The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-12-26
JIM HILLS FOLLY.
The Tunnel That He Built Through
the Cascade Mountain Range.
Butte Miner.

a AAASA
The beginning of the twentieth century
will witness the passing Of one Of the
great engineering feats of the age and
the opening for use of a still greater en-
gineering achievement. On Jan. 1 next the
use of the switchback over which the
Great Northern crosses the Cascade range
will be discontinued, and trains will be
run by way of the tunnel bored through
the mountain.
For something like ten years the trains
of the Great Northern have climbed the
switchback from either side of the Cascade
range and come down on the opposite. No
accident worth calling such has ever been
recorded. and passengers have enjoyed the
exhiliration of the climb and the descent:
When the road was built this series of
Zig-Zag ascending and descending tracks
was the only route regarded as feasible.
1t was considered a great engineering feat.
too, and Ii was. But experience had shown
that il was an expensive and time con-
Stunning method of crossing the mountain.
President Hill was not the man TO allow
even nature to stand in the way of the
accomplishment of a purpose when he once
made up his mind that he was going TO
shorten the distance and the time in
one way to do ito bore straight through
a mountain of solid granite. When the
announcement of this project was made.
as "Jim Hills folly" 1t was bad enough,
though it might be enterprising. to cross
hundreds of miles of barren prairies; but
TO think of cutting through a mountain
of rock was financial suicide.
The brain that could conceive such a
project, however, was capable of carry
ing ii through to success. Hills folly
is no longer n folly" 1t is an accom-
plished fact, and for ages and ages this
| great piece of work will stand as a monu-
ment TO the ingenuity and daring Of
James J. Hill.
From terminal TO terminal this wonder
full piece of engineering work is two and
cne-half miles long. The tunnel is in a
| straight line from the head of q canyon on
the one side to the head of another canyon
ON the other side. Work on the approaches
| was begun in January, 1897, and the forces
working toward each other met on Oct. ,
last. So accurate were the two borings
that when they met there was a difference
| Of but a few inches.
At the east entrance the tunnel has an
| elevation OF 3,S75 feet above sea level: at
the west entrance. 3.125. This gives a slope
of about ninety feet TO the mile. and insures
the proper drainage of the tunnel. There
will be little need OF drainage. however. as
the entire tunnel is lined with a wall four
feet thick made OF the rock taken out In
cement. When 1t is recalled that the COM
pletel tunnel is twenty-three feet high and
sixteen feet wide inside this wall. the
amount of work done and material handled
will be apparent. To remove the disagree
able feature OF smoke. no -coal-consuming
| locomotives will be allowed I'm the tunnel.
The hauling from end TO end will be done
BY electric motors. The air in the tunnel
will be kept pure by means OF immense
fans. and II will be lighted from end ID
end by electricity.
There nave been other great engineer
ing feats In the nineteenth century. but
few that offered such difficulties at the
start. or which were pushed TO such a
! rapid and successful completion, as Jim
Hurs folly"