Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-12-07
The Fiye-Mile Tunnel Under Like
Erie.
cleveland Lottery

cleveland Letter)
The construction OF tunnel five miles
long out into Lake Erie TO furnish the
cit OF Cleveland with large supply or
pure water Is stupend0us enterprise
and embraces a great engineering pro-
tect.
When we decended TO tho tunnel. the
first stage OF the journey was vertically
downwards In shaft a $50 feet deep.
This shaft was made by sinking iron
pipes eight feet IN diameter and about
twelve feet long, end to end, first
through the water, a distance OF forty
five feet. and then into the bed OF the
lake. The water was then pumped out,
the sand and clay excavated, and the
shaft thus sunk to the required level.
From the foot OF the shaft we entered
the drift" or horizontal tunnel which
is seven feet in diameter. So that any
one may stand upright there. This part
OF the tunnel which has been completed
Is circular and built OF brick. IL IL
grewsome place though II is lighted by
incandescent electric lights, particularly
when one remembers that above snd
around him are packed tightly the sands
and olays Of the lake bed and above all
lies the lake Itself. In order TO keep the
earth from caving I'm upon tho men I'm
the uncompleted part OF the DRIFT"
while they are excavating the tunnel and
bricking II up, It is necessary 10 raise
the atmospheric pressure TO about
double that Of tho surface OF the land or
water. The tunnel is literally built on
wind, for upon every square inch OF It's
inner surface there is an air pressure or
twenty-seven pounds 10 the square inch:
the normal pressure at Cleveland is
about 1872 pounds per square inch
In order to enter the part OF the
drift" where the men were at work II
was necessary TO pass through the "air
block" This IS a short section OF tunnel
closed at both ends by heavy irondoors.
II acts upon the same principal as a
canal lock; the only difference is that 1t
is used TO pass from a lower TO a higher
pressure-level instead of from lower TO
a higher water-leyel The door towards
us was open, but the one towards the
outer terminus or face OF the drift was
tightly closed by the air pressure upon
IL. No man could have opened 1t. We
entered, somewhat timidly it must be
confessed, and the door behind us was
closed and locked. The attendant kind
ly consented to let any one out after the
pressure had been raised about two
pounds, II the experience should be found
sufficient to satisfy curiosity. One lady
took advantage Of the offer after the
first blast OF air. Old Boreas evidently
has one of his caves I'm the ir-!ock. IL
is vertically a cave OF the winds"
We were carefully warned TO hold on
to our noses, close our mouths, and blow
hard. This was to set the ear-drums
back against the pressure from the out
side. Occasionally some ones drums
would refuse TO be thus moved back and
forth, and did not return readily to sheir
normal position, and the pain would be
intense until one could blow them back
into place The noise OF the air as It
was blown into the lock was f,.irly de-
moniacal, echoing and reechong from
the narrow brick walls within which we
were literally bottled UP. At length the
pressure was up to that on ths farther
side OF the iron door. into the toward
tunnel; this was easily opened, and We
passed on into the last sixty-hve feet or
the drift. There we met the animal
which eats the hay and which draws
car along a narrow track on the bottom
of the tunnel. The RICH pressure seemed
10 have an exhilarating effect upon him;
he was wide awake, and we carefully
avoided his traditional heels as We pas
sed him.
At the face Of tho drift upon wooden
staging we found the bricklayers at
WOfh. a Idlilib oothdg ID VI oSA%S 49,
pounding rapidly upon tho brick walls
with hammer, was explained TO be tie
clicking Of the valves In the air-pumps
up I'm the crib. The condensed air Is
good medium for sound transmission.
The brlcklayers are one or the three
shifts" which work eight hours zach
out OF every twenty-four. First come
the miners, who excavste tho earth, all
OF which is carried out by the mule in
his ear. Then come the trimmers, who
prepare the tunnel for the brick work,
and last come the men whom we saw
The work does not cease day or night
except between midnight Saturday night
and midnight Sunday night. The men
receive about three times the pay or
men who do similar work above ground.
The bricklayers are the highest paid.
They receive 50 per day OF eight hours. |
The progress OF the work is sixteen feet |
Der day. The miners and trimmers pre-
pare enough Of the tunnel I'm sixteen |
hours for the brickiayers 10 wall up IN |
eight hours.
Even IL no accident happen. the poor |
fellows are liable az any moment TO be |
seized with the bends" when they come /
10 the surface after working In the high |
pressure OF air. The bends is the |
name they give to form OF disease
lnOWn as CdlSSOn Cl>thsc, NhiSn oSFN-
ops in coming from an atmosphere OK
high tension to air OF ordinary tension.
4 Is marked by paralysis and other
nervous symptoms. When the workmen |
ire seized, they are fairly bent TO the
ground with the most excruciaung pains
III over their bodies. A man thus afiic-
ed Is sent 10 the hospital. IT IL often
to have him under the infiuon-
e OF morphine for many days. and he
: wrapped in the warmest OF coverings
10 remedy Is known for this disease,
md in this stage OF pain and suffering
he only means employed are warmth |
ma medicine TO produce unconscious
less until Nature can restore thu victim
o a normal condition. Fortunately an
occasional visit to the tunnel does not
'roduce this dread disorder. When OH
Iuty ths men sleep in heavy blankets.