Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1900-11-03
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
a Mountain Wall Two Miles and
Half Tbrough-Famous switchback
Railway VIII lie Abandoned.
Jim Hill's Folly" after more than
three years work and the expenditure
Of 100000, is at last living fact
and a profitable investment, writes the
st. Paul correspondent Of the New
York World.
The Cascade tunnel of the Great
Northern extends 1882 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 its early stages Mr.. HIPS 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 81 feet high and
20 feet wide, with room for a 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 it's 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 defile 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 it 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
er been an accident on the switch
back" a huge y wheeled mountain
engine is attached to the rear of the
train. and the ascent is begun. At the
end of the first short length of track,
! called n leg the train stops. switches
are thrown. and the train backs on to
the second leg. This process is repeat
| ed until a height of 1927 feet is reach
ed at Cascade Summit. the entire train
having been raised G52 feet from the
starting point at Cascade tunnel.
At various points during the ascent
the station houses and other buildings
are seen in the valley far below, and
the series Of tracks passed over by the
! train are in plain view. At Cascade
! Summit the train is at the highest point
reached in the Cascade range--i,021
feet. The crossing of the Rocky noun
tains. 5.202 feet, and of the Cabinet
mountains. 4. 14G feet both exceed it in
altitude
| From Cascade Summit the train now
| begins the descent of the west slope
| to Wellington station. There are four
| legs on the west side, the stretches of
| track are shorter and sleeper than on
| the east. The scenery also is of diff
| ferent character The profuse vegeta-
ton and huge trees of western Wash
ington are now in evidence. The train
| zigzags along the mountain and at last
runs past the west end of the great
tunnel and stops at Wellington. 1908
feet above sea level.
Here a better opportunity is afforded
to see the work on the tunnel than at
the east side. Big buildings, with tall
chimneys throwing out clouds of
smoke, contain the electric light plant
and air compressors. A huge dump of
whitish gray granite shows where the
rock dug out of the tunnel is piled.
Scarcely less interesting than the
''switchback" is the wonderful new
tunnel The roof at once place is of
solid granite $3.50 feet thick. The
tunnel runs straight from the head of
one canyon TO that of another, with a
slope of about 80 feet to the mile. The
east portal is at an elevation of 1915
! feet. the western about 3. 125 feet
Thirty-two rock drills, driven by
! compressed air were used to bore
holes in the rock in the workings.
Dynamite was then inserted and fired,
the blocks of granite were broken into
smaller pieces, loaded on electric cars
| and toEpu Out Outside tha funnpl the