Los Angeles herald., 1909-09-02
AQUEDUCT MEN
SMASH RECORD
SET NEW TIME FOR WORK ON
TUNNEL
BORE ONE THOUSAND FEET IN
THIRTY-oNE DAYS
DriIIers on JaWbone Division of Owens
River Project Establish Better
Mark Than Made in
Swiss Alps

A new record has been added to the
rapidly growing list of Los Angeles ac-
complishments by the remarkable work
in the completion of what is known
as tunnel II M of the Jawbone section
of the aqueduct
With the express purpose of beating
the former worlds record for tunnel
boring, forty men started work on
tunnel No. II July l, and in thirty
one days succeeded in boring 1061.6
feet.
The best previous record was made
last July in Loetschberg, Switzerland,
when 1913 feet were bored in thirty
one days, three shifts being used, as
was the case in the aqueduct work.
Official verification of the figures,
announcing a new worlds record for
tunnel work, was received in Los An
geles yesterday morning by j. B. Lip
pincott, assistant chief engineer of the
aqueduct work.
Work All Done by Hand
The record was established against
sandstone, all work being done by
hand, with the use of hand augurs
and dynamite for blasting purposes.
The muck or debris accumulated by
the blasting was removed by mule
power, it being necessary to trans
port the muck more than quarter
of a mile, and ore cars were employed
for the same purpose.
Ventilation was afforded the work.
ers by means of holes bored seventy
five feet through the roof of the tun-
nel, thus establishing air outlets.
The aqueduct employees work on a
bonus system and as a result of the
record-breaking achievement the forty
employees will receive $35 extra for
the work of August. The city of Los
Angeles also participates in the gain,
as such an achievement will materially
reduce the cost of the aqueduct work.
The plan of granting bonuses has
been found to be effective and of great
financial saving.
Tunnel II M is situated twenty-eight
miles north of Mojave and Will be
1886 feet in length. The maximum
height of the tunnel is II rect o4s
inches and the maximum width 10 feet,
10 inches.
Three Shifts Put to Work
Early in July the workmen realized
it was possible to break the world, s
record for tunnel construction work
and petitioned William Mulholland,
chief engineer, to put three shlfts TO 10
work The plan was to have one-thlrd
of the employees work eight hours each
day.
That the men worked hard is shown
bv the result which was announced
Yesterday, and although handicapped
by the two days of hot weather sun
day and Monday, the men stood by
their task.
The record held by Switzerland was
made under similar conditions to those
of the aoueduct employees, the only
difference being the Swiss workers
We're obliged to tunnel through lime
stone, instead of sandstane as eneoun-
tered by the Los Angeles workers.
Work Done at Low Price
The record-breaking crew was in
charge of Foreman Benjamin w. Pru-
itt with Thomas Flanagan, supervisor
and A. c. Hanson, division engineer.
That the taxpayers shared In the
glory of the tunnel workers is ShoWeu
nv the figures denoting the work was
done at a figure averaging between 30
and Sc a foot, which is a remarkably
low price for such work.
The employees are supposed TO tuIl,
mel four feet every eight hours and
for each extra foot receive bonus
of twenty-five cents.
The record is another feather IN tile
cap of, Chief Engineer Mulholland, VINO
has handled the aqueduct proposition
with great tact and ability.