Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-08-04
OPENING THEAtPINE TUNNEL
A Heavy Cloud Lay Like q Wet
mel, hnt the Engineer Escaped.

way Cnot cogway) In the Rocky mountains
is at Alpine pass on the Denver, Leadville
and Gunrison, a part of the once mighty
Union Pacific system. Marshall pass on
the Rio Grande is 1O,05O feet, Tennessee
pass II 600, but Governor Evans, who built
the road over Alpine pass, climbed up and
up until he reached timber line and them
diving under the eternal snow, he tunneled
through the top Of the towering range and
ceme out on the Pacific slope.
1t cost mountain OF money to make the
grade and bore the big hole in the hill. but
the Gunnison country at that time was at
tracing the attention of the mining world
and the cost Of the railway was not taken
seriously into consideration so long as n
tapped the Gunnison.
The timbering, we are told, in this great
tunnel came from the redwood forests of
California, and had to be hauled I'D to the
top OF the range on the backs of burros
Finally the road was completed. but the
Gunnison boom was already diving. the
winter came on and the new railway was
c6sed up, for no amount of ''bucking"
with pilot plows could keep the heavy
drifts from the deep cuts. In five years
the road was almost entirely abandoned. A
lew years ago, when, through the breaking
up OF the Union Pacific system. the mar
row gauge came back to the oriei-
nal owners, the ambitious manager m
dertook to reopen the railway over
Alpine pass. 1t was big undertaking
Inc snow near the tunnel had been there
LOT many months, some Of it for years and
Wben June came you might still walk over
the top OF six feet of hard snow where the
ROAD lay. 1t was novel sight to see three
or Tour big locomotives pushing a rotary
snow ploW through the white waste. for
only the furrow in the forest showed
Where the road wound away I'D among the
hish Nils. where the mountain side was
steep the solid stream of snow, as big
a ha xxyhn Nf
from the snow machine, clear over the ton
OF the telegraph poles, and went crashing
dcwn through tall spruce and stately
pine, stripping them of their branches I'M
IN the whole hillside was carpeted with
the. green boughs that had been torn from
the trees. After many days of constant
and persistent pounding they reached the
tunnel, and found 1t filled up solid with
snow and ice.
1t was like boring a new tunnel almost.
but they worked away until they were
more than half way through. and then they
be gan to have trouble. There were no
chfmneys, or shafts for the bad air to es-
cape, and when they began to use loco
motives to haul the snow out the coal gas
from the engines made 1t almost unsafe
Tor men to work there.
Dozens of Li~ es Lost.
Already the literary bureau of the pas
senser department was trying (but failing,
for no man could do it1 to paint pictures of
the wonderful scenery of Alpine pass. And
1t Is wonderful: there is nothing like it in
all the Rocky mountain region nor in the
Alps. But all the gtanaeur of all the
world will not suffice;ssto hold men where
sney can feel upon their Threats the cold
uhsers OF the grim reapen, and every day
the force decreased. Dozens of lives had
been lost in the building Of the tunnel The
place. when full of black smoke, seemed to
the workmen to be alive with the Ghosts
Every night now thsr men rehearsed the
Old stories of the building of the great
trrIel at the boarding train at the foot
OF .ne MIL Every day men went up to the
pass, and old men with time checks tramp-
ed down the Arkansas. The Ice near the
west end of the tunnel became so hard that
it had to be blasted. out, and two men
were were kl.ied at blasting Expert miners
were brought down from Leadviile. but
they smelled death in the damp of the
place and in the breath of the blind steed
mat was ever putting and snorting in and
o9s. me noise and smoke Of the blasting
aoded TO the other perils of the place. and
row the men worked with one eve on the
exit, or IN the direction Of the open end of
the tunnel. If the engine slipped or snort
eo .ne men would start. ready to STAN
peue Hke nerd OF Texas steers. It was
an awful strain upon the nerves Of men
10 work In that way from day to day. and
then add to the anxiety by rehearsing their
experiences In the boarding cars at night
excited
ms whistle, and backed away hurriedly
kiliins or Gripping a half dozen men.
Inlh2s went so badly that the gen.
erai manager took his private car and
oanpeo on spur near the tunnel, to help
ana encourage the workmen Great pren
arations had been made for a grand ex
corslon over the pass on the Fourth of
July. 1t was now the last week of June.
anu the road not yet opened. Down at
Denver they were constructing observation
cars to carry the people through the new
wonderland. An especially elaborate car
riage had been made for the accommodate
tlon OF the governor and his staff.
Filled With Smoke and Gas.
But there came a day up there when
the clouds lay heavy upon the hills. and
there was not a breath of air stirrin.r.
Fortunately for the workmen they had
broken hole through the ice at the far
end of the tunnel, and now, encouraged
by the fresh air and another exit. worked
with Will to clear the place. The engine
went snorting in and out, with three fat
cars in front of her, the miners kept blast
ing and the meE shoveling. 1t was nearly
noon; me tunnel. in spite Of the new
smoke and coal gas. The men working
lear the ground and not far from the en-
trance had felt no Inconvenience The
fireman or the locomotive had gone out
to the front end of the engine to fix a
signal lamp, when Of a sudden he was
overcome. and fell among the men. who
hastily carried him to the narrow doorway
and out into the open air.
Other workmen seeing this, stampeded
and saved their lives. Meanwhile the heavy
cloud lay like wet blanket over the mouth
OF the tunnel. held the poisonous air in and
kept the fresh air out. Noticing the con-
fusion of the workmen the engineer leaned
far out of his window and tried to make
out In the smoke and darkness what had
happened.
Like a Ball Out of n Cannon.
He was new man in the tunnel the old
Engineer having been suspended pending an,
investigation Of hic case. Suddenly he felt
strange sensation. In another second he
realized that he was alone in the great tun-
mel among the ghosts Of the dead. He had
strength ard presenceio of mind enough to
open the throttle, the wheels began to re-
volve.under the engine and in his head
ne Tell across the arm rest and then the
world was all dark and dead to him
moment later the general manager.
looking from the window of his car, saw
the work train coming out of the tunnel
like ball out Of cHnn6n, and saw the
Imp form Of the driver hanging from the
WINDOW as the engine, still wide open, rush
ed DOWN the steep grade. At a curve In the
road the engine jumped the track and went
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