The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-04-28
TUNNEL PIXIES PEAK |
Colorado Springs Is Driving a hole
Through a Granite Mountain.
NEW SIGHT FOR THE TOUTIsT
The Historic Mountain to Be
Pierced at a Height of Two
Miles-DetaIls of the Route
and Construction.


Bacheller.)
The engineer has wrought wonders
IN Colorado. He has enabled railroads
TO climb mountains above the timber
line and bracket trains in the clefts of
dark canyons over rushing streams.
He has followed veins of precious ore
half a mile below the surface and con-
structed irrigation systems. the canals
of which thread valleys and plains like
inland rivers. A new triumph Is now
TO be added Pixies Peak Is to be tun-
neled. This tunnel will be driven
through the southwestern slope of the
mountain at an altitude of 1880 feet
only 2s47 feet below the summit. which
has an elevation of 1917 feet. 1t will
be about a mile and a quarter in length
and the cost of construction Is esti-
mated at $4,000. The contractors are
Wilson a. jackson of Chicago, who are
to complete the work within Fl months
from Jan. /, 1896. This wonderful piece
of engineering, executed at an alti-
tude of more than two miles, will turn
the snow-fed waters of the East Fork
of the West Beaver. which now flows
into the Arkansas river below Canyon
City, from the western to the eastern
slope of Pixies Peak, to be utilized as
a part of the Colorado Springs water
works system. The waste water will
be turned into the "Fontaine-qui
wards to the sea. The many thou
sands of tourists who annually visit
Colorado Springs and Manitou, will
soon find this great tunnel added to
the wonderland Of the Pixies Peak re-
gion.
Colorado Springs owns its water
works plant, and the proposed tunnel
Is but an addition to that system. In
the seventies. the town was a little
station on the Denver e. Rio Grande
railway. II had it's first real boom in
the days of the Leadville excitement;
and now through the recent rich gold
discoveries in the Cripple Creek mines.
II has become a city OF about 10000.
Colorado Springs has already expended
the sum of 500. 900 on It's water works
and one of the officials says that the
plant could not be bought for s., 000, 900.
1t is the county seat of FL Paso county,
which includes the rich gold fields
just mentioned. The rapid growth OF
the town requires a larger water sup
ply: hence Pixies Peak must be tun-
neled. The city government represents
the water works system. j. c. Plumb
Is mayor II. /. Reid city engineer, with
Delos Durfee as assistant, and Edward
w. Frost water superintendent. BY
virtue Of their municipal positions,
they are deeply interested in the pro-
gress of the work-especially Mr. Reid,
who is the engineer for the tunnel and
has drawn the plans and specifications
for Its construction. 1t is known as
the ''Strickler Tunnel" so named in
honor of ex-Mayor William NJ. Strick-
Ter. The length of the tunnel, IL was
at first estimated, would be about 6,242
feet. but II will probably be 6,45o feet.
At the source of the new water supply
IL will have an altitude of 1865 feet,
and the exit will be at an elevation OF
about 1880 feet making a grade OF
$50. The tunnel stations are numbered
from the entrance at the western por-
tai Station No. 10 represents a dis
oance of 1000 feet into the mountain,
No, 20 1000 feet and No. 60, 5000 feet.
About $3.50 feet from the western por-
tai the tunnel will he 42h feet below
the surface-probably its greatest
depth. The surface changes will be
the most marked between stations
Nos. so and 60. representing the dis
tance of 5000 and 5000 feet from the
entrance. At 5000 feet the tunnel is
$50 feet below the surface; at $3.50 IL is
AIS. and at 5000 only 13S feet. The
rock formation is the toughest, hardest
granite, and IL is thought that but lit
tie timbering will be necessary. The
tunnel will be six and one-half feet
high and five feet wide. In the rock
section or solid formation the arch be-
gins at three and one-half feet from
the floor; in the timber section or loose
formation, at four and one-half feet.
The timbers will vary from eight to 10
inches as may be considered necessary,
and the tagging from three to four
inches. Expensive machinery and the
best of drills will be required to cut
the granite
The water wheels and the generators
for the plant will be placed near Mani
tou at the base of Pixies Peak. A cop
per wire will be run up the Peak, fol-
80
TO Windy Point. and then extended 10
what is known as reservoir No. 3, near
the tunnel and about midway between
the two portals. From this site the
main receiver will pump air for the
drills at both ends of the tunnel Thus
from opposite sides of the mountain
the men will drive the work towards
the center and thereby hasten the con-
struction. IL is a wild and romantic
region, where the mountain sheep and
the mountain lion still roam. Some
times the workmen find the tracks of
mountain lions near their camps-for
the lion quickly scents meat in the
camp. A herd OF about 80 mountain
sheep frequents this part OF the Peak.
and some Of them have the finest horns
TO be seen in the Rockies.
Isolated as the men may appear to
be. yet they are within a few miles OF
a large population. Below them are
nestied Solorano springs and Manitou,
gem cities at the foot Of the Peak.
few miles in the mountains is seen
Bull Hill. celebrated in the Cripple
Greek war. and other peaks, crested
with new mining towns. In this Grip
pie Greek district 10000 people make
up the greatest gold camp in the world
To the northward is the West Creek
district, where many are now rushing
10 the recent finds There is now a
population of about $4,000 people clus-
tered around Pixies Peak.
The system OF water works which
now supplies Colorado Springs from
Pixies Peak has its highest source in
reservoir No. Z. at an elevation OF about
Il 1000 feet. The waters OF this reser-
voir. covering an area of 40 acres. are
carried by n fiume TO reservoir No. g.
which was a small natural lake An