The San Francisco call., 1899-07-23
MARVELLOUS ENGINEERING
FEAT SUCCESSFULLY
COMPLETED

Under these circumstances there vas
nothing 70 be done except TO take out the
bent timhers and put in others. In some
cases this had 10 be done as many as
three times.
But the trouble at this time was nothing
10 what came later on from the same
source At the Point Richmond end OF
the tunnel many tInbers, I2x12 inches
thick, were broken in two as II they were
matches, so great was the power OF the
swelling ground Experience has shown
thar this ground moves At intervals until
IT reaches 4 certain point. when II stops
and remains perfectly solid The first tim
bers 10 show signs Of getting out OF plumb
after being repaired twice remained per-
fecCIy rigid They are Just as straight to
day as the tirnbers through the stony sec
tIon. and they have been in position for
over ten months There is little likelihood
that they viii cause any more trouble.
As the tunnel got deeper and deeper into
the hill light and air had to be provided
for the workers This necessftared the in
staIlatton OF electric and pumping plants
a. both ends OF the tunnel \ large air
pump exhausted the air from the newly
cut end and q fresh volume rushed IN at
the other. As tncandescent lights were
used there was no vtttarton from oil
smoke, and as d consequence the air was
almost always as pure as on the outside.
The exception was just after blast, when
the powder smoke was usually quite thick
But this caused no Inconvenience, as the
men never started 10 work until the
smoke had thoroughly cleared away.
And so the work went on day and night
One gang OF workers gave place 10 an
other al both ends each morning and
evening 50 there was practically no in
terruptiou-
About q month ago the two gangs began
TO hear one another through the wall %
earth that still had TO be removed Each
day the sounds became more and more
distinct. and finally voices could be heard
The men shouted 20 one another and ex-
changed congratulations
But this condition did not last long. for
q good big blast blew q hole clear through
and the two gangs became one The men
cheered and yelled and hardly waited for
the smoke TO clear away before each gang
scrambled through int. the domain OF the
other.
The breaking through OF the wall
solved the ventilation problem. for cool
sea breeze rushed through from Point
Richmond and invigOrated the baked
workers Of the Martinez end. The air
pumps stopped at once, for there was no
longer need OF them The tunnel IS said
20 be perfectly ventilated and there viii
be no need Of air pumps, even 70 exhaust
the smoke OF the trains that will run
through in the future
From the time the wall OF earth vas
broken through Until the last timber was
in place was only a few days Work was
rushed through with all speed. Having
pure air the men accomplished more than
they had been IN the habit OF accom-
plishiug, and as consequence got
through sooner. The pile OF earth that
remained was soon hauled out and the
tinbers hauled in First the uprights were
put in place and then the heavy segments
OF the arch Tier after tier was finished
until only one remained. When only one
-l= 81
\ good pull on the rope and II was lifted
into place The tunnel was finished
The accompanying photograph shows
the last segment being hoiSted- By rare
good luck every piece fitted at the wind
up and there was no hitch anywhere
All that remains 20 be done now is to
make Z few repairs Of broken timbers
and put in the stone ballast for the road
bed Then the track viii be laid When
this is done IL viii not be long before the
whistle OF the first train will be heard
at Point Richmond The splashing OF
the paddle wheels OF a new ferTyboar
will accompany IL, and San Francisco viii
have competing railroad