New-York tribune., 1891-12-25
BENEATH NIAGAR4 FALLS.
VISITING THE TUNNEL THAT Is IN PROCESS OF
EXCAVATION.

VISITING THE TUNNEL THAT IS IN PROCESS OF
EXCAVATION.
Niagara Falls, ~ ", Dec. "a (special-Down,
down We shot In shaft No. OF the great Niagara
Falls hydraulic tunnel. which Is 10 generate the
greatest water power known 70 man, perpetual
flow OF water the year around There was smai
party OF newspaper people, which Included one
brave little woman who donned the long rubber
coat, high boots and miners hat with all the
cooIness OF a veteran Shs Is a brick was w6at
the guide said as she took her place on the drop
and was shot down amid perfect shower OF water'
dirt and mud TO the tunnel below.
This great piece Of engineering work. said 10 be
the greatest hydraulic tunnel canal undertaking III
the world Is being constructed by Messrs' hougers
& Clement well khown New-York contractors. IL
consists of @ tunnel bricked in, circular In fornl'
25x25 IL feet In section, from above the Falis'
distance OF 67O0 feet, to point below the faus ao
now the company which has Invested millions IN tho
project is talking Of extending the tunnel some loo
feet further down the river, so a. To give mor"
power and room for manufacturing purposes.
After darting down shaft No. some 2o4 feet' the
party stepped OF into the tunnel proper Electric
light miners torches and lanterns enable one 10 see ''
a few feet ahead and that vas about all So dense Is
the darkness and the smoke from the blasting'
double railroad track trsyerses the tuhIe' boh ways
from the shaft and down the tracks the party s'arteo
in Indian fle stumbling over rocks and huae pihhs'
now slipping and sliding through mud. Finally, after
ten minutes or more walk all came 10 the cnd where
the workmen were drilling and exca'atng toward a
similar gang In Shaft No J. who were working toward
Shaft No . II was a weird sight, surrounded by
gang-and q tough-looking one at tat-of Italans'
negroes and all nadonaliues. The men Wore inc
regulation miner regaia, pick and shovel ana hlilng
torches in their hats. Powerful compressed-Sr drills
were I'm operation, and nothing would 90 Dut ue
superintendent J. E. stephens, must have our niue
Hr{I- bi- ghn
she said she had had enough OF 1t aud reinaished her
hold IL was Just like an electric shock. the jar and
tremor were SO powerful. There is cessation to this
work OF excavatng Gangs Of men replace each other
ever 50 often. The blasting Is done night and morning.
and during the day and night the drilling goes OH Inc
trip back to the shaft WAS more quickly ana COM
fo-tabiy made. The party mounted one OF the dump
cars which along the tracks to carry the stohe
TO the shaft where they are holstcd and dumped.
b,p mule furnishes the motor. Our mules name was
Brsck lie took lis load of two cars with our crowd
back TO the shaft In less than five minutes wltho'
sny apparent effort 1t WAS novel nde through
that tunnel so far underneath the ground Even the
roar OF the old cataract lost. and Only the cnck
click click OF the drills could be heard.
In shaft No. .. the one we visited the excavauoh
has extended 14o feet west toward the river above
the falls where the canal will meet it, and 1,15o feet
east toward shaft No /. In this latter the workheh
have drilled $50 feet west toward shaft NO. = 10 IS
estimated That they are less than GOO feet apart ana
that they Will meet inside OF six weeks The distance
from shaft No. west to the river is 2,o40 feet with
10 feet for open cut at the portal This is all about
completed After the tunnel is opened depth OK nine
feet will have to be taken out Of the bottom. Inc
work thus far has strongly protected by tmbers
but IL is feared that blasting Will cause considerable
loss to the roof Of the tunnel The rock Is mostly
shale which crumbles easily In Places owing 70 TINS
trouble with the rock the contractors will have 70 brcE
the entire tunnel and this work will be begun next
month II is expected to have this gigantic piece Oh
work completed by next September.
What an undertaking 1t has been smali CITY Has
snrunc M Outside the village Of Niagara Falls proper
tenement houses by the score were erected stores
for the employes TO trade in were established n
railroad was constructed and dummy engines ana cars
for carving material and the refuse from the tunnel
are busy day and night Engine and boiler houses
electric light plants, pumping engines-in hct every
thing that goes 10 make up lively, progressive CON-
munlty-ar found here. The tunnel has become one one
M the wonders of world now and no vlsitor 70 Ie
Ta,s to,Is 10 see H. Pew are venturesome enough TO
70 down in shaft No. q but many take In NO. l. anu anu
Almost every one with the least bit OF courage wans
down along the bank from the foot OF the lncnhea & rail-
Uoy 10 the mouth OF the tunnel AT smart 10 s iou
taey men have been killed and twice as many injured
~ &C. a rsky niece of business to make the descent OF
ascent but our guide was good trnsty young , .il
NJ stephens was careful OF us and Brack, inc huIe
,rstb Ills driver Billy, were stad ana SOBER 50 We III
fored we'll and saw sight thai few have witnessed