Barre evening telegram. (Barre, Vt.) 1898-19??, 1900-11-28
Jim HILLS FOLLY"
The Great Cascade Tunnel Is
Now Completed.
WILL BE LIGHTED BY ELECTRICITY

Splendid Engineering Feat Saves
Time, Coal and Money by Piercing
Half Through-Fnmous switcLback
Railway VIII De Abandoned.
elm Hills Folly" after more than
three years work and the expenditure
Of $4,000, 900, Is at last a living fact
and a profitable investment, writes the
st. Paul correspondent Of the New
York World.
The Cascade tunnel Of the Great
Northern extends 1889 feet under the
mountains. Eight hundred men have
been working from both ends Of the
great bore. When they met, there was
but two inches difference in the grades
the two parties were working on.
In it's early stages Mr.. Hill's plan Of
piercing the mountains instead of cross
ing them was scoffed at by investors
and railroad men as visionary and I'M
practicable, destined to prove a failure
or bankrupt the road or both. But now
it is estimated that the saving in eX-
pense over the 'switchback" system
will pay 10 per cent on the cost of the
tunnel. The tunnel is "a feet high and
20 feet wide, with room for n double
track. Thirty.two air drills were used
in %excavating, and the rock taken from
the tunnel was crushed and used with
cement for a lining which is four feet
thick throughout. Electric motors will
be used to run trains through the tun-
mel, and the great tube will be lighted
by electricity.
The Cascade "switchback" of the
Great Northern, one Of the greatest
feats in railroad construction in the
United States, Is fast nearing the end
of its usefulness. The approach to this
series of zigzag ascending and descend
ing tracks over the mountains is
through tremendous gorges. Tunwater
(Talking Water) canyon, about 30 miles
this side Of the tunnel, Is a detlle ten
miles in length through the heart of
the great hills and for scenic grandeur
has few rivals. The mountains here
are nearly perpendicular. Everywhere
hang long, white streaks Of snow and
| water. One cannot distinguish between
them until directly under a cascade.
| At Mason creek the train pushes deep
| into the mountains, passing through a
| canyon so steep that 1t seems as though
lightning had cleft the mountains asun-
| der. Climbing still higher, the train
| comes to a stop at the foot Of the east
| side "switchback."
Most careful examination is made OF
each part of the train before the as
| cent is commenced. Every wheel and
| truck, all airbrake mechanism, signals,
| etc., are inspected to guard against the
| possibility of accident. There has new
err been an accident on the "switch'
back" A huge - wheeled mountain
| engine Is attached to the rear or the
train, and the ascent is begun. At the
end of the first short length Of track
called q 'leg," the train stops, switches
are thrown, and the train backs on tG
the second leg. This process is repeat
ed until a height Of 4,027 feet is reach
ed at Cascade Summit, the entire train
having been raised G52 feet from the
starting point ut Cascade tunnel.
At various points during the ascent
the station houses and other buildings
are seen in the valley far below, ant
the series Of tracks passed over by thu
train are in plain view. At Cascade
Summit the train is at the highest poin'
reached in the Cascade range-,02'
feet. The crossing Of the Rocky noun
tains, 5000 feet, and of the Cabine
mountains, 4 ,146 feet, both exceed it II
altitude.
From Cascade Summit the train nov
begins the descent Of the west slope
TO WELLINGTON station. There are foul
legs on the west side, the stretches o
track are shorter and sleeper h a OF
the east. The scenery also is of a diff
ferent character. The profuse vegeta
ton and huge trees of western Wash
ington are now in evidence. The trail
zigzags along the mountain Inc at las
runs past the west end OF the grea
tunnel and stops at Wellington, 300
feet above sea level.
Here a better opportunity is afforded
to see the work on the tunnel than a
the east side. Big buildings. with tai
} chimneys throwing out clouds q
smoke, contain the electric light plan
and air compressors. A huge dump o
whitish gray granite shows where tn
rock dug out Of the tunnel Is piled.
. Scarcely less interesting than tn
"~switchback" Is the wonderful neN
tunnel. The roof at once place Is O
solid granite $3.50 feet thick. Th
1 tunnel runs straight from the head Q
3 one canyon to that Of another, with
slope of about 90 feet to the mile. IN
1 east portal Is at an elevation OF 1851
feet, the western about 3,12o feet.
e Thirty-two rock drills. driven b
+ compressed air, were used to Dor
holes In the rock in the workings
Dynamite was then inserted and free
n the blocks of granite were broken int
smaller pieces, loaded on electric car
:. and taken out. outside the tunnel tn