The morning times., 1895-12-12
BY THE lID[cKER ROUTE.
Ligh'ed by Lamps, Experts Travel
Half a Mile in the Earth.
TESTING THE BIG TUNNEL
Commission of Engineers Examine
the Brick Walls Of the Historic
Structure-voyage by Land, Mud
and Water-Object of the Investiga-
tion With Early Report In Sight.

A subterranean excursion OF two thou
sand feet was made yesterday by the ex-
pert commission on the Lydecker Tunnel
through the historic route from the dis
irbu'ing reservoir nearly TO the Howard
University reservoir. The expiring hours
of the last Congress We're consumed in max
ing arrangements for this trip and other
considerations to test the availability OF
this tunnel to solve the water problem of
the city of Washington.
great deal will depend on the report
of this commission, which consists of ajor
W. E. Marshall, Capt. James L. Lusk, Mr..
Desmond Fitzgerald and Lieutenant d. u.
Gaiiard, all experts, but who expect to
have the consulting assistance of Gen. T.
L. Casey, formerly chief OF engineers, be-
fore final report is made.
The excursion yesterday was partly on
land, partly in the air, and partly by
voyage over the lake which has been formed
near the Howard University shaft. The
distance travelled was nearly half mile
and in an atmosphere that savored of the
damp of cellars in old plantation houses.
where they used to store the madeira bought
from the buccaneers, or the thoroughly
American blackberry wine of the vintage
OF 1875.
IN A CANOE.
II is perhaps not strictly accurate 10 say
that any of the trip was made on land as
the water has monopoly of the bed OF the
tunnel frcm one end to the other. and, at
the present east end, owing 10 the dip of
the bed, there is en- accumulation OF that
element which completely bars progress to
the eastward. AS far as possible the trip
over this underground lagoon was made in
| a little boat, which was poled and pushed
along in a style copied by the experts
from Jules Yerne's mode of progress in his
journey to the center of the EARTH The
parts of the trip through the air were real
lied when the explorers were obliged to
jump over the pools which lie along the
bed of this dreary route.
The examinations yesterday were con-
fined principally to the imperfect filling
of the space between the brick work and
the shell OF rock which encloses 1t. This
was not very difficult task, inasmuch
| as good deal of light has already been let
in on 1t. At small distances along the
| tunnel openings have been made in the brick
work through which il was demonstrated
| that spaces have been leftbetween the brick
| and the stone wall. Notes were made OF
| the conditions in these places for future
reference. How gravely this circumstance
will affect the general work is not yet
known or. at least, has not been intimated
| by the experts.
! 1t was intended, of course, that there
should be no such spaces. There arc now
| in the tunnel piles of rock and loose riprap
| with which the filling WAS to be done.
IMPERFECT FILLING.
The engineers made further investigations
! as to the filling by original tests OF the
brick wall by sounding rods so that they
will be able to report as to the whole line
| instead of only tie places where previous
| examinations had been made. In this
| respect their Investigations will be com
| plete.
1t is presumed that the value of the work
is materially damaged by the imperfect
! filling. This condition makes possible the
collection of water above the brick work
bv selpaEe. and a consequent injurious
effect from the loosening of the brick
structure by the water, and the sunerin-
| cumbent pressure of the rock should ii
be deranged above. That this is possible
is shown in places where the brick work
has not been put in, and where the char
acter of the overharging material is ex-
posed.
1t required about two hours and q half
to make the trip to the Howard University
shaft and return, the latter half being done
of course more expeditiously. The party
went in at 0:30 a. M and emerged about
p. M. The entire route was explored by
the aid of a few oil lamps.
The report of the commission will be
submitted at as early day as possible
to General Craighill. chief of engineers.
and, in accordance with the etiquette of
such Investigations. the commission viii
report first to their chief.
It can he safely inferred, however, that
the commission has already made up its
collective mind as to the whole question.
They know the proposed route and they
know the character of the work already
done. There is nothing else to know, ex
cept perhaps. how long it win take to cure
the defects of filling in case they report
on the feasibility or Lydecker's scheme.
The commission is evidently aware of
the necessity of an immediate report and
1t is expected that it will be made, pos
sibly this week and probably at the be-
ginning of the next week.