The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1905-07-04

on top of the mountain above tbel
tunnel entrance, cables were run
from this across the river and canal tol
the low land, where filing was necesl
sary, and the rock from the tunnel
was carried over in large iron buck
ct suspended from the cables. The
laborers' camp was located on ton OIL
the mountain and the men construct
ed 150-foot ladder leading up the
PERCEPTIONS face of rocks from the
mouth of the tunnel, and this ladder.
they assembled and descended many
times a day
In the construction of the indigo
tunnel, a method never before employ4
ed in the East, and rarely elsewhere
is being employed. This is the great
est tunnel on the line, being 4.400l
feet in length. 1t passes through a.
Siding Hill mountain range and
makes the Wabash a straighter line
and almost a mile in three shorter
than the Baltimore & Ohio. 1t is beins
made by drilling the heading (the fulE
width of the tunnel, twenty-four feet
and nine feet high through from the
bottom or at a grade level, and the
rock will be blown down until tho
required height is reached. Old con-
tractors, accustomed to driving I'D
beading through from the top, shake
their heads and pronounce this meth
cd costly experiment" but Mo
Arthur Bros. say the strata, Indigo
shale, is just right at this tunnel 20
this method and are confident it wiz
be a success. The heading is bein@
driven from both ends at the sam
time and the men are within 100 feeN
OF each other, nine feet a day beink
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 straighE
up from the bed of the canal it va
necessary to wait until navigatidn
closed for the year. In the meantime
the holes for the blasts were all ore
pared and when the water was with
drawn, about month later than ever
before, thousands of pounds of pow~
der and dynamite were exploded In
these holes and the canal bed wa
filled with earth and rock for manyI
miles which must be removed withInl
the next two months.
The only place where the Wabash
leaves the canal and river for any
considerable distance is at Bayard.
thirty-five miles east of Cumberland.
After crossing the Baltimore & OhAo
railroad, the river and canal, at dr.
zy height on a 1,370-foot bridge, ave
150-foot channel spans with viaduek
approach, it strikes boldly into the
mountains. After running throu xn
tremendous cuts, over deep ravineB
and through the Stick Pile tunnM
1000 feet in length, it energies frora
its f1ve-mile run through the heart of
the mountain at Orleans, w. Va This
is considered one of the heaviagt
pieces of work on the line, but here
as at many other places, compare
lively straight line is secured VITA
moderate grades and with a saving
of almost mile over the Baltimore
& Ohio route.
The first work was done on thin
| connecting link on July 81, 1903, and
the contract called for its completion
in eighteen months. The delay and
extra work occasioned by trouhle
with the canal rendered its comple-
ton within contract time an imposals
bility. Now, October 1, is the date
set for the opening of the road, but IL
is claimed January 1, 1906, would Nv
nearer date.
From Cherry Run to Hancock ten
miles, the road is completed and trains
of Cumberland the roadbed is reaay
I, for the rails and the three bridgaa
are in course of erection. At num@rs
Gus other places there are four snd
five mile stretches completed, bun
there remains a great amount oS
difficult work to be done. 1t is onIy
the fact that work is being rushed
day and night, regardless of weatheE
conditions and without regard to ex
pense, that makes safe the prediction
that not later than January 1, 190Rs
the Wabash will have this line Do
for traffic.
Endurance of the Jap.
In the orient there is new art ~
war depending upon a new style VI
physique of race which has Af
before been put to this work. 1hs
Jap is short, stocky and blessed Wiz
muscles big enough for a much tai M
man. He is consequently able to M
more work than a European of eqaA
weight. A rural letter-carrier Tho
nothing of distances for which we aN
mand horses and in exceptional casM
the rickashaw man has been knoWA
to trot forty miles in a day dragg ins
the passenger. The daily drills OF fA<
soldiers include athletic exercises EQa
severe for the average European saf
der, such as running up and down
long flights of stairs. 1t is not slf
| prising, then, that their troops shdMiR