Show Contractor Must Complete MoffatT Moffat T Tunnel un d in Less Than Three Years That It will probably take lake less than three years to complete tho the Moffat tunnel Is the good news given out by R. R H. H Keays who has been appoInted appointed appointed ap ap- ap- ap pointed chief engineer in charge of or orthe the big bg project This decision was arrived at after atter he had bad made an in inspection inspection in- in of ot the sites siles of the two Iwo por- por portals portals and of ot tho the plans and specifications specifications specifications already prepared by his predecessor predecessor pred cessor Maj Major r L L. D. D Blauvelt i Haste in hi the driving of the mile G bore will be insured by placing a bonus and penalty clause in the con con- tract This will give the contractor for every days day's time lime that the tunnel is completed before the expiration expiration ration of 36 months and will cause him to forfeit 1000 a day for all tIne time in excess of that period Preliminary work at t the portals Is already under way under the direction direction tion liou of the commission to lo facilitate the Iho contractor in n getting started when the contract Is let Jet Test est holes have been s sunk at many many points to determine the location o of solid rock formation so that thai there may be no nod d danger nger of land slides causing delays In the work or in ral- ral road traffic after aCter the tunnel Is put in use By this means it is expected that It il will bo be possible to lo get into nto solid soUd rock close to to both entrances to 10 the tunnel and saving the contractor contractor tor lor the slow work w-ork of having to lo go through loose dirt dirl and boulders Progress Is much safer and m more re certain in n solid rock Mr Keays is much pleased with the tunnel site silo and with the plans as drafted by Major Blau Blauvelt elt and he finds no occasion for changing an any of the details The he plans and specifications will wUl therefore be submitted at once to the advisory advisor board of engIneers engineers engineers en en- who vho will meet In Denver soon This board consists of J. J Waldo smith and J. J DavIes of New York and D. D W. W Brunton and Major Blauvelt of Denver the laller latter lat lal- ter ler having b been en added to the board at a meeting of the tho commission last week J. J A. A McIlwee a Denver engineer and contractor who is considered as standing an excellent c chance ance of securing securing securing se se- se- se curing the tunnel contract last week j i inspected the tunnel site sile and ex expressed ex- ex pressed presse himself as satisfied that no exceptional difficulties will be encountered encountered encountered en en- countered in its construction He has a long record of f success in n this kind of work worle his largest contracts contracts- having been the Roosevelt tunnel lin in inthe the Iho Cripple Creek distrIct and a 5 Smile S 5 mile railroad tunnel for tor the Can Canadian Canadian Canad Canad- dan d- d ian an Pacific Sealed bids for the construction of the tunnel are aro being advertised for to lo be submitted by Aug 25 The call describes the railroad tunnel t as being miles mUes long 24 feet and 16 feet wide to lo be paralleled by a pioneer or water tunnel feet in size The center lines of the two tunnels will be bo 65 feet apart and they may bo be connected by as many cuts cross-cuts as the contractor finds desirable Inthe in inthe inthe the rapid prosecution of the work Each bid hid must be accompanied by a certified check for and abd the successful bidder mu must t give a bond Chief Chic Engineer Keays has selected select select- ed V V. V A. A Kauffman as ono one of his resident resident resi- resi resi resl dent engineers of whom there thero will be two one at each portal Mr 11 Kauffman is a widely known Denver engineer and was assistant to lo Major Blauvelt in n surveying tunnel tunnel tun- tun nel and in preparing the plans The Theo Theother lother o other her engineer will It 11 is a announced also be a Colorado man R. R II Keays who has been selected select select- ed to direct the boring of the Moffat Moffat Moffat fat tunnel has a a. world-wide world reputation reputation reputation tion as a suc successful tunnel builder He to took k a leading part parL in the con con- of the McAdoo tunnel under un un- un der dex the Hudson river by which water wat water vat wat- vater er from the Catskills Is d delivered to lo New ew York City and which is believed to have been the most difficult tunnel project ever undertaken It was necessary necessary necessary essary to sink shafts to a depth of ot feet the bottoms of these these- two Iwo being connected by the the tunnel tunnel tun tun- nel inel or Inverted There Thero had been a long period of drilling dr from Crom the bed or he river to lo find solid formation formation for for- mation matlon but during tho the progress of th work there was constant danger of of the tho bore bolo by the collapse of tho the roof root letting lolling in tho the waters of the river Mr Keays was for five years en engaged engaged en- en in n government engineering projects ts including it he the deep waterways water water- j ways surveys the engineering corps of the tho Spanish American war and as assistant engineer for the government department at Havana Cuba He constructed the Central Park Parle tunnel for the Iho Rapid Transit Transit Transit Tran- Tran Tran Tran- sit system In New York City CUy in 1902 and 1903 The Illinois Central railroad railroad railroad rail rail- road employed hm him in bridge construction construction con con- over the Ohio river at Cairo II For four he years was as engaged engaged engaged en en- on the tho Hudson river tunnels from Crom New York City to Jersey City where four tunnels were built for the Hudson and Manhattan Terminal Terminal company Ho He was engaged for 13 years in sub subway war construction and sewer desIgning designing designing de de- de- de signing in Long Island and New York City The tunnel under Newark bay for tor Corthe the Passaic valley sewer sewer commission commission commis commis- sion was under his charge as chief engineer He also built the Shandaken Shandaken Shandaken Shanda- Shanda ken and Wallkill tunnels in the tho Catskill Catskill Cat- Cat skill mountains |