The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1902-10-29


tre--The Tunnel Marvel of
Engineering.
The Wilkes-Barre Record of Mon
day contained the following with ref
crence to the recent visit TO Chicago OF
81 number of capitalists from this part
of Pennsylvania.
The party OF Pennsylvania people
which went to Chicago to inspect the tun-
mel project, as we'll as the plant of the
Automatic Electric company, in which 1t
is financially interested, returned yester-
day. The members of the party were
guests Of j. r.. Russell & Co.. the fiscal
agents, and went to Chicago and back
I'm two private cars of the Dela"are,
I.aokawanna and Western railroad and
the Wabash. They were quartered at the
Auditorium Annex and an elaborate din
ncr was given by Mr.. Russell. following
which came addresses by the executive
officers of the company. describing the
progress of the work and the objects IN
view.
The party also walked five miles
through the tunnel, which at present bur
rows under the business center OF Chi
cago, but Is being extended in all direc-
tonS. About fourteen miles are already
finished but the entire system contem-
plates the extension of the tunnel to oc-
cupy seventy-fve or one hundred miles.
The companys franchise gives 1t the
right to go under every street. avenue
and alley of the city.
Marvel of Engineering.
The tunnel is a marvel of engineering,
and will be one of the greatest boons to
Chicago imaginable. in relieving the
congested condition of the business sec
tion. Operations have been carried on so
quietly that the people of Chicago were
astonishcd when they learned of the
dozen miles of tunnel that had been con-
structcd without their knowledge. How
ever, the work has been carried on in an
entirely legal manner. and the manage
ment states that every step will stand
the light of day, matter of no little
surprise. when it I've considered that there
Is a prevalent idea that municipalities
can only be persuaded to grant corpora
tion privileges by bribng city fathers.
The tunnel has been built without brib-
cry or corruption. and it will be such
public necessity that there are not likely
TO be any serious obstacles placed in the
way of not only carrying the gigantic
project to completion, but in enabling II
10 enlarge it's scope to any desired en-
tent.
Will Relieve Congestion.
AS projected now. it is to carry only
telephone and telegraph wires. the mails.
patre's and newspapers. but there will
undoubtedly be an extension of privl-
eGes by which the company can carry
freight. Even with the small tunnel now
constructed, It is possible to handle and
deliver to business establishments in
town 100000 tons of freight in fourteen
hours. The present tunnel will be able to
handle S. per cent. of all the freight
brought by the forty-two railroads enter
ing Chicago at six terminals, all of which
are within ten minutes walk Of the buSi-
ness center.
This would take the congestion of
freight off from the surface and give
Chicago degree of relief that would add
incredibly to the public comfort. The
tunnel connects with shafts underneath
business houses. up which freight can
readily be hoisted. The tunnel as at
present constructed consists of three
sizes. 6XS, SN10 and 12.9x1i feet (and the
public is clamoring to have the smaller
ones enlarged. and will carry any sized
freight that will go through a car door,
which practically means everything en-
cept long structural iron. large boilers.
long timbers. and such things. which can
only be handled on trunk line systems.
These represent the II per cent pre-
Niousy mentioned which the tunnel
could not carry. Even coal may be de-
livored to any building, and hoistod up
the shaft. The small. narrow guage cars
now running for carrying out the clay
will carry seven tons of coal each. No
hody will appreciate the underground de-
livery more than will the newspapers
which are now greatly handicapped to
get their big rolls, as they have no room
for storing more than daily supply. and
it is often difficult owing 10 the congeS-
ton Of surface travel and to strikes Of
teamstcrs to secure an adequate supply
The underground delivery of freight
will he as important to Chicago as is
The lighterage systems of the North and
Last rivers in New York city.
The Tunnel.
The present smaller tunnel is n little
higher than a man can reach, and n lit
tie wider, though it can readily be en-
larccd to any desired dimensions 1t is
expected that il will have 10 be enlarged
very materially, and it can be easily and
economically donc.
The tunnel is bored into a bed of clay,
living deep enough below the Chicago
river to furnish an ample and safe cover
ing. 1t is not believed that the tunnel
can ever be interfered with by subse-
puent would-be tunnel builders. A tun-
mel below would have to be drilled
through rock. and an attempt to build
one above would be physically and finan-
cially impossible
No other city in the world favors such
favorable conditions as Chicago. Here
IS a clay bed which does not contain n
stone and which can be cut az easily as
II it We're cheese. There Is no blasting,
no disturbance of foundations. no inter
ference with anybody. The contrast with
the subway being constructed in New
York is most striking in these respects.
When II comes 10 cnlarging the tunnel
II will not he difficult to get the neces-