| Show fAMOUS TUNNELS IN HISTORY The proposed construction of ot the Moffat road tunnel through James Jamesp p peak ak on tho the line of the Denver Salt Lake railroad brings up many Interesting facts in connection with tunnel construction and especially the of the most important import import- ant tun tunnels els in the world The greatest tunnel builders builders' of ot antiquity were the tho Romans Long before gunpowder was used in tunnel construction construction they were using fire to break rock Heating the surface of or the rock to an Intense degree they would throw water upon It and the sudden cooling would cause the rock to break The most notable tunnel constructed by the Romans built by hard labor during the reign of Augustus Caesar Is is is' ison on the road between Naples and It Is through volcanic and is about feet long and 25 feet wide The Mount Cenis tunnel between Italy and France was the first Important Important important Im Im- im- im railroad l built bunt It ItIs Itis Itis is 76 miles long was begun in 1857 and opened for traffic in 1872 After three years' years work by hand one of the engineers Invented a power drill and nd it was in this tunnel tunnel tunnel tun tun- nel also that compressed air was first used for drills Here also other equipment of modern times Umes was was first employed The St. St Gotthard tunnel miles long and also between Italy and France through the Alps was the next Important railroad tunnel It was commenced In 1872 and opened for traffic in 10 years though a far greater enterprise than the Mount Cenis tunnel Longest Tunnel in the World orid The Simp Simplon Ion tunnel the longest in the world built for the Jura- Jura Simplon railway through the Alps from Italy to Switzerland is 1225 miles long and took e eight years for construction This is a double- double track tunnel two parallel bores with centers 56 feet apart and 18 feet above rail level Work York was rendered rendered rendered ren ren- dered difficult by excessive heat from bodies of ot hot water which were encountered en en- countered There were employed at atone atone one time on this tunnel 1144 inside men and others outside the tunnel tunnel tunnel tun tun- nel or a total of 2031 men In a test period on the Switzerland Switzerland Switzerland Switzer Switzer- land side with three drilling machines machines ma ma- chines i o ea avd two Lwe in the theother other a total length of 99 yards of of t tunnel or c cubic bic yards of material material material mate mate- rial was ex excavated In 89 days The average section cross-section was 57 square square feet The cost of this tunnel was approximately 15 Next in importance among the great European tunnels Is the miles long It was commenced In 1906 and opened June 15 15 1913 In excavating a bottom heading 6 6 0 feet was driven several hundred feet in advance advance advance ad ad- vance of the enlargement Upraises to feet apart were driven and a top heading started back and forth orth The cost of driving and equipping this tunnel was per lineal foot The Stampede tunnel through the Cascade mountains on the Northern North North- ern Pacific was begun in 1896 is feet reet long and cost The Cascade tunnel through the summit of the Cascade on the Great Northern is 26 miles long was begun begun begun be be- gun in 1897 and finished in 1900 It is single tracked 16 feet wide and 21 feet 5 Inches above rail ran level The tunnel also through the Cascade range 60 miles east of Seattle was completed in 1915 Itis It Itis Itis is single track feet long and three quarters of it was through hard slate and the remainder through quartzite and granite It cost and In snow fighting fighting fighting fight fight- ing alone saves a year rear Now v Longest in America melica The longest tunnel in America now to be exceeded by the Moffat tunnel Is that under Rogers pass on the Canadian Pacific in the Selkirk Selkirk Sel Sel- kirk mountains in British Columbia It is 5 miles mUes long and in this a pioneer pioneer pioneer pio pio- neer tunnel was employed as was the case with the Simplon tunnel and is planned for the Moffat tun tun- nel The record time in American tunnel tunnel tunnel tun tun- nel construction was in the Poudre tunnel Colorado taking water water water wat wat- er from the Laramie river through the Green ridge into the Cache la Poudre for irrigation purposes It Itis Itis Itis is feet long with a sec cross tion of 7 feet Construction began Dec 25 25 1909 and the two heading met July 24 1911 The monthly average tot total l on both ends was although during 12 months only one heading was being driven This rate however Is far short of that made In Switzerland yet greater economy In tunnel construction con con- has been attained in the United States than in Europe The Moffat tunnel a fraction over 6 5 miles will be the longest in America Ameri- Ameri ca and the fourth longest in the world No one knows what difficulties ties may be met with but experience and ind mechanical advantages are always always al- al ways in favor of the last undertakIng Ing ng yet in estimating the time required required re- re for the completion of the tunnel tunnel the conservative calculator must average the difficulties and advantages that have hampered and hastened similar projects ana and must allow illow the Moffat tunnel its full share of f both |
