The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1891-03-14
DAYLIGHT THROUGH
Tho Big chspIioe Hill Tunnel
Yesterday Morning.
INCIDENTS OF THE OCCASION
crcot Work by tho Night Shift to Get
through the Barrier of Rock.
An InteIIlgcnccr Reporter
Coos Through Early.

.o,,b headings Of the Chapline hill
.UnneI was pierced. At twenty.one
oinn,esto three O'Clock Friday morning
adriIl in the hands Of workman broke
.b,onpb the rock, and at twenty minutes
anor four the steam whistle at che north
and of the tunnel announced that the
workmfn in the two headings could see
and speak to each other.
An IXTELLIGEScEE reporter having
,o,tpn notice that the north and south
headings would bs connected at about
fee o'clock in the morning, started to
+be tunnel uB soon SIS the whistle com.
,nSnced to blow, and arrived as the last
hlsst Sas being prepared: For the last
two dayg the day and night shifts on the
Toyk lave been doing their utmost to
,,st mat so much work done, in order TO
STesk through TO air during their own
rbiit When the night shift went to
york. they accused the men OF having
TsnIdered" on the work, TO prevent the
ri1ht shift from breaking through that
niSbt The latter determined that the
work should be lini9hed Friday morn
inc. and with enthusiasm born OF rivalry
started to work. No rest was taken, no
time was lost, and by spelIlngeach other
a, sboft intervals the work progressed
viii amazing rapidity. When the re-
nortpr arrived at the breast OF tho head.
mo he found the wolknen iaboring IN.
JaS C,aat excitement. A hole the size
ola mans head had been drilled through,
and the men on either eide were shout.
ing words OF encouragement through.
The ioremen on the work had antici.
mated trouble and, perhaps, bloodshed at
tbe breaking through nj the hole, as the
gang III each heading had determined to
be the first to go through. II was I'm.
oIIv DECIDED that the men firing the last
"s6oW should 90 through last, and those
on the other side, not having TO retire
TO such great distance, would be first
at the hole. ,,
When the reporter arrived the dIillers
and hammermen had finished their
worK, and more tired and exhausted
looking set OF men be had never seen.
Stretched out on the ground, dead tired
and painting from the violent work, they
ws:e Congratulating themselves dat
dem day SHIFT iellers would be fooled
mighty bad, when da come to work in
the mawnin' an fine de hole already
busted" .
Dir. FRIssELL's LAST SHOT.
The blast was now inserted, the cleo
ire wires arranged, and the workmen
started back out OF the reach Of the fly.
inc rocks. DR.. q. NJ. Frissell had
Jumped out OF bed on hearing the
whistje and WAS on hand ready 70 fire
the last blast, having done the same in
the tunpel at the Peninsula. The men
gathered around the battery in deep
Silence, Fire !" cried the foreman, and
At ten minutes to s o'clock DR.. Frissell
released the electric spark. A rumbling
followed by a roar, q rush OF WIND, anu
with a %hoop and hurrah all made for
the heading. When they arrived at the
breast a form was already wriggling
through the hole, and James Kelly, the
foreman Of the south heading, was the
first mad to CONS through and under
Chspline Hill, amid enthusiastic cheers
Thornton Shelton, the colored foreman
of the north heading, Crawled through
the other way, and Mr.. Kelly's gang
then poured through.
The Colored contingent suspected some
Of the day.shift men on the south mead
ing of an intention 10 slip through the
hole, 40 one OF them stationed himself
at the hole with rock In his hand,
ready 10 crack the skull Of the first un:
authorized person entering. These had
wisely remained away, however, and as
SGon as the south gang had come through,
the men from the north end TOOK thelr
tunls.
Mr., Pete Haley, time-keeper for Paige,
Cary & Co, was the first white man 10
get through from the north heading, the
iSrELLIeEScRR reporter, the only news
paper man present, following close at
his heels. Ii was not possible to make
the ritIle but by following the example
of the serpent, When all bad satisfied
their curiosity, Mr.. Mccoy, tho walking
boss, knocked oil work for the day and
dismissed the men TO their homes. The
latter had done splendid work, and
though tired, determined to remain
awake to reCeice the surprised day'shltt'
Later in the day the contractors sent
quantity Of beer to the tunnel ana
iOllihcation ensued.
Yesterday afternoon the reporter had
a conversation with one OF the tunnel
CO., tractors aud obtained some items o.
inter est.
,'HR LENGTH OF THE TUNNEL.
The le,lVth Of the tunnel is ., ,GG4 feet
being "a l,,et over half a mile. Ground
was frat broken on December 90, 1889
Since that time, with what remains TO ot
done, there have been removed from
under the hill II, ,0SS cubic yards OF dir
and rock, In archipS the tunnel 1928,
74O running feet OF timber, making IL,
g76.S5Gi cubic feet Of oak timber haVI
been used. The nature OF the grount
in the south heading required umoel
l9xA inChGsin kize; there 6eing NOR
solid rock in the north end 6&ls Incl
tube, wss suGiCient. Dynamite to tn
extent Of $4,000 pounds has been needed
10 do the work, 3,4O0 pounds oil oetagoi
steel has been used In the manuiactur'
OF drills.
After work vas commenced on thI
south heading OF the tunnel an aVeragt
Of lOi men have been working contin
uously, day and night; twenty;eigh
drillers and thirty.tWo muckers bein
employed on each shift ct the heading
and about iorty.iour men on tn
"beuch." In addition to the reRulaa
tunnel force, eighteen men, with Q mnl
apiece, have assisted in the work, min
being employed on each shit. TW
dinkOy shifting engines have been COZ
stAntly at work day and night.
THE CASUALTIES.
Considering the magnitude Of the jo
the list OF casualties is remarkably smal
Five men, two Colored and thrs
white, have been killed in the d
teen months since the first bias
Two Of these met their fate by th
handling Of a ''live" electric wire, on
was fatally injured by being struck
the stomach With stone, and two we'
buried in falls OF dirt. All had bee
warned, but persisted, so hecontracto
Say, in disregardiRg the injunctions
the ioremen. Five minor acciden
have occurred, the sufferers all being
%be "S work has been done by Paig