The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1906-10-04
A GREAT feat
IN ENGINEERING
The Pennsylvania Railroads Tunnel
in Washington.
STATIONS AT THE OFFICE BUILDINGS
Completion of an Important Fea-
ture Connected With the Con-
struction of Terminals There
Separate Bores for Trains Going
in Each Direction.

Washington, d. C. Especially The
great tunnel of the Pennsylvania
Railroad that runs under Capitol
Hill, between the Capitol and the
Congressional Library. was finished
Thursday. II was intended that
President Cassatt, of the Pennsyl-
vania Railroad, and some of the Of
hcials OF the company, should be
taken through the tunnel. But. ow-
ing to Mr.. Cassatt's Illness. the plan
was abandoned. The tunnel is about
four-fifths of a mile long, and is
about so feet below the surface of
the street on Capitol Hill. OF all the
many engineering feats involved in
the construction of the new terminals
OF the Pennsylvania Railroad, the
building of this tunnel was regard
ed with most apprehension. Con-
gress cheerfully gave its consent to
the building of miles of solid mason
ry walls and steel bridges over the
streets, and all the other details Of
the great work, but committees of
the House and Senate were in ses-
sion more than a year hearing the
engineers of the Pennsylvania Rail-
road and other expert testimony be-
fore they were finally convinced that
a tunnel could be built under the
plaza between the Capitol and the
Library without endangering either
of those massive buildings.
The work was begun in December,
1903, at New Jersey Avenue and d.
Streets, Southeast. from which point to
B Street the work was done in open
cut. Here the actual tunneling COM
menced. Four drifts, two upper and
two lower levels, Just large enough for
two men to work, were pushed forward
and the timbering emplaced. AS the
timber arch was formd great shovels,
operated by compressed air. dug out
the core, the material being hauled
away or cars.
The tunnel is known as twin"
tunnel, su called because 1t consists
of two parallel tubes, separated by
masonery wall. thus making each
tube an individual tunnel. contain
ing single track. This not only
eliminates the danger of collisions
since trains in the west tube are
southbound AID those in the east
tube are northbound, but it will make
travelling far more comfortable since
the trains in each tube. going only
one way. will clear the tunnel of
the gases and the smoke by the cur
rent created by the trains motion.
The work of building the parallel
tubes was hindered by many serious
difficulties. first of which was the
presence of water and quicksand, but
by the exercise of care and engineer
ing skill, all these difficulties were
finally surmounted and today the
tunnel men turned the tunnel over to
the track layers for their work.
The tunnel cost s2,000,000. Where
It approaches the corner OF y Street
and North Capitol a tunnel VIII be
built TO a station in the subcellar of
the Office building Of the House of
Representatives so that representa-
tives coming from New York or other
cities on the Pennsylvania can go di-
rectly to their Offices in the building
from their train. A similar tunnel will
be built TO the building that is now
being constructed for suites of Of
flee rooms for the Senate at the other
end of the CaDitOl plaze.