Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1891-09-26
AN INTERNATIONAL TUNNEL
The Event Is Appropriately Ce|e-
brated This Afternoon.
IL Is tho Greatest Submarine Tunnel on the
American Continent, Being 8,025 Feet
I'm Length - History or the
Great Roadway.

greatest submarine tunnel on the
ally opened to traffic this afternoon
with simple but impressive ceremonies
According to the original program 1T
had been intended to make the event n
brilliant one by the presence OF Presi-
dent Harrison, the governor-general of
Canada and the governors of many of
the American states. Owing to the
fact that nearly every one of these dis
tinguishcd people had previous engage
ments for today, however, IA change in
the program became necessary. The
day was observed as general holiday
both in this city and AT Sarnia, on the
Canadian side. Each city was gaily
decorated and thousands of strangers
added themselves to the regular popu-
lation to take part in the festivities
Shortly after noon Sir Henry Tyler,
president of the Grand Trunk railway,
accompanied by the board of directors
and large number of invited guests,
! left Sarnia and passed through the tun-
mel on special trains. Upon their ar
rival in Port Huron an address of
welcome was delivered by Hon. Will
lam Mclllwain, mayor of the city,
to which responses were made by Sir
Henry Tyler and others Shortly after
2 o'clock the party, reinforced by the
American guests, returned to Sarnia,
where luncheon was served The ta-
bles were laid across the boundary
| line. There were six toasts having
| special reference to the tunnel and the
| international interests it represents.
During the banquet the Thirteenth
! battalion band, of Hamilton, rendered
God Save the Queen" on the Canadian
| side, while the band on the American
side filed the air with the strains OF
the Star Spangled Banner" After
| the banquet the tunnel was thrown
open to the public.
The tunnel, which was formally
opened today, passes under the st.
! Claire river at the foot of Lake Huron,
and is intended for the purpose of SUI
preceding the ferry boats, which have
! heretofore conveyed the trains of the
Grand Trunk route across that river.
| 1t will afford immense advantages to
| passengers and for freight traffic in
avoiding the inconveniences of a ferry;
il saves two hours of time and shortens
| the distance over six miles. 1t eX-
tends from Port Huron in the state
! of Michigan to Sarnia in the
Canadian province of Ontario, and the
company by which it has been con-
structed was organized under special
act of the Canadian parliament. The
length of the tunnel from portal TO
portal is 6,025 feet and the length un-
! der the river bed 2,290 feet 1t is lined
throughout with solid cast iron plates
bolted together in segments, the whole
| line weighing 2S.000 tons The bolts
and nuts for connecting the segments
together weigh 100000 pounds. The
permanent way through the tunnel is
laid with steel rails weighing 100
pounds to the lineal yard. The inte-
rior diameter of the tunnel is twenty
feet, and ample means have been pro-
vided for thorough ventilation and for
lighting it throughout with electricity.
The total cost of the tunnel has been
S., 700, 900, toward which the dominion
government granted subsidy of $780,
600. The work on the preliminary
drift was commenced in October,
1856. The tunnel owes its exist
ence to the enterprise of
Sir Henry Tyler, who conceived the
idea, projected the work, and was in
strumental in securing the money for
its construction. The whole respon-
sibility for carrying out the work from
its inception to completion has resided
with Joseph Hobson, chief engineer;
while Sir Henry Tyler has been ably
assisted and seconded by Sir Joseph
dickson, formerly general manager Of
the road, and Mr.. Sargent, present
general manager. Besides possessing
the interesting honor of being the first
international tunnel between the
United States and Canada, it is a noted
engineering triumph and the rapidity
of its construction and its successful
completion will prove powerful fac
tor in the controversy which every now
and then agitates the marine and rail
road shipping interests on the subject
of throwing bridges over the Detroit
river for railroad use.