The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1906-03-01
S!MPL.OH TUNNEL WORK
Scene When the Great Under
taking Was Finished.
LABORERS YELLED LIKE DEMONS.
Starting From Opposite Points
Twelve Miles Apart, Bored Toward
Common Center. the TunnePx
Two BaliiOn Gallons of Water
Beloved Out.

Beloved Out.
\ Condo (SwitzerlanO correspondent
% TIE 'i.icago News thus describes the
scene s.Acn the great Simplon tunnel
was ci- tarough to Italy:
Out;ie tie tunnel mouth at Iselle,
h">3r tie Telephone in the workshop, an
excite, crowd had gathered. The la
bac Qf SIX and one-half years was
reading :.n end. The Simplon tunnel
WAS as5out to be pierced through. There
was a Label Of questions, a mixture Of
German. French, Italian and English.
How r1any feet moreY Whats the
news now?" "Will there be an acct
dent:
Every one knew the danger to be ex-
pected from the suddenly released
mass Of water in the north section
when the narrow wall dividing it from
the south tunnel should be broken open
Dams had been erected to break it's
force, and a wooden canal had been
built in the parallel tunnel to receive
it
The strain of nights vigil was be-
ginning to show it's effects. With tense
faces engineers, officials and correspond
ents waited. 1t was now 1880 o'clock.
A train was ready to take leading en-
gineers and press men into the tunnel.
At some one had telephoned that
material train had been derailed and
ten cars We're lying In heap. Men
walked restlessly to and fro, impa-
tent at the delay
Suddenly the telephone bell rang
furiously. Some one jumped for the
receiver. A voice, scarcely audible on
account Of the tumult, was shouting in
triumph from far in the interior, a
mile or more under the summit Of the
mountain.
''Traforo Traforo!' C'Throughro
Like flash the news spread Work
men waved their hats and yelled like
demons a flag was hoisted over one
of the buildings. The locomotive
shrieked discordantly. The big steam
siren at the boiler house hooted The
noise was deafening.
There was a rush for the telegraph
office, and then the telephone was be-
sieged with questioners asking for de-
tails Sulzer, one of the leaders Of the
undertaking, and Beissner, chief en-
gfneer, We're fallen upon by a mob and
congratulated until their arms ached.
Beissner seemed disappointed, for the
last blast had been fired before he and
the others could reach the scene of ac-
ton. In the meantime the locomotive
had been decorated, there was hur-
ried scramble for places, a few last
words Of instructions to the innkeeper
and the train pulled into the Simplon.
Inside the tunnel Engineer KaPpf had
taken charge Of the last shift at 5 in
the morning. The boring was directed
obliquely upward A miner named
Bedassa, the same man who had drill
ed the very first hole over six years
ago, placed the last dynamite cartridge.
Five hundred yards back were work
men and engineers.
The signal was given. A sharp re-
port, a detonation, a gasp for breath,
and then suddenly there sprang from
what had been the solid wall of rock a
food of hot, muddy, turbulent water
that rushed down through the gaping
hole and, vaulting madly over the first
dam, turned aside at the second and
third and raced away through the
wooden canal toward the mouth of the
tunnel, seven miles away.
Starting from opposite points twelve
miles apart, one in Switzerland and
one in Italy, bored toward a common
center, the side walls Of the tunnel had
united exactly. The giant work is fin
Gshed.
Over 100000 cubic yards of mate
rial has been removed, great part Of
it carted several miles from the in
terror There were 255,00O blasting
holes bored by machinery with total
length of 100000 feet, but the num-
Der of holes bored by hand was much
larger, 100000 1t required 26,O00,OOO
bore points to drill them, representing
an enormous amount Of tempered steel.
Over 1000. tons Of dynamite were ex-
ploded by 5000 miles Of fuse and 4,OOO,-
900 percussion caps.
Much has been written concerning
the difficulties caused by water. 1t Is
estimated that from the time the first
spring was piped from the south sec
ton in September, 1901, over 100000
600 gallons of water has flowed out Of
the tunnel-at the rate Of 100000 gal-
Ions daily for 1912 days.
When the train bearing Sulzer.
Beissner and the rest arrived the heat
was unbearable. Professor Rosenmund
and his assistants stood it for ten
minutes while making measurements.
For some unknown reason the air cool
ing machine ceased working at this
critical moment. 1t was sitting. OBJ
jects appeared to waver. Beissner
warned Sulzer and those who accom-
panied him to turn back. There was
not a moment to lose. Suddenly
Gu .ss4, Il representative of the SimplOn
coI1paIly in Domodossola, sank to the
ground. A few who could do so car
rfed him to the first train, already