New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-04-24

-ocr ~, the Manhattan SIDE and fifty TO seventy
through the sand on the BSooklyn side continues
Uninter7-.ptedy.
A ,-s.t 20 the tunnel while the excavation is In
progress IS interesting experience Old clothes
ard s-if. yellow oilskn coat and hat are Cc'-lel-
climbing around trestlework and through passes
between piles OF rocky debris. the mouth OK ne
shaft IS reached. Crude elevators fitted with a
short section OF track. FOR bringing up the sIna-i
cars Of debris from the heading and taking the
empty cars dosyn again. slide Up and down the
shaft one rising en- one tube while another descenos
IN the other. While it is sometimes quicker 10
descend By the dirt incrusted ladders 10 the DOL
tom forty feet below It IS easier going down into
the forest OF tirnbers on the elevator. Little Is
rained IN cleanliness however. for It plumps into
. POOL % water at the bottom, which flows o'N
around Il and then settles back over the hoor al
most before one can balance himself on the ralis
above IT. The interior OF the l5l2-fOot hole, with
is iron circumference. is lighted with FEW cleo
tic lights A short distance away IS the 6-foot
cement and brick wall OF the air lock Following
the engineer down the incline. which IS sleeper
than any of the grades on the elevated railroad,
having descent OF 3lo feet in every hundred one
hears him ran. on the big circular tube at the
bottom with q piece Of iron which he picks up
from the plank floor.
..Rat-tat. rat-tat rat-t-t" It sounds holloway.
Through thick plate glass, two or three inches
square. in the square door IN the end which is
large enough to let the cars laden with broken
rock pass through electric lights can be seen
within. Soon comes 4 signal from the other side
OF the wall-''rat-tat. rat-tat, rat-t-t!"
4 blast like the sudden escape OF steam from a
safety valve indicates the release OF the surplus
pressure OF air from the lock. The roar surprises
one for the pressure IS only ten or twelve pounds
The IN the lock plays with the escape valve
the tube snoring three times Ike some
great animal turned lo0scG 20 play. Finally the air
ceases TO rush out and the door is opened From
the electrically lighted tube pours through the
doorway a cloud Of steam The figure Of is
seen dimly as he emerEes IN the midst OF the
cloud pushing OF rock before him
Entering the lock- the door is again closed. Pinch
your nose and push your lungs hard" the engineer
says as ne groDes his way half bent over toward
the far end os the tube. Derhaps twelve or fifteen
feet away Put your foot against tho door until 7
have turned on a little ai-." he takes hold OF a
big handle on the side OF three inch pipe and
gradually pushes i over. The air rushes in with
roar n a moment he turns * of.
How do you feel?' There is little buzzlng Of
the ears. Squeeze your nose this way. he says,
illustrating with the thumb and forehnger % his
night hand be opens the valve again After
shutting on the air two three times TO find
how x IS going with the visitor. the pressure
Is reached ard the door is opened There has been
bleeding al the ears. as happens in some cases,
and as the pressure either side OF the eardrums
becomes equalized the buzzing ceases. One hardly
realizes that there is any difference IN the pressure
between the air and outside. Above the
a
two locks must be open at all times. Should any
thing occur IA the tunnel which would endanger
thsir lives this would leave way OF escape open.
Because OF the smoky atmosphere one can see
only a short distance down the tunnel In the
middle OF the completed section on a platform cut
ting the circle IN half. stands a young engineer
wiki his theodolite over his head suspended from
the roof little frame Is a lighted candle. Be
fore the hane hangs string The engineer holds
G candle IN hand with which he signals through
the smoky atmosphere assistant on a similar
platform IN front OF the airlock. Here hanging
from the centre OF the arch another candle and
string. and suspended directly beneath this IS
small smoking lamp without a chimney. In this way
the direction the excavation is taking determined
and upon the accuracy OF the engineers work de-
penos the accuracy with which the two ends OF
the tunnel shall under the middle OF the
river
At tia far snd OF the tunnel tho cast iron ranzn
have not bean placed IN position Resting on
orsoksts attached &c the rings already get I'd "a a
machine for pushing the OF the rings In place
ano holding them there until they are bolted to
Their fellows. Beyond. the drills are pounding
away with ear racking noise. The only evidence
that one Ia under the river is the dripping OF
drops Of salt water from the rocky roof OF the
Aeaolng. Through the rock come the hurried tap
TAP tap. tap OF the drills IN the heading OF the
adjoining tunnel only twenty or twenty-five feet
away.
me return 70 the outer world is accomplished
~ a cloud Entering the lock- the door into the
tonnel is closed and the valve opening into the
entrance is opened. with a rush the imprisoned
ear escapes and the chamber becomes thick with
- sss>m OK The condensed moisture Ths air