The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1912-01-29
REPUBLICAN COUNTY PRIMARY
DATE TO Be FEBRUARY FIFTH
A DYNAMITE BLAST
ENDS A BIG TASK
Concludes Tunnel, 100 Feet
Under Hudson, for N. Y.
Water Works System.
(National News Assoc!ation)

NEW YORK, Jan. 29.-The forging
of the greatest link in the greatest
chain of its kind in the worlds history
will be completed at noon Tuesday
when a blast of dynamite, fired 100
feet under the surface of the Hudson
river at Storm King. New York, con-
cludes the digging of a tunnel through
which in years to come will pour mil.
lions of gallons of water from the
Catskill mountains for consumption by
the city OF New York, more than a
hundred miles distant
Mayor Gaynor and members OF the
Board of Water Supply will be pres
ent to officially celebrate the event
and, as soon as the debris of the blast
is cleared away, they will walk
through the 5000 feet length of the
tunnel from shore to shore.
The successful completion of the un-
der-the-river tunnel marks the final
definite assurance of the practicable
ity Of the colossal waterworks scheme
for which New York will spend $162,-
100000 before work ceases on 1t.
Tho Greatest Task.
The constructing of the great Asho-
ken dam and reservoir, with an area
greater than Manhattan Island itself;
the building of the $50 miles Of SER
pent-like aqueduct, with its half-doz-
en- sub-reservoirs, and the laying of
miles upon miles of tributary piping
under the city itself are problems to
tax the ingenuity and resources of the
greatest of engineers and constructors.
but none of these tasks was AZ baf-
fling or doubtful of contamination az
the boring under the Hudson.
. Until work on t1e g-eat-under-the
river tunnel had progressed almost ia
its conclusion, the question still re-
manned as to whether. the more-than.
half-s billion dollars voted by the city
to he expended on the prodigious pro
ject would be wasted. Therefore. the
completion Of it marks the most i'm.
pportant OCCASION since work Was start
ed In 1907.
Official ceremonies commemOrated
the turning of the first spaderfuull Of
earth. Tuesdays exercises glory ovel
the fact that, instead of a mere posi-
bility, the project is now a certainty
and its completion only q question OF
time. The only other celebration to be
held will be when the water is turned
on to supply billions of gallons of clear
mountain liquid to the inhabitants OF
Americas metropolis. This is expect
ed to be in 1913.
The official opening Of the great
tunneu on Tuesday will be attended
besides Mayor Gaynor. by President
Straus o fthe Board of Water Supply
and Commissioners John F. Calvin and
Charles N. Chadwick, as we'll as J
Waldo Smith, chief engineer of the
board and others connected with the
construction Of the aqueduct.
Tunnel Being Rushed.
The boring of the tunnel has beer
rushed at the rate of seventeen fee
a day during the last few weeks
squads working from both ends. Tht
work has progressed 20 uniformly thA
even the hour when the final blast cal
be fired has been namebd by the engi
neers.
When the dynamite has been explod
ed, and the debris cleared away, thu
mayor will lead the visiting party in ,
walk through the tunnel starting from
Break eek. N. Y, ON the east side, and
winding up at Storm King.
The tunnel has been blasted through
solid rock and in its present condition
without cement lining, which Is to b,
put In later, is watertight. The tunne
is 3,O22 feet in length and extends be
tween two shafts 1.15O feet deep, sunl
on either side Of the river. The worl
for sinking these shafts was done b,
the city, but the contract for borfnt
the tunnel has been executed by pri
vate contracting arm.
The city had great dinlculty in find
ing a suitable location for crossing nm
der the river, AZ 1t was necessary Il
ind q solid stratum of rock without {
break through which the tunnel couls
be carried. The tunnel is eighteen fee
wide in diameter and cylindrical. Th>
diameter will be reduced to fourteen
feet when the concrete lining II Il
place.
While the tunnel itself il . tremen
dous work the entire waterwOrks sya
tenn, taken az . whole is an eDOcha
one.