The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-03-28
TUNNELING THE ROCKIES.
A Gigantic Railway Enterprise which Is
Now Approaching Completion

The third longest railway tunnel in the
United States is rapidly approaching COM
pletion. The Colorado Midland Kaliway
on leaving Leadville for the West starts
on its long climb 10 the summit OF Hager-
man Pass, which reaches an altitude OF
IL $50 feet. says the st. Louis Globe-pemo-
Gratis correspondent at LeadViPe, COL
The fall Of snow during winter on TINS
part of the line has always been serious
drawback to the successful operation OF
the road, and to do away with the Cd
struction 1t was decided TO drive tunnel
through the backbone OF the continent.
BY so doing the company would cease 10
"buck the beautiful" and shorten the line
seven miles Contracts were let for this
great undertaking, and ground was broken
In August, 1880.
The eastern approach OF the tunnel Is at
a small hamlet known as Busk, situated
about fifteen miles west of Leadville, and
at the head OF the North Fork OF Lake
Park Creek. at an altitude OF lO.SOO feet.
The western approach is at Ivanhoe. and
the tunnel is known as the Busk-lvanhoe.
When completed IL will cost over 100000.
and be 9,400 feet in length
The contract for this immense under
taking was let to M. III. Keefe, one well
versed In his business, and who has over
come all the difficulties encountered while
penetrating into the bowels Of the earth.
1t was through the courtesy OF that gem
tleman that your correspondent was in
vited to examine the workings, and from
whom the following information was
cleaned
Supplied with a "sicker" or rubber
overcoat, and jumping on the footboard
OF a small engine used for hauling out
rock, the journey was commenced from
the Busk approach. on and on went the
miniature locomotive. every now and
then breaking the awful stiffness with
shrill scream as escaping steam found It's
way from a loose valve. Electric light
after electric light was passed, and as the
bright Jets threw out their dazzling light
for a second while we passed them, all
was Cimmerian darkness until the next
was reached The engine bell is rung.
the locomotive slows up, and in front or
US can be seen regular illumination
with figures fitting hither and thither
amongst huge timbers and piles OF rock
the quick jerky sound OF compressed air
and the heavy thud Of the diamond drills
as they pierce into the hard granite pre-
SCENTS a weird and uncanny scene to the
visitor that will never be enaced from
memory.
This is the heading" or breast Of the
tunnel, which has penetrated distance OF
1000 feet. The contract calls TOT the tuIl-
| mel to be p feet high and 10 feet wide In
| the clear. and TO admit OF timbers ground
| Is broken TO the extent OF y feet nine In
| ches by Is feet six inches and for every
lineal foot broken twenty-eight tons OF
| dirt Is removed. To accomplish this task,
every twenty-four hours 200 pounds OF
giant powder and 500 feet Of fuse are
used. For the first 1900 feet that was
driven a great deal OF trouble was en-
countered from water and loose rock.
in many places the rock not being In
place. This. at a depth OF 500 to $50 feet,
caused a great deal OF speculation among
mineralogists as to the causes which led
| TO this disturbance.
II was generally conceded that the acid
In the water had cut many and diverse
| channels in the soft tale and granite, so
separating them from the rock in place.
| that when an opening was made from be-
| low chIte was formed allowing the
whole mass to fall into the tunnel. For
weeks at a time Mr.. Keefe was kept busy
removing the debris and catching up the
cave. and was retarded In the work by the
immense flow of water that usually
drained out of one of those soft spots.
| The flow OF water amounted to 100 gal
| Ions per minute. Wherever the ground
| Is any way soft 1t has been substantially
| timbered With red spruce. squaring l2xl2
The ground that is In place Is not closely
timbered.
The tunnel II lit by electricity with an
arc light every eighty feet. and several
heavy air compresssrs supply frssh ozone