Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-08-06
GLAsCow's REMARkiBtn MEANS
OF PASSENGER TRANSPORTATION.
CABLE ROAD DEEP DOWH IN EARTH.
Passes beneath River and Under
the Busiest Section of the CITY
Disaster Followed Disaster Durine
Its Construction.
(cOrresDOndenee Of the pIspalchl


structed for their travelling comfort a ll.,
| that compares favorably with any of tb.
wonderful feats OF engineering with which
! me railroad builders are making their pro.
! fession. and the century. famous all owe,
the world. The railroad may be correct.
| ~ described as tube deep. down in tho
/ bowels Of the earth, through which the
| passengers are shot like travellers IN
Dark ana unknown world who must clos.
their eyes and blindy trust kind fate 90
bring them safe 20 daylight and earth
again. For six years workmen have been
| burrowing out this new road. and. now
that II is finished and opened. il IS proy.
, ing one Of the most successful railr,,s
ventures ever undertaken. IL was freely
predicted that the canny Scots would NOT
risk their lives TO an clectrically-prouo.-
led shell. that shot through a dark pss-
sage far beneath the cltys streets but
the contrary has proved tho case. and tn.
company has been forced 90 enlarge me
capacity or the road to accommodate au
the passengers.
The tunnels are built at an average
| In places they descend 20 the pr0digious
depth Of ll5 feet. Leaving the hot stress
Of the city, the passenger doecends innu.
merable steps into a cool, underground re.
gion, where he lands on an island plat
form between two cable-roads. The ca
bles are running ar a great speed. and the
noise they make is almost deafenins 10
those who work Ina the tunnels Passen-
gers, however, have no access 10 the tun-
nels, and at the stations the track
sheaves are packed with leather and the
rattle of the cable greatly modified
But the passenger has little time 90
study these features. FOR there rushcs up
within a few seconds after his arrival Oh
the platform cylndrical-shaped monster
bearing little resemblance 20 tho old en-
gine-drawn train Of the British railroads
The cars are modelled somewhat Oh the
lines OF the American railroad-car, and Dc
may be mentioned here that many ideas
In connection with the "oad were borrow
ed from America, which was extensively
toured by the engineer. Mr.. H. Home Nor
ton, before he completed his plans. The
cars are constructed on generous lines
with full allowance of space and light. The
lighting is by electricity. which Is carried
by feeders along the sides OF the tunnels
and taken off by hinged rods, kept in COM
springs, plan which, simple as II seems
was hit upon only after several frultlesi
experiments. The same electrical install
lation serves, also, % work the block sig
Mailing system, by which each car auto
matically registers its own progress as ~
passes from station 10 station.
At the car-shed. when the days work o.
done, the cars are lifted TO the surface by
a l2-ton travelling crane, which, moving
D.
purpose of turn-tabe and cross-oyer.
Here they are placed on railS
over S-feet pits. and carefully exc
amned in all their working partt
before being lowered again 10 the
tunnels. 10 be ready for duty on the
following day. Every facility for repairl
is provided in the shed, and evory pracau-
ton is taken against a possible break
down; but, even should such an accident
occur. the injured car would be removed
almost instantly without blocking the
traffic for more than one or TWO minutes.
The work Of digging this tunnel, which,
besides passing through the heart Of tho
city, goes beneath the river at Govan,
was. Of course the most formidable part
OF the undertaking. Al one polpt the rail-
road is the third story underground, OF u
the roadway and overhead railroad bridge
are counted II is the 9Th line OF traitlc on
one kind or another. First comes mo
street, crossed at a few yards distance
BY a railroad bridge; Immediately below
are a 6-foot sewer. and the water ana
gas-mains; under this. again, runs the
Caledonian Underground. and deep down
below all lies the new railroad. To bore
out this new tunnel without disturbing
the buildings and subways overhead was
a task sufficiently great 70 stagger any
one. The only practicable method was
mole-like burrOwing. much OF which had
to be carried on under high pressure. on
account OF the presence Of water IN The
surrounding soil.
Even where IL was practicable 10 work
from above the necessity Of closing mo
trench as speedily as possible Obliged mo
contractors 10 dig only 10 the depth ot tho
upper side Of the tunnel, and then, Aztec
building the arch on the solid earth. % OH
In the excavation Immediately Ihls,
when 10 the man I'm the street tho work
appeared 10 be finished, II was really only
begun and there still remained the diih
cult and laborious task Of cNcavating Tho
soil under the arch, and building che In
vert Wherever water was present. IRON
cylinders were substituted Cor brick OF &C.
ment, metal shields armed with steel cut
ting edges being driven into me sou D.
hydraulic power, and the cylinders bui-t
up inside OF these.
The greatest difficulty was oncounterc1
al the eastern river crossing, where all
unknown 20 the citizens. who In tens ~
thousands crossed the Glasgow BIRDS b
every day within a Jew yards OF the spot
a really great feat OF engineering had
20 be performed AT this part, much
higher air pressure than usual was necl-
ed 10 counterfeit, the constant how or
water from above, and, as only
thin layer OF soft earth sue
pervened between the roof OF me
| tunnel and the river overhead. tI'
problem 60 be solved was sufficiently per-
picking. In spite OF every precauuoh' i-.
| result of the increased pressure against
| a comparatively slight resistance WI.
/ that before eighty feet OF the crossn5
| had been ACCOMPLISHED the bed OF tha
| river had been blown up ten times ol
| me last occasion. the whole timbernf
| the workings was thrown into tl-
| stream and hoated away, leaving boz
\ txyentv-four feet in diameter ana slNte.
/ fee, deem. which had somehow 10 3.
! nunned dry before work couid 80 OF
| This final disaster was TOO much iof IN
| natience OF the contractor, alreauy tFleN
10 breaking point by nine previous hurs-s
and he retired IN disgust, leaNihe gro
80, ~ hc finished by other hands. There
80 80 o,ber awkward moments that must
49, thought the heart OF the engineer
,n charge TO his mouth. Al one par, .
discussed and lOng-forgotten quarry, ni'sS
uu and built over generations age "I'
| suddenly tapped, and the tunnels W..
oInost instantly flooded over auafie.
| az "a mile OF their length. Then me p-"
| of a dried up stream was run INTO, 'n"'
| a. the sludge deposit was forced ini' .'.N
omen mouth OF the tunnel. the street owe.
head collapsed and swallow q s'''