the winter traffic sometimes has been
blocked several hours on account of
the ice floating In the river. In view
of these facts the Grand Trunk officials
began to look around for some surer
and moro regular means of crossing
the river. Both bridge and tunnel
were suggested. Various reasons
were urged against bridge. The
banks of the river are comparatively
low and to reach hight sufficient to
clear the masts of vessels would neces-
state the building of high towers and
long approaches. The span of such a
bridge would also have to be long
about $500 feet. Vessel men would
raise objections should an attempt be
made to build a low bridge. A tunnel
was considered more feasible. Port
Huron was selected for the location, as
II is on the direct route to the Falls.
In 1886 a company called the st.
Clair Tunnel Company was organized,
the stock being subscribed mostly by
the Grand Trunk people. Permission
for constructing the tunnel was OBJ
tanned from the Governments Of the
United States and Canada aud the test
| work begun The borings proved sat
isfactory, showing deposit of still
blue clay between the bottom OF the
river and the bedrock. The depth OF
the water was nowhere found to be
more than forty feet.
Mr. Joseph Hobson, of Hamilton
Ont, chief engineer ofthe Great West'
ern division Of the Grand Trunk Rail.
wav. proposed to start at the surface
of The earth and bore downward with
the Beach hydraulic tunnel shield
Ills scheme also contemplated building
the tunnel of cast-iron segments holted
together. The company finally accepted
Mr.. Hobson's plans, and he was made
chief engineer for the work. In lanu'
sry, 1889, work was begun.
The first half Of the year was occu
pied mostly in making preparations fol
the work. An excavation was made a
each end to the depth of about seventy
feet before entering the tunnel proper
Besides making these excavations
machine shops were erected and thu
operating machinery placed In position
The latter. consists Of set Of three
boilers, only two Of which are used a
a time. the third being kept in readi
ness for emergencies, AIR pumps iol
furnishing fresh air to the men WORK
inc in The tunnel, duplicate electri'
light plant, all engine and pump 10
furnishing the power for forcing th'
shield forward, steam derricks 10
raising the excayated earth, planning
machinery for smoothing the joints Q
tbe iron segments of the tunnel, black
smith shop, carpenter shop, etc. Il
August. 1889, everything was ready
the sbiclds-one at each end OF tn
nroposed tunnel--weic placed 10 posi-
lion. and the start for the Journe'
under the river begun.
The shields we're made In Hamilton
Ont, shipped here in pieces, and P, pu
tooether near the tunnel portal. Th
one on this side of the river eh
mode of procedure Oh both SIDES 0
thc river being the same) was ROLES
down the sides Of the excavation
tramway made of heavy timbers an
nlaced IN it pit made for the startln
point A heavy backing of timbe
was made, and a few OF the iron sec
lions of the tunnel put together an
nosition in the open air before 'r
Shield was started on its undergroun
trip. e.. leo
rims securely bolted together. Fac
ring il composed of thirteen segment
and a key put together with bolt
Each segment is IL inches wiae' = ie'
IN inches long on the outside, and
inches thick. Around the edge Is
; DANCE G inches wide and I'D inch'
thick. Through these flauges are DO
holes through which pass the Dol
holding the tunnel solid. Betwee
hach Joint of the segments Is placed
thiu niece of sheet asphaltum, maxim
tho lining water-tight Each segms,'
weighs 1000 pounds. AS the tunnel
trifle over 5000 feet long abo'