The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-12-28

A matter o. great local importance and
ons Of almost national consequence IN rail-
Tosd circles obtained limited circulation
Saturday afternoon. IN waieh the feature
most attractive 70 Seattle appeared IN the
statement that the first contracts let IN
connection with the stupea60us undertake
ing ~ the Great Northern railroad IA buff
rowinga tnanel through theCascade noun
taing had been let 10 Ii. q. Henry, Of this
city.
The contracts are for the building Of the
approaches on either side Of the noun
talns 70 the places Il beginning the actual
work Of tfe tunnel. Yesterday afternoon
Mr.. Henry eoaarmed the rumor and
stated that ths contracts were awarded %
hhm ~ a figure that l. not f0r publication.
bat which = entirely satisfactory. Net
oniy have the contracts been awarded
bat actual work VII have been CON-
Tnaueed ~ the time the readers OF the
i11st-Entesiigencer receive this most i'm
p0rtant Information
Saturday night Mr.. Henry started a
gang ~ twenty men east 10 the scene Of
operations. y 10 win make the camps aud
prepare the buildings for the acc0nm0-
dalton 81 the men 10 be employed in sfe
actual work Of construction. A great deal
OF snow az this time OF year covers the
places chosen for the approaches which
VIII have 10 be removed before the work
OF filling aud grading commences. The
buiidiaas 10 De erected VII b. Of a char
acfer substantial enough 10 last through
the entire operation OF tunnel coustruc-
ton. which win commence as soon as the
approaches which Mr. Henry has In hand
are completed.
The contract that has within the past
few days been placed IN this city win re-
uaire probably six months for execution
and viii take the tracks o. the Great
Northern 70 the very points Of beginning
81 the tunHei excavations The further
work. IN Its regafd % contracts has not
yst been decided upon. but Il d not Inn
probable that the Great Northern viii
push operations under the direction 81 its
own engineers and construction depart
rcnt The work vii De carried on az
gresslvely. and while limit OF two years
has been placed upon the completion Of the
gfeat engineering work the time was
fixed with the Idea o. meeting with un-
usual obstacles. Should the making OF the
tunnel proceed with no greater difficulties
than vii probably b. encountered. sew
erl months laSs time VII be allowed 70
deliver trains and freight from the East
60 Seattle on a shorter schedule BY the
Great Northern railroad than al present
Now that the actual work has begun and
an aggressive year u building is promised
BY the road. Seattle has every reason 90
congratulate itself. The preliminary and
eventual operations 81 construction gangs
ard the need OF supplies viii be heavily
tributary 70 this city. Nobody will forget
tha substantial benefits arcruing 10 this
city by the building Of the Great North
ern. ard while the benefits Immediately
aecraing to Seattle from the present work
viii be proporttonateiy less, the eventual
Importance OF the tunnel should not be-
underestimate. II Is one OF the great
railroad undertakings OF the present de-
cade. The 81, Paul papers have charac-
t.riEsai u as zone % the greatest engineer
Ing feats in railroad histort I"
The tunnel viii be two and half miles
b. length. and viii reduce the crossing 81
THE mountains from tld5 feet TO 3 ss8 feet
altitude, on the east side Of the Cascades.
and % also az Wellington on the west
side. It's fail being about - feet 20 the
milo. - viii he 10 feet wide and . feet
high In the clear The cost of the tunnel
viii BIC about s. eoae