The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-01-23
ASHOKAN EXPLORERS
ADVANCE is MILES
Lowered 200 Feet Into East
Shaft in an Iron
Bucket,
SNOW MOUNTAIN SCALED
1likcrs Wade Through Knee
Deep Water and stop for
Night at Hunters Brook.
SNOW MOUNTAIN SCALED

lEEkSkfIJs. y. v, Jan. 22.-BN one
means and another the New York news
ptper men walking home from Ashokln
through the new aqueduct managed To
pace on sixteen miles Of hardship ana
pain to-day. They did another half milo
to, which does not belong in the cate
CORY OF hardship and pain because II WAS
too exquisite. That half mile waded liz
way through darkness, gloom, profanity
and knee deep water which was colder
than any unfrozen water ever known 10
man.
Nevertheless the day had It's pleasures
and its things OF interest in such album
dant quantity that no one cared II his
four buckle arctics did only come to the
calf OF his leg. Who. for instance,
wouldn't enjoy scaling a perpendic ula-
wall Of snow and ice properly known as
Breakneck Mountain. and who wouldn't
find pleasure In spending a day walking
south when City Hall lies in that dircc-
ton? Everybody would. TO be sure
The reporters began their days activity
by interviewing the east shaft Of the
Hudson River crossing. To do this the
more thoroughly they all got into an iron
bucket suspended by u nervous cabl, and
were lowered 200 feet through space
which will soon be filled with Catskill
mountain water. Down there they found
the intake to the Breakneck tunnel. II
was handsome intake, just AS all the
other intakes In the system are. and
quite plain. They would have gone down
the other 900 feet of the shaft, but were
prevented by the presence Of wet water
In that part.
breakneck Mountain scaled.
II was just after the inspection of the
east shaft. while the temperature was still
lowering around zero and the wind was
blowing sixty miles or perhaps a littl,
less on the Hudson that the party en-
trusted themselves to George Carey, as
sistant engineer. and began the days
walk. They scaled Breakneck Mountain.
or most Of it, and entered the upper level
OF Breakneck tunnel where they lost all
visual perspective Immediately and
CROPPED forward with light hearts and
songs.
They say this tunnel is only a third OF
"A mile long. though IL seems more Won
derful than that, and that like the east
shaft II is held In great superstition by
the colored laborers who have done the
work and are still doing IT, Once upon
1" 'ii', Aoi ifIsldItt, dll engineer tbUk
"A woman visitor down the east shaft
and as result there have been several
men killed, numerous fights in which ra-
zors figured automatically and a great
many accidents. At least the colored
laborers all blame these calam!ties on
the fact that woman entered the shaft
and no amount OF argument will dis
suade them.
ON the other side OF Breakneck tunnel
is Breakneck Valley. trivial affair
scoopcd out Of the earth very artisticalIv
and through this runs half a mile of cut
and cover construction to the entrance
OF Bull Hill tunnel. 1t was pleasant to
learn that Bull Hill tunnel Is only a
mile long and that at It's end there dips
away another siphon. ono mile long
which runs beneath Foundry Brook
The aqueduct, II you wish to know it.
then does a regular tango OF dips and
rises--first a siphon, then stretch Of
grade construction, then "A tunnel glide
through some mountain and 40 on and
on In diverting repetition until 1t comes
up AT Peekskill Creek, where II Quiets
down to "A straight and even course like
a beginner AT the castle walk for four
and half miles.
Popping Rock Explored.
AT that point is Hunters Brook, the
soutH ehu OF tue northern aqueduct de-
partment. and the point being not far
from Peekskill the newspaper men, having
first figured out that they had come six
teen and half miles, called it u day, and
IA long one at that
one of the interesting things encountered
to-day was Popping Rock. Popping Rock
has killed several men. II has been the
cause of great worry and trouble, and
now. like so many other things connected
with the aqueduct's building, IT is simply
matter of interest Popping Rock was
found In the east shaft. II first mani
tested itself by popping out In the form
of a fourteen inch proJectile and de-
CAPTIVATING workman. After that II
repeated the performance on many occa-
sions and always without warning.
When the shaft was being dug at great
depth where the pressure of solid stone
above was tremendous, bits OF the shaft
walls relieved of tho weight gave way
and fired themselves forth Hence Pop
ping Rock.
There will be more walking Tomorrow.
SO far siSty-eight and half miles OF
the aquednct has been carefully meas
urcd and found not wanting In a variety
of things. At the present rate of going
the last inch OF the aqueduct should be
completed on Sunday.