The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-01-29
THE BIG TUNNEL.
THE GREAT NORTHERN WILL 500.
BEGIN THE IMPORTANT WORK.
Large Pores of Men VIII Be Put 10
work and the Construction Rush
ed with Haste-Thc Road Hopes
to Complete the Undertaking
Early i'm fseS-seme Facts and
Figures Concerning the Tunnel.

Tha srran1srenfs for building ths
Great Northern tunnel through the Cas-
cades are being rapidly pushed ahead and
aetfge work on TIE construction may b
begun almost any day A. has been pre-
%i5usly stated iu the Post-fntesligencer, the
contract for the construction % the ap-
pr0aches has bcen ief 20 r. g. Henry y
taas city. and al other preliminary ar
rangaments have beer completed a large
force o. men viii - employed and the
work wfsl he carried forward 20 compile
ton a. rapidly "a possible. as g Is tina in
fsntson Or the company u nave the tunnel
ready for service early iu isse.
The tunnel wll be one OF the greatest
engineering feats q its kind ever known
ln railroad history, and the cost 81 its
construction has h@en estimated AZ
s. @eoao. II + 70 b. run IN a straight line
= few degrees south % west and VIII
have n grade Of ninety feet 20 the mile.
sloping 10 The west. TIE tunnel VIII be
u - feet IN length eighteen feet n
width and twenty-three feet high a very
large portion Or his length VIII b. driven
through solid rock. and such portions. OF
course. will require no lining. but where
ever necessary IL - 70 Be lined with brick
or stone.
The elevation o. the tunnel. AZ its east
ern portal, at Tunnel city, win be $3.50
feet. while NJ the western portal. Al Wei-
llnKton the elevation viii beonly si50 feet-
This = considerably less than the great
est elevation OF the present road, known
as tire switchback. which al It's summit
l. 4055 feet above sea level The highest
point under which the tunnel VIII pass
VIII be about a mile from the western por-
tai the peak having an elevation % $50
feet. A little further east and north %
the tunnel two mountain peaks stand
nearly side 81 side the western peak hav-
ing an altitude % ; CO.. feet. and the east
ern peak OF 800 feet a short distance
south % these mountains and % the tun-
mel i skyilgat lake. a beautiful little sheet
% water lying az an altitude o. 5l4o feet.
But by far the most important consid-
Grafton with the Great Northern Com
pany ia the construction OF the tunnel.
b the economy Of spsce and time. a. the
distance compared with the present route
will be reduced q number Of miles and
the time VIII be shortened by an hour The
famous sxltchDack Of the Great Northern,
which has been IN operation since 1892 and
which extends from the town OF Cascade
on the east 20 Wellington on the west, rs
ono o. the most beautiful scenic routes on
the American continent. giving view Of
both sides Of the Cascade mountains
At the center extremity me switchback,
after darling three spurs in As many dif-
ferent directions. and then by It's wind
fngs forming a loop and Y. at last takes
nearly direct course south 10 the sum
init near Stevens pass. Al the western
extremity. however. II Is forced by the
mountains and ravines into most re-
markabie course running toward every
point OF the compass doubling OF itself
again and again and forming a perfect
labyrinth. before IL succeeds in finding an
exit from the Cascade range. This
unique route has In an eight switches and
crosses the hBe Of the proposed tunnel
five times. The scenery Is wild and beau
tifal beyond descrlpton-peaks canyons
and raeines passing in an evcr-Changing
panorama. while here and there the track
81 long intervals crosses one solitary trail.
winding along the course of the rivers
Bat the long pull ~ the swltchh back
necessarily involves great delay. especi-
aily in the winter seasons. when the
SHOWS "a this locality Interfere very ma
terlally with running time hence the ne
cfssity OF the tunnel.
II j. also reported that change Is soon
10 be made IN the Great Northern rail-
way line from the Idaho llnc south and
west. The line Of definite location Will
extend from point tao miles west OF
newport, about ten miles IN southwest
direction. which will throw The main line
about two miles farther north