The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1893-02-16
THE L TUNNEL.
Progress OF the big Undertaking on"'
Charge OF y Helena Man.

Progress OF the big Undertaking onoer
Charge OF = Helena Man.
The friends Of NJ II. Ksefs. shs we'll
known railroad contractor. who claims
Helena 40 his home, will be intsrosssd IN
the following dispatch from Lsadville, con.
corning IN undertaking he ~ nov en-
gagged in. The dispatch says: "lne sh.'a
lonRsst railway tunnel In ths United ssaaes
is rapidly approaching complesion' me
Colorado Midland railway on leaving Lead
Vile for the west starts ON it's long climb
to the summit OF HaRerman Pass, which
reaches an altitude OF 1850 feet. Ihe isll
Of snow during winter on this pars OF sne
line has always bsen = serious drawoaek 70
the sucossstul operation OF the road, ana
70 do away with the obstruction y Was
decided 10 drive . tunnel through the back
bone OF the continent BY 20 doing tas
company would cease to ''buok The beanti-
full and shorten the line seven mlles.
Contracts were let for thia great undsrtak-
ing and ground was broken In August, 1871.
The eastern approach OF the tunnel 10 A.
. small hamlet known a. Buck, situated
about fftesn miles west Of Leadville. and
a the head of the North Fox Of Lake Park
Creek. at an altitude Of 10000 feet. The
western approach 10 Al Ivanhoe, and the
tunnel 10 known as the Busk- lvanhoe.
When completed IL will cost over $1,000. 600
0uu " y. tOV l00O IL l0ukbu. Ha".-
The contract for this immense undsrtak-
ing was let TO N. II. Ksefe, one we'll vsrsed
In his business and who has overcome all
the difficulties encountered while psnetrat-
ing into the bowels OF the earth. II WAS
through the sourtssy Of that gentleman
that your correspondent was invited to sx-
anime the workings and from whom the
following information was cleaned.
Supplied with . "slioker" or rubber over
coat. and jumping on the footboard Of .
small engine used for hauling ont rock, the
journey was commenced from the Busk
approach. On and on went the miniature
locomotive. every now n then breaking
escaping steam found Its way from . loose
valve. Electric light after electric light
was passed, and az tho bright jets threw
out their dazzling light for = second while
We passed them. all was Cimmertan lark
mess until the next was reached. The en-
CINE boil 10 runR, the locomotive slows up.
n in front OF US can be seen . regular illu,
thither amongst huge timbers and piles Of
rock. the quick ierky sound Of compres.sd
air and the heavy thud Of the diamond drills
~ they pierce into the hard granite, presents
a weird and unesnny scene TO tho visitor
that will never be sffaosd from Nom
ory. This 10 the heading" or breast Of
the tunnel. which has penetrated q distance
Of 1000 feet. The contract calls for the
tunnel to be twenty-ons feet high and
fifteen feet wide in the slsar, and to admit
of timbers ground il broken to the extent
Of twenty-five feet nine inches BY eightssn
feet six inches. and for every lineal foot
broken twenty-e eight tons Of dirt 10 re-
twenty-four hours 200 pounds Of giant
powder and 800 feet of fuse are used. For
the first 1.5N feet that was driven . great
deal of trouble was encountered from
water and loose rock, in many places the
rock not being in place. This. at a depth
of 500 to $50 feet. caused . great deal tof
speculation among mineralogists a. 70 ne
was generally conceded that the acid in
the water had out many and diverse
granite. 10 separating them from
the rock in place that when an opening was
made from below a chute was formed al
lowing the whole mass to fall INTO the Inn
mel. For weeks at a time Mr.. Ksefe was
kept busy removing the debris. and catch
ing up the cave. and was retarded in tho
work by the immense flow of water that
usually drained out of those soft spots"
The flow of water amounted to 100 gallons
per minute. Wherever the ground is any
way soft it has been substantially tinbered
ground that is in place 10 not closely Tim
bored.
The tunnel il lii by electricity, with an
arc light every eighty feet, and sever al
heavy sir compressors supply fresh ozone
to the workmen at the heading. Eight
air drills are kept steadily going at each
approach, and the AMOUNT driven per day
averages eight feet. A little over two
thirds of tho work is completed, and it 10
expected that by August the Colorado
Midland will be running trains throuRh it.
From the center of the tunnel to the sur
face Is a distance of !. 200 feet
The present grade to HaRerman is three
per cent. but the grade in the tunnel will
only be 1.41 to every hundred 100 feet.
When this great undertaking ia COM
plsted il will be the third longest tunnel in
the United States. the Hoosac being fret,
then the Boulder tunnel in Montana. which
Is only 800 feet longer than the Busk-Ivan-
hoe. When it Is being operated by the
Midland large doors will be put mp at the
approaches TO keep out the snow, and the
tunnel for several hundred feet from each
end will be heated by steam. Watchmen
will be placed at the different ends to open
and shut the doors for and after trains en-.
terinR and leaving. Engines will be coaled
up before entering the tunnel. so that the