St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-11-01
A TRIP UNDERGROUND
Completion Of Telephone Tun-
mel for the Upper Town
District.
Three Thousand Feet Of Sand
stone Exeavated Along
the Same.
Every Telephone Wire in the
Business District Shortly
to Disappear.
System Of Underground Wires
Which Cannot Be Equaled
by Any City.

Three o'clock prompt yesterday after
noon score Of gentlemen almost stimuli
4 taneously met at the corner of Fifth and
3 Minnesota streets. There were city
councillors, city officials, prominent Gil
liens and newspaper men. They were
quickly joined by p. S. Reynolds, super
intendent of construction for the tele-
phone company, and c. b. Joyce, the
st. Paul manager. The cover of man
hole near by was lifted, and, TO the no
small amusement of passers-by, the
whole company made as graceful de-
scent as. possible. A twelve-foot
ladder led to kind of wood
ell stage, from whence an
other but small ladder dropped into
a large, white-b ricked tunnel. In In
dian file the whole party proceeded to
make tour thereof. The brick disap-
peared when a dozen steps had been
taken, and then the entire distance,
5000 feet, from the corner of Fifth and
Cedar. up Fifth to Fort, from Fort TO
Seven corners was traversed through
sandstone. The tunnel has just been
completed by the Northwestern Tele
phone company and is pant of their
underground conduit system. The com
pany last spring finished its surface
conduit in lower town, and now the
completion of this tunnel will cover all
the wires hanging Oh Fourth, Fifth and
Sixth streets, from Cedar to Seven cor
ners. There will then be no Overhang-
ing wires of the telephone company in
the entire business district.
The completion of this Fifth street
tunnel will give the Northwestern Tele-
phone company the most complete sys-
TEN for operating underground wires
that is possessed by any other company
in the country. The gentlemen who
passed through it yesterday were very
work accomplished. The tunnel is well
ventilated, and yesterday afternoon was
well lighted. SO that every opportunity
could be afforded for inspection. The
sandstone appears to have easily yielded
to the pick of the twenty-SiX men ell
gagged in cutting, as but three months
have elapsed since the work was COM
menced. The greatest depth which it
goes is under Wabasha street. Which is
about fifty feet. This is neceSSItated
by the Wabaslia sewer. excepting when
the tunnel passes under a sewer, and
then there is an arch of white brick;
the walls and roof are of sandstone,
which may easily be Scooped ont by
piece of hard material. The grade is a
very easy one, and at points large man
holes connect with the street anu assist
in the ventilation. The tunnel is one
continuous height and width, excepting
at Market street, where a sewer is
pierced. Here narrow gauge has been
put in. the tunnel being shut off from
the sewer by iron doors. built around
fhnCp a
to be included in the invitation to in
spect the tunnel were immensely de-
lighted with their walk under
ground. but the tail, wiry individuals
had file advantage when the narrow
gauge was reached. A man afflicted
with an unnecessary amount of avoirdu-
pOlS does not grow very enthusiastic
about crowding through small three
foot hole. The sewer crossed, slight
curve traversed, and a surprise greeted
She party. In recess, cut out for the
accommodation Of the workmen, small
refreshment bar had been fixed, and
waiter handed each guest all invigor-
ating glass of liquor and a choice Ha-
Vana. The journey was recommended
amid a cloud of smoke and much jocu-
Iarity.
The cable has not yet been laid. but
no time will be lost i'll fixing it. The
cdOl6 VIII be nVe IeeD from the 1OOr OF
the tunnel, being placed OH iron harps.
attached to posts fixed to the sandstone.
wall. Where the tunnel pierceS the
Market street sewer the cable will pass
through iron pipes. Each block, or
large building. will be individually con-
nected with the tunnel-a small hole
being pierced into it. The wires will
then be distributed around the block or
building. This is done in such way
that the wires will not cross any street,
III every case passing direct inside the
buildings.
1t is the intention of the telephone
company 10 make several branch tun-
nels from the main system. and when
completed st. Paul will possess one of
the greatest underground wire conduits
that could be devised Few people
have any idea of the immense tunnels
existing in this city. The soft sand
stone which compose so. much
of the area covered by ST. Paul
makes it a very easy task and of COM
paratively small cost-cOmpared with
Suaface eOnduits-to build these tun-
nels. The sewers are largely cut
through sandstone. the waterWOrks sys-
TEN is possessed of immense ramifica-
tons of the same kind, and now the
telephone company has added consid-
era6ly to the imposing underground
network of passageways. 1t is now
almost possible 10 go underground to
any point in st. Paul; and that too,
without any inconvenient STOPPING.