Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-01-13
AMERICA S,LONGEST.
TUNNEL IS OPENED
President Elect HooVeE
Praises Builders in r.
Radio Address. r I =,
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
SEATTLE, Wash, January l2.-With
the ceremony broadcast throughout the
Nation by radio hookup, the Great
Northern Railways new eight-mile tur-
mel through the Cascade Mountains was
opened to traffic tonight. The bore,
the longest in America and the fifth
longest in the world, burrowing under
the mountain from Scenic, Wash, to
Berne, Wash, cuts two hours from East
and West railroad schedules.
Tonight's ceremony began at o'clock
at Berne, the east portal. where spe-
cial trains bearing delegations from
both sides of the State met. There
Ralph Budd, president of the Great
Northern, was introduced by Graham
McNamee, radio announcer. After a
brief program at Berne, which included
the opening of gate and addresses.
the trains consolidated and passed
through the tunnel to Scenic, the west
portal.
Cloth Barrier" Pierced.
At Scenic the special train crashed
through cloth over the exit to the tun-
nel marking the official passage OF
locomotive through the concrete-lined
bore. At the banquet at Scenic, Judge
L. c. Gilman, vice president OF the
Great Northern. was POSTMASTER. The
following were the speakers:
Gov Roland H. Hartley. John Dover.
president of the Spokane Chamber Of
Commerce; E. A. Hatch, president. Seat
tie Chamber of Commerce: j. G. Baxter,
vice president of A.. Guthrie d Co,
builders. and j. j. Donovan Of the WASH
ington State Chamber of Commerce.
The tunnel. built in the record time
of three years. cost $14000,0 900, and ID
part of SOS, 900 900 development project
of the Great Northern Railway in the
Cascade Mountains.
Hoover Speech Broadcast.
A coast-to-coast radio hook-up car
ried the voice of President-elect Herbert
Hoover speaking in his home at WASH
ington, to 81 stations for broadcastmg.
again demonstrating the progressive
character of American industry" IL
was the first time the next President
had been heard over the radio since
his election. -
Also on the Washington program was
Johnstown B. Camp of the Interstate
Commerce Commission. Gen. w. W.
Atterbury. president Of the Pennsyl-
vania Railroad, spoke at Philadelphia
and Nine Ernestine Schuman-Heink
sang from San Francisco. with New
York broadcastiug musical numbers.
| Speaking into microphone placed IN
| the study of his home on S street the
voice of the President-elect described
| the tunnel.
The text Of his address follows:
ITO President Budd, friends In the
Cascade Mountains and OF the radio
audience:
| Great Engineering Feat.
ct am glad to participate in a small
way in recognition of a great engineer
| ing ccomplishment-the completion Of
the greatest tunnel upon our continent.
Perhaps only engineers can appreciate
the technical skill. the labor, the
courage required for such an under
| taking. But the opening of a great
transportation tunnel is more than an
engineering accomplishment. It Is
contribution for all time to quickened
and cheapened transportation. Through
| these savings it adds something to the
productivity and prosperity of far-fung
communities which it serves. In the
/ emu IL IIledIlS IIllGe VI CUtIGIlDutlOIl W
better living OF many hundreds of
thousands of people.
| Never have we witnessed more
perfect coordination of the forces Of
American industry than in this great
| job. The miners who have operated
the drills. who cleared the rock and
built the new tracks during these three
years have established a record in con-
struction for their skill. Every one of
them needs no recommendation in the
| future other than that they we're on
the staff of the Cascade Tunnel.
Monument to Skill"
! President Budd and his fellow engi-
neers who have designed this tunnel
and carried it to successful completion
have left an enduring monument to
their skill and abilities. The great
| transportation organization which has
made it possible by its courage and
| foresight has demonstrated again the
progressive character of American
| industry.
This accomplishment Is Of more
moment than the improvement of the
Great Northern Railway. It gives every
| American the satisfaction Of confidence
in the vitality of our civilization.
II congratulate you, Mr. Budd, your
associates, and our country"