The Rich Hill tribune. (Rich Hill, Mo.) 1903-1911, 1905-05-04
GIANT TASK in RAILROAD BUILDING
Two Carloads of Powder in a Single ~Blast-S25O,-
600 Paid for One Mile of T~rack-2.629 Men
Employed on a Piece Of Track BEING
Built for the Wabash System.

ton work and TO do this tho contrao.
tors employed some striking methods
AZ Welton tunnel, a mile south OF
Cumberland, a large wheel was placed
on top OF the mountain above the
tunnel entrance. cables we're run
from this across the river and canal 10
the low land, where filling was neces.
sary. and the rock from the tunnel
was carried yer In a large iron buck
ct suspended from the cables. The
laborers' camp was located on ton Of
the mountain and the men construct.
ed a i50foot ladder leading M the
precipttous face OF rocks from the
mouth OF the tunnel, and this ladder
they assembled n descended many
times a day.
In the construction OF the Indigo
tunnel. a method never before employ
ed in the East. and rarely elsewhere.
is being employed This Is the great
est tunnel on the line, being 4.400
feet in length. Il passes through a
Siding Hill mountain n and
makes the Wabash a ~straighter line
and almost a mile in three shorter
than the Baltimore & Ohio. II Is being
made by drilling the heading tthe full
width OF the tunnel, twenty-four feet,
and nine feet high through from the
bottom or at a grade level. and the
rock viii be blown down until the
required height is reached. Old CON
tractors, accustomed to driving the
heading through from the top. shake
their heads and pronounce this meth.
cd a costly experiment" but Nc
Arthur Bros. say the strata, Indigo
shale, Is Just right at this tunnel fer
this method and are confident Il viii
be a success. The heading is being
driven from both ends at he same
time and the men are within 100 feet
OF each other. nine feet a day being
the progress made from each end.
The men working from the eastern
end have penetrated only eleven
inches further than those coming
from the western side.
The stick Pile" Tunnel.
In order to cut a roadbed through
the masses of rock that rise straight
up from the bed Of the canal It was
necessary TO wait until navigation
closed for the year. In the meantime
the holes for the blasts were all pre-
pared and when the water was with.
drawn, about a month later than ever
before, thousands OF pounds OF pow.
der and dynamite we're exploded in
these holes and the canal bed was
hlled with earth and rock for many
miles which must be removed within I
the nex two months.
The only place where the Wabash
leaves the canal and river for any
considerable distance is at Bayard,
thirty-iye miles east OF Cumberland
After crossing the Baltimore & Ohio
railroad. the river and canal, at a diz.
~ height on a i.370-foot bridge. Ave
l50-foot channel spans with viaduct
approach. It strikes boldly into the
mountains. After running through
tremendous cuts, over deep ravines
and through the Stick Pile tunnel
1000 feet In length. II emerges from
its ive-mile run through the heart OF
the mountain at Orleans, w. Va. This
Is considered one Of the heaviest
pieces Of work on the line, but here
as at many other places. a compare.
lively straight line is secured with
moderate grades and with a saving
Of almost a mile over the Baltimore
& Ohio route.
The first work was done on this
connecting link on July p, 1903. and
the contract called for its completion
In eighteen months. The delay and
extra work Occasioned by trouble
with the canal rendered its compile
ton within contract time an imposst.
bility. Now. October /, is the date
set for the opening OF the road. but Il
is claimed January 1. 1906. would be
a nearer date.
From Cherry Run 10 Hancock, ten
miles. the road Is completed and trains
are running on It. For ten miles east
OF Cumberland the roadbed Is ready
for the rails and the three bridges
are in curse o. erection. A. numer
other places there are four and
five mile stretches completed. but
there remains a great amount OF
difficult work 10 be done. Il Is only
the fact that work Is being rushed
day and night. regardless OF weather.
and without regard 10 ex
pense. that makes safe the prediction
not later than January I. 1904
the wabash will have this line opep
for traiHc.
Endurance Of the Jap.
Ia the orient there Is a new art oil
war depending upon a new style OF
ply sique Of a ace which has never
been put 20 this work. The
Jap IL short. stocky and blessed with
muscles big enough for a much taller
man. He r. consequently able 70 do
more work than q European Of equal
weight A rural letter carrier thinks
nothing Of distances for which we de-
mand horses and In exceptional cases
The nckashaw man has been known
trot forty miles In a day dragging
he passenger. The daily drills Of the
soldiers include athletic exercises too