The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1913-05-30

is thus limited to a comparativel,
few feet day. This can be doub
led by working the two ends OF tn,
tunnel simultaneously The tim'
limit set on the completion of Thu
lCnnchfield extension was measure,
by the time it would take to com
plete the tunnel through Sand.
Ridge, working from both ends. Thi
meant that full complement of tun
mel equipment must be taken to thu
north end of the tunnel, involving
as 1t did the "wegoning' across thu
mountain of engines, boilers, rails
drills and numerous other articles
of such weight as makes their move
ment serious matter even undel
the most favorable circumstance
and with the best appliances a
hand. But the equipment was TAX
en- where 1t was needed. and day
by day the hole from the north side
of Sandy Ridge is approaching the
meeting place as rapidly as that
from the south side.
One of the marvels of railroad
building is the manner in which the
titans OF modern construction move
from point to point their tools OF
trade.
The road loses some of its char
acter in extension. for the approach
to the Sandy Ridge tunnel from the
south Is made on 2 per cent.
grade. while the approach from the
north end Is made on grade of
/ per cent. The grade through the
tunnel rises from north to south at
the rate of half of per cent. 1t
had been planned originally to be-
gin the Sandy Ridge tunnel some
and make the northern entrance con-
siderably below the point 1t will
now reach. This, however, while
giving much easier grade at eth
err end, would have necessitated a
tunnel three miles long which would
have cost great deal of money.
The contract for the entire ex-
tension was let to Rinehart & Dem
mis-, we'll known contractors OF
Washington. d. c., who have sub
let portions OF it to half dozen
or so other contracting firms. and
work is being done at zen or a
dozen different places. 1t was the
intention in the first place to push
the work through by January l of
next year, but 1t was found impos-
sible to complete the Sandy Ridge
tunnel by that time, and July 1. IA,
is the time now set for the COM
pletion of the work.
The Importance of this extension
to future traffic can be gathered
from a glance at the map. Connect
ing here with the Big Sandy branch
of the Chesapeake & Ohio. and at
at the mouth Of the
Big Sandy, with the main line of
that great system, and with the
terminus of the Ohio River divi-
sion of the Baltimore & Ohio, and
the main line of the Norfolk and
Western, but few hundred yards
away, 1t will establish a direct
line between the South At
lantic seaports at Wilmington.
Charleston and Savannah. and the |
Great Lake ports at Chicago. Toledo |
and Cleveland, and between the cot
ION fields and factory towns of'the
Southeast and the great producing |
and manufacturing centers of the
Middle West as well. 1t is but a
matter OF time when the connect
ng lines north and south, reaching
,ut their tentacle-like branches.
will gather a tremendous amount
If traffic from the broad fields and
Industrial centers penetrated by
hem. forcing 1t through this mar
'ow gorge, in which lies their short
st connecting link. to perform its
proper function in the commercial
between the two great
Nor must the Importance OF the
ocal traffic to be developed by the
xtension of this road be ignored.
his section of Kentucky, allowed
o lie dormant until within the last
ew years, has suddenly awakened
nto a region of vast industrial sig
ificance. Its coal deposits have
cen found to be of great value as
egards both quantity and quality.
nd developments are being made
n a scale never equaled in any
Their coal field. On the waters of
,lkhorn Creek, which empties into
he Big Sandy at this place, the {
Coal Co. has begun a
evelopment Of large proportions,
nd the annual output there, and
lst a few miles across the noun
ain on another watershed. will run
mis- year far beyond the million-ton
lark So important development
it that the Baltimore & Ohio I
.ailroad has bought d 30-mile road
uilt by the coal company from Shell
y Junction, on the Chesapeake and
hio some 15 miles below here. to s
/ nkins, the central point of the O
avelopment, while the Lexington & r
astcrn, Louisville & Nashville a
ne, has built a 100-mile extension v
ON Jackson to the mines across s