,transcriber's ,notes ,the fractions one half and three quarters were shown respectively as #a-b and #c-d which was retained herein4 ,,facts ,,and ,,figures ,,concerning ,,the ,,hoosac ,,tunnel4 ----------- ,by ,,john ,j4 ,,piper4 ----------- ,,fitchburg3 ,,john ,j4 ,,piper1 ,,printer4 #ahff4 ,,facts ,,and ,,figures ,,concerning ,,the ,,hoosac ,,tunnel4 ,by ,,john ,j4 ,,piper4 ,,fitchburg3 ,,john ,j4 ,,piper1 ,,printer4 #ahff4 ,,the ,,hoosac ,,tunnel4 ,in his inaugural address to the ,legislature1 ,governor ,bullock says1 ,there can be no doubt that new facilities and new avenues for transportation between the ,west and the ,east are now absolutely needed4 ,our lines of prosperity and growth are the parallels of latitude which connect us with the young1 rich empire of men1 and stock1 and produce lying around the lakes and still beyond4 ,the people of ,massachusetts1 compact1 manufacturing and commercial1 must have more thoroughfares through which the currents of trade and life may pass to and fro1 unobstructed and ceaseless1 between the ,atlantic and the national granaries1 or decay will at no distant period touch alike her wharves and her workshops4 ,let us avert the day in which our ,commonwealth shall become chiefly a school-house for the ,west1 and a homestead over which time shall have drawn silently and too soon the marks of dilapidation4 ,any policy which is not broad enough to secure to us a ,new ,england1 having a proper share in the benefits of this new opening era of the ,west1 be assured1 will not receive the approval of the next generation4 ,this important recommendation is what the public had reason to expect from a man so keenly alive to the interests and welfare of the ,commonwealth as ,governor ,bullock1 whose close observation and discernment had long since discovered the danger1 and disposed him to take a deep interest in any adequate enterprise by means of which it could be averted4 ,the reasons which have induced ,his ,excellency's convictions on this subject1 and caused the apprehensions he has expressed1 are very clearly set forth in the following articles from the ,buffalo ,commercial ,advertiser of ,november #beth and #bhth1 #ahfe3-- ,to-day1 the ,western ,states are far more bountifully provided with avenues of transportation than the extreme ,east4 ,this is peculiarly anomalous and inexplicable when we consider the boasted enterprise1 wealth and shrewdness of ,new ,england1 and the dependence which always exists upon the part of a manufacturing district toward that section which furnishes it with a market1 and from which it obtains its breadstuff4 ,it is fortunate for ,new ,england that it does not lie in the line of transit between the ,west and its market1 or it would have drawn about its head a storm of indignation which it could not have resisted4 ,the ,state of ,new ,york has contributed an hundred fold what ,new ,england has towards providing the required facilities of traffic1 for the great ,west4 ,our ,yankee friends have done much toward facilitating intercommunication among themselves1 but very little toward direct communication with the ,west4 ,it is not a little strange that1 with all the ambitious effort of ,boston to become a mercantile emporium1 rivaling ,new ,york1 and with its vast manufacturing interest1 it should have but a single direct avenue of traffic with the ,west4 ,yet such is the fact4 ,the ,western ,railroad between ,albany and ,boston is the sole route now in existence except those circuitous lines via ,new ,york ,city or through ,canada4 ,our down-east friends1 usually so keen and enterprising1 seem to have exhausted their energies in the construction of that road twenty-five years ago1 and the consequence is that to-day the business interests of all ,new ,england are suffering for lack of the timely investment of a few millions4 ,strange as it may seem1 it is nevertheless true that ,boston is now virtually cut off from its trade communication with the ,west for want of facilities of transportation4 ,for weeks past the ,grand ,trunk ,railroad has ceased to take ,boston freight1 by reason of its being blocked up with other through and way freights at ,sarnia4 ,the swollen tide of freight via the ,new ,york ,central has exceeded the capacity of the ,western ,road between ,albany and ,boston1 and the consequence has been felt in an increased charge by the ,new ,york ,central of twenty cents a barrel above ,new ,york ,city rates1 and1 finally1 that road has been obliged to refuse ,boston freight altogether1 simply by reason of the accumulation and delay occasioned by the inability of the ,western ,road to forward it to its destination4 ,in like manner1 ,boston freight going forward by canal is hindered and accumulated at ,albany4 ,a similar state of things exists in regard to most of the westward bound ,boston freight1 as ,boston jobbers are finding out to their cost4 ,merchants at the ,west1 who purchase in ,boston1 are six and eight weeks in getting their heavy goods4 ,we are informed upon reliable authority that flour can be sent from ,chicago to ,new ,york1 by lake and rail for #a4ij per barrel1 while very limited quantities only can be sent to ,boston at #b4be1 and that by the ,red ,line #c a barrel is demanded4 ,new ,england depends upon the ,west for its bread1 and also for its market for its imports and manufactures4 ,if the state of things to which we refer1 continues much longer1 it will be compelled to go to ,new ,york both for its bread and its customers4 ,the ,west complains of ,new ,york1 because1 forsooth1 it is tardy in enlarging its canals to meet the anticipated necessities of its future growth1 and ,boston has had the assurance to join in the thoughtless and unfounded clamor4 ,yet the great ,state of ,massachusetts has supinely stood still for twenty-five years without making an effort to overcome the barrier between it and the great ,west4 ,during that time the ,western road has grown rich1 and paid large dividends from a business which has been greater than it could transact1 and to-day there exists an almost total blockade of ,boston freight at ,albany4 ,surely1 this does not reflect favorably on ,new ,england shrewdness and enterprise1 neither does it tally with ,new ,england interest4 ,besides1 it is detrimental to the business interests of the ,west4 ,as the case now stands the fault rests with ,massachusetts alone1 in not providing railroad accommodations east of the ,hudson river4 ,it is also nonsense to assert1 as some will1 that the capacity of the ,erie canal is inadequate4 ,during the past season it has not been taxed to half its capacity1 and yet it has found the ,western ,road unable to dispose of what ,boston freight was offered4 ,western merchants and shippers ought to know where the fault lies1 and to the end that they may be informed we have penned this article4 ,their true remedy is to buy in ,new ,york1 and to ship their produce to that city1 until ,massachusetts shall provide adequate facilities of transportation4 ,boston is the natural eastern terminus of the great northern line of transportation1 and we should have been glad to have seen her citizens and those of the great state of ,massachusetts realize the fact4 ,their supineness1 however1 has lost to them for the present1 if not forever1 the great commercial prize which nature intended for them4 ,it remains to be seen whether they will realize their position1 and make an effort to retrieve their penny wise and pound foolish policy4 99 99 99 99 99 ,in a recent article we took occasion to point out the importance to the country at large of the construction of adequate facilities for the accommodation of the traffic exchanges between the different sections2 and to call the attention of our readers to the remarkable fact that while the whole country1 and particularly the ,west1 had undergone a wonderful development requiring for its accommodation a corresponding increase of commercial facilities1 that ,new ,england had stood still for a quarter of a century4 ,the fact that a great ,state like ,massachusetts1 with a great emporium like ,boston1 should have but a single line of direct communication with the ,west1 and that it should supinely stand still and refuse to add to it1 notwithstanding the yearly demonstrations of its growing inadequacy1 seemed so strange as to justify remark4 ,the other fact that the transit of freight to and from ,boston should be almost stopped by the inability of that single railroad to handle it--thereby increasing rates and compelling purchasers as well as sellers to go to ,new ,york--also seemed to be inconsistent with our traditional ideas of eastern shrewdness4 ,our remarks have received additional force by the fact1 subsequently learned by us1 that there are at the present time between four and five hundred car-loads of ,boston-bound freight lying at ,albany and ,greenbush awaiting cars for its movement to its destination1 while there exists no stoppage whatever of ,new ,york freight1 thus demonstrating clearly the inadequacy of the ,western road to answer the demands made upon it4 ,since that article was penned1 information has reached us to the effect that our ,massachusetts neighbors have at last waked up to the importance of the subject1 and are about to enter vigorously upon the work of providing another avenue of trade between ,boston and the ,west1 by what is known as the ,greenfield route which embraces the long talked of ,hoosac ,tunnel4 ,this great enterprise has enlisted the energies of the engineers and railroad men of ,massachusetts for more than thirty years1 with constantly varying prospects of success1 and at last seems in a fair way of being accomplished4 ,the high range of hills which runs along the whole western line of ,massachusetts1 for a long time baffled the efforts of railroad engineers2 and the rival claims of competing routes distracted the popular mind1 and delayed the construction of either4 ,the most eminent engineers preferred the ,northern1 or ,greenfield route--involving the ,hoosac ,tunnel--as being the most direct and feasible4 ,in the struggle which followed1 the ,southern route was successful1 and the ,western road was built and opened in #ahdb4 ,the other route was also constructed after a time1 upon either side of the proposed tunnel1 but for lack of the completion of that great work1 has never been anything but an avenue for local travel and traffic4 ,the whole length of the proposed tunnel is #be1egd feet1 and the estimated cost of construction is about three and a quarter millions4 ,when we consider the vital interest which the citizens of ,massachusetts have in the completion of this work1 and the enormous interests to be served by it1 the sum required seems absolutely trivial1 and the withholding of it really parsimonious as well as foolish4 ,we are pleased to learn that the ,state is at last about to lend a helping hand to this great enterprise1 which will guaranty its speedy completion4 ,this is an indication of wisdom upon the part of our neighbors1 albeit it comes somewhat tardily4 ,almost all the other ,states that lie between the great ,west and the ,ocean have pursued a very different policy from that of ,new ,england1 and with very favorable results4 ,new ,york1 which was the pioneer in the matter of internal improvements1 not only built her great ,canals1 at a cost of over #fb1jjj1jjj1 but also aided largely in the construction of her great through lines of railroads4 ,it contributed to the ,erie road #c1jjj1jjj1 which is now seen to have been a good investment despite the fact that it was entirely lost to the ,state4 ,the same policy was pursued by ,pennsylvania and ,maryland1 with equally happy results4 ,we congratulate our ,new ,england neighbors1 and1 especially1 the citizens of ,boston1 upon the improved prospect of the completion of the ,hoosac ,tunnel1 and the opening of another great route to the ,west1 through1 instead of over the mountains which lie between them and us4 ,we trust that the obstructions which have existed1 and still exist1 in the channels of commercial intercourse between ,new ,england and the ,west will speedily be removed1 never again to be manifested in freight blockades or threatened diversions of trade4 ,the statements contained in these two articles are substantially true2 and they are not only interesting1 but important1 as throwing much light upon a subject which will1 doubtless1 occupy much of the attention and time of the ,legislature3 for the ,western ,railroad managers have already opened their annual attack upon the ,hoosac ,tunnel1 through their well known agents and tools1 ,bird1 ,harris and ,seaver1 who shamelessly advocate the entire abandonment by the ,state of an enterprise to the completion of which her word1 and bond1 and honor are irrevocably pledged4 ,the ,western ,railroad ,company was organized in ,january1 #ahcf1 and its road was completed in #ahdg1 having received aid from the ,state1 during the period of its construction1 to the amount of five millions of dollars4 ,the terms upon which ,state aid was granted were very liberal1 as they should have been2 for the opening of this line of road had become as much a necessity to the development of the commercial and industrial interests of ,massachusetts and the wants of her whole population1 as the establishment of schools and churches had ever been to her moral or educational welfare4 ,the involvement of the ,state in so great an enterprise was strenuously resisted by timid and narrow minded legislators2 but the representations of those sagacious and far seeing men who had devoted themselves to the work1 prevailed1 and ,massachusetts was1 thus early in the history of railroads1 committed to a policy which has1 within a few years1 not only trebled her productions and wealth1 but made her the first and foremost of all her sister ,states which are honored for enterprise1 prudence and wisdom4 ,many of the short sighted legislators1 who voted against granting ,state aid to the ,western ,railroad ,company are now living1 but we doubt if one can be found who is not ashamed of his action4 ,the increase of business over the ,western road since the first year of its operation1 would seem incredible1 were it not so thoroughly established by the figures of its early and later annual reports4 ,yet1 with a double track nearly to ,albany1 and every means which ingenuity can devise1 or money procure1 at their command1 its managers are unable to meet the demand upon it--its capacity is nearly exhausted--and was1 long ago1 so great is the pressure against our western border1 from the overflowing granaries of the ,west4 ,from a feeble association1 begging for assistance at the doors of the ,state ,house1 the ,western ,railroad ,company has become a powerful corporation4 ,its certificates of stock1 which1 about the time the road went into operation1 were a drug in the market at #dj1 now command #acj to #aej4 ,yet it is a fact that on the first day of last ,november1 five hundred car loads of freight were delayed at ,albany1 and could not be transported over the ,western road in less time than ten days4 ,and the inability of this road to meet our public needs1 and the demands made upon it1 from the ,west1 is no new thing2 it has been so1 for years1 though four competing lines have opened since #ahej1 which1 together1 transport about the same amount of through freight as the ,western road4 ,the bridge over the ,hudson at ,albany1 the completion of the double track1 and better management might afford a temporary and partial relief4 ,but if these improvements had been already effected1 they would not have prevented the freight blockade at ,albany last fall4 ,should our friend of the ,salem ,gazette1 or any of the editors who quote ,mr4 ,f4 ,w4 ,bird1 and write short paragraphs1 more flippantly than intelligently1 about the ,hoosac ,tunnel1 chance to be at the freight yard of the ,fitchburg ,railroad in ,charlestown1 on the arrival of a train of ,new ,york ,central ,railroad cars1 laden with flour1 grain1 or other products of the ,west1 he would doubtless be as much puzzled to know how they got there1 as he would be1 if1 standing at the heading of the tunnel1 he should endeavor to reconcile his situation 7half a mile from daylight7 with the calculations1 statements and predictions of ,mr4 ,bird and other opponents of the ,tunnel enterprise4 ,if our friend were set down at the freight depot of the ,worcester and ,nashua ,railroad1 in ,worcester1 he would again be surprised to witness the arrival of freight-laden cars1 bearing the same mark as those he saw at ,charlestown4 ,upon inquiry of the freight agents he would learn that freight for ,boston and ,worcester1 is transported from ,schenectady1 over the ,washington and ,saratoga road1 and from ,troy1 over the ,troy and ,boston and ,western ,vermont1 to ,rutland1 ,vt41 and thence1 by the ,rutland and ,cheshire roads to ,fitchburg1 and from there to ,boston and ,worcester over other roads4 ,by glancing at a map the intelligent reader will at once observe what a circuitous and lengthened line of communication between the ,new ,york ,central road and the cities of ,boston and ,worcester is furnished by the connecting roads above named4 ,the distance from ,schenectady to ,boston via ,rutland is #bdg miles1 while it is but #bag by way of the ,western road4 ,the distance from the same point to ,worcester by the ,rutland route is #bbb miles1 and by the ,western road only #agb4 ,yet because the ,western road has not capacity to do the business1 the produce dealers of ,eastern and ,central ,massachusetts are compelled to resort to this roundabout way of transportation as one of their means of relief4 ,but this is not the only channel1 nor the most indirect1 which the irrepressible stream of ,western trade with the ,east has created1 as it approaches its natural outlet1 ,boston2 as the ,mississippi1 scorning the narrow embouchure which satisfied its youthful flow1 now pours its resistless torrents1 through numerous passes to the ,gulf4 ,besides that already described1 there are three other lines competing with the ,western road in the transportation of ,western freight to ,boston4 ,these are the ,grand ,trunk1 the ,ogdensburg1 and the ,providence and ,erie4 ,few persons know that cotton from ,st4 ,louis1 for supplying the mills of ,lowell and ,lawrence1 is unladen in ,boston from vessels which received their cargoes at ,portland1 but such is the fact1 the cotton having been transported over the ,great ,western and ,grand ,trunk roads4 ,but these four long1 and indirect lines1 with their single track1 are in the frame situation as the ,western road2 their capacity is exhausted1 so far as through freight is concerned1 this part of the business of all the four hardly exceeding that of the ,western road4 ,to prove the utter incapacity of these five lines of communication between us and the ,west1 to supply our wants1 and meet the demands made upon them1 we need only state the fact that in ,november and ,december last1 many of the produce dealers and grocers in ,worcester1 were unable to supply their customers1 on account of the detention of freight at ,albany1 ,detroit and ,ogdensburg4 ,we may add1 by way of illustration1 that the immense loss of property occasioned by the burning of a large freight depot at ,detroit1 and by which so many ,new ,england consignees severely suffered1 was one of the incidental consequences of the incapacity of these lines of ,new ,england railroads to do the work required of them4 ,we shall have occasion to consider further the capacity of the ,western ,railroad1 but the facts already given are sufficient to show the necessity of opening another through and direct route from the ,hudson to ,boston4 ,the next question to be considered1 if1 indeed1 there can be any question about it1 is how shall the new route be located8 ,we have shown that another is necessary in order to accommodate through business1 to meet the demands of the ,west1 and to promote the prosperity of the entire ,state4 ,but this is not by any means the whole argument4 ,central and ,southern ,massachusetts are covered with a net work of railroads1 from ,cape ,cod ,bay to the ,new ,york border1 yet ,northern ,massachusetts1 from ,fitchburg westward1 has but a single road1 and that terminating at ,greenfield1 nearly forty miles from ,north ,adams1 where the broken line of communication is again taken up4 ,hence it is1 that1 while villages have become large towns1 and towns populous cities1 all over the rest of the ,state1 this section has remained comparatively undeveloped2 and the whole tier of towns lying along the line of the ,vermont and ,massachusetts1 though steadily growing1 through the energy and enterprise of their skillful artisans and mechanics1 and the facilities afforded them by the last named road1 have yet suffered and languished for want of the material so abundant in this undeveloped region between ,greenfield and the mountain barrier beyond4 ,the water power of the ,deerfield river is immense1 its fall along the line of the ,troy and ,greenfield road being nearly six hundred feet2 and this magnificent force is now idle1 except at ,shelburne ,falls1 though the finest privileges are scattered along the whole course of the river4 ,messrs4 ,lamson ,goodnow1 who employ four hundred men at ,shelburne ,falls1 in manufacturing cutlery1 state that the ,deerfield and ,north rivers1 at that place1 afford a one-thousand-horse power4 ,along the course of ,miller's river1 between ,athol and ,deerfield are also many excellent privileges unimproved4 ,at ,montague are ,turner's ,falls1 on the ,connecticut1 with a power sufficient to operate the mills of ,lowell1 ,lawrence and ,manchester4 ,all these splendid privileges only await the opening of the ,tunnel route4 ,many of them would be at once improved were the road completed to the mouth of the tunnel4 ,messrs4 ,lamson and ,goodnow state that they shall double their present force of four hundred men1 as soon as it is open to ,shelburne ,falls4 ,some fifteen or twenty miles from the ,eastern end of the tunnel lie extensive forests of spruce and pine1 through which a highway has already been surveyed1 and which will be built to the tunnel1 as soon as the road is completed to that point4 ,the whole surrounding region abounds in lumber of almost every description1 which would become very valuable when the road is built1 to say nothing of the extensive formations of stone1 soapstone and serpentine which are found there4 ,though the ,deerfield meadows afford some of the finest farms in ,new ,england1 the tillage land will not compare in extent with that along the ,western road2 but in every other respect the resources and latent wealth of the ,tunnel route are infinitely superior to those of the ,western line4 ,six years ago1 and twenty-three years after the ,western road was opened1 the population lying west of ,springfield within ten miles of the ,western road on a distance of forty-four miles1 was #db1jej2 while that west of ,greenfield1 within ten miles of the ,tunnel line on the same distance1 without any railroad at all was #cb1adf4 ,according to the average rate of increase1 the population along the ,tunnel line1 would be more than doubled in twenty-three years4 ,were the mountain barrier pierced1 and communication opened with the ,west1 and the magnificent water power of the ,deerfield made available1 who doubts that this population would be increased fourfold in that space of time3 or that more than one town would spring up between ,greenfield and the ,hoosac1 in a few years1 which would rival ,north ,adams in growth and prosperity2 or that in far less time than it has taken ,lowell to acquire her present importance1 a larger city than ,lowell would stand on the banks of the ,connecticut at ,turner's ,falls8 ,with the requisite railroad facilities supplied1 it is certain that the growth of a region so abounding in the most essential reliance of mechanical industry1 as ,northwestern ,massachusetts1 cannot be measured by the snail's pace which marks the progress of an agricultural district4 ,the farmer's interests are indeed equally promoted with those of other industrial classes1 by the opening of railroads1 but these do not increase the number of farms or farmers within our borders1 nor stimulate the growth of agricultural towns4 ,it is mainly by her manufactures and commerce that ,massachusetts has become so prosperous and wealthy4 ,it is because the commercial and industrial interests of the whole ,state require it1 that another route to the ,west has become a necessity2 and it is because such immense resources yet remain to be developed1 and such a gigantic power to be employed1 in ,northern ,massachusetts that the new route must pierce the ,hoosac ,mountain1 if it is possible and practicable4 ,that it is possible to tunnel the ,hoosac ,mountain cannot be doubted by any sane person who has inspected the half mile already excavated4 ,all of the eminent engineers1 whose reports upon the enterprise have been published1 say it can be done2 nor do any of its opponents pretend to question its practicability4 ,but in order to estimate properly the magnitude of the work1 its possible and probable cost1 and the time within which it can be done1 it is necessary to know what has been accomplished in this department of civil engineering4 ,fortunately1 this needed information is contained in ,mr4 ,charles ,w4 ,storrow's very able report on ,european tunnels4 ,mr4 ,storrow is a distinguished civil engineer1 who made a journey to ,europe in the summer of #ahfb1 by request of the ,hoosac ,tunnel ,commissioners1 and with the approval of the ,governor and ,council1 for the purpose of examining the most important tunnels there constructed1 and1 especially1 the one in progress under the ,alps4 ,he describes twenty-two tunnels which he visited1 besides that of ,mt4 ,cenis4 ,fourteen of these are in ,england1 seven in ,france1 and one in ,switzerland4 ,two of them are upwards of three miles long1 and many of them between one and two miles4 ,some of the shafts were nearly as deep as the central shaft of the ,hoosac4 ,some of these excavations were made without the aid of shafts1 others wholly by means of shafts1 without working from the ends at all4 ,it might be supposed that in the construction of so many subterranean ways1 in such different sections of the continent1 almost every conceivable geological formation must have been traversed2 and so it appears from ,mr4 ,storrow's report4 ,granite1 quartz1 oolite1 limestone1 shale1 slate1 sandstone1 gravel1 sand1 clay and marl1 were the material through which with pick and spade1 drill and shovel1 the patient workmen made their way4 ,not unfrequently1 more than half the varieties of rock and earth we have named were met with in the same tunnel4 ,sometimes the work would be interrupted and temporarily abandoned in consequence of an inundation of water2 sometimes enormous masses of gravel and sand would work through into a shaft or tunnel1 with disastrous and1 in two instances1 with fatal consequences4 ,in many instances1 work was discontinued for years1 for want of funds1 and then afterward renewed1 with eventual success4 ,in fact1 about the average amount of those ordinary and inevitable obstacles which stand in the way of all great enterprises1 were encountered by the engineers and contractors1 in the building of these tunnels2 but time1 money1 and skill1 never failed to remove every difficulty4 ,but we propose to extract1 and condense from ,mr4 ,storrow's report1 a few of the main facts about some of the most important of these works2 as the report has1 not been read1 or even seen by one in a hundred4 ,the ,box ,tunnel between ,chippenham and ,bath is more than a mile and three quarters in length4 ,nearly one half its length passes through a kind of limestone rock1 and the other through clay1 the clay end being lined with masonry4 ,five shafts were sunk1 the deepest being about three hundred feet4 ,during the construction of this tunnel1 great difficulties were encountered from the excessive quantity of water which inundated the works1 sometimes even occasioning their partial suspension1 and powerful means were required to overcome the obstacles4 ,at one time the water fairly got the mastery over the machinery used for its removal1 and it was only after an additional set of pumps worked by a fifty horse power engine1 that the work could be resumed4 ,this tunnel was built in five years1 and its cost was about #a1gej1jjj1 or about #edg a yard4 ,the ,woodhead ,tunnel1 on the ,manchester and ,lincolnshire ,railway1 is upwards of three miles long4 ,it was originally built for a single track1 its dimensions being #ad feet wide at the head of the rails1 and #ah feet #c in4 high from the rails to the under side of the arch2 which are almost exactly the dimensions of the present section of the ,hoosac ,tunnel4 ,after a few years of use1 the increase of business required another track and so a second tunnel of exactly the same size was built parallel with the first4 ,it is a double tunnel with a thick dividing wall between1 pierced with twenty-one arched openings4 ,five of the original shafts have been kept open4 ,the deepest of these is more than six hundred feet1 and the least about three hundred4 ,the rock through which the tunnel passes consists of millstone grit1 a hard material1 and shale1 a kind of indurated clay4 ,the ,kilsby ,tunnel is more than a mile and a quarter long1 and is built in ,roman or metallic cement1 under a bed of quicksand1 from which it took nine months to pump the water1 through shafts on either side of the sand bed4 ,during a considerable portion of that time1 the water pumped out was two thousand gallons a minute4 ,the quicksand extended over #acej feet of the length of the tunnel4 ,the ,watford ,tunnel is a mile and one tenth long1 excavated entirely from chalk and loose gravel1 the treacherous nature of which rendered it a work of great difficulty1 streams of gravel and sand sometimes pouring through the fissures of chalk1 like water4 ,the ,netherton ,tunnel is one mile and three quarters long4 ,for its construction #ag shafts were sunk1 their total depth being #c1jhc feet1 the least depth of any one being #fc feet1 and the greatest1 #cdd feet4 ,there were #cf faces to work at1 and the progress at each face was #aj #a-b feet per month4 ,the tunnel was completed in two years4 ,from these brief descriptions of a few of the tunnels in ,england examined by ,mr4 ,storrow1 one can form a pretty correct opinion of the ordinary difficulties in tunneling which have been met and overcome by the ,english engineers4 ,mr4 ,storrow says that tunnels are not considered there such formidable works as they have generally been esteemed in our ,northern ,states4 ,they are so common that they have long ceased to attract the attention of travelers1 more than eighty miles in aggregate length being already in use4 ,mr4 ,storrow estimates the average progress made in the construction of the ,english tunnels at about thirty feet per month on one face1 and that the cost per yard varies from #abe to #bej1 for ordinary tunnels2 but where peculiar difficulties were met1 the cost has reached to from #ejj to #gej per yard4 ,the ,hauenstein ,tunnel in ,switzerland1 one mile and an eighth in length1 was from four to five years in being constructed4 ,two shafts were sunk1 one #dag feet1 and the other #eeh feet deep4 ,portions of the shafts and tunnel were lined with masonry on account of the water and sand1 and varying firmness of the strata passed through1 all of which caused many difficulties and delays4 ,the progress made between the intervals of obstruction1 varied from fifty-six to one hundred and nine feet per month on a face4 ,the cost was about #djj per running yard4 ,the ,nerthe ,tunnel in ,france1 is nearly three miles in length4 ,for nine hundred and fifty yards of its length it is in rock cutting1 where arching was unnecessary4 ,the remainder is lined with masonry4 ,twenty-four shafts were sunk1 varying in depth from sixty-five to two hundred and sixty-two feet4 ,the work was completed in three years1 and cost #dab per running yard4 ,the ,tunnel of ,rilly1 on the line from ,paris to ,strasbourg1 is a little more than two miles long4 ,eleven shafts were commenced1 two of which were abandoned on account of the abundance of water1 the others were completed4 ,in some of the shafts the water was so troublesome that it was necessary to use for curbs cast iron cylinders1 five feet in diameter1 and about three feet long1 bolted together4 ,the time consumed in the construction of this tunnel was three years and four months4 ,it passes through a chalk formation1 which was1 in some places1 so seamy1 that great precaution was necessary to prevent the falling in of large masses4 ,the cost was #dcb per running yard4 ,mr4 ,storrow visited and examined several other ,french tunnels1 and his reports upon them are full of interest2 but the abstracts given are sufficient to show the various obstacles and difficulties encountered by the ,english and ,french engineers in the prosecution of their work1 as well as the cost1 and the success which rewarded their skill and perseverance4 ,we now come to the great tunnel under the ,alps1 the most remarkable and gigantic enterprise ever attempted in civil engineering4 ,our facts in regard to it are derived from ,mr4 ,storrow's report1 7which it will be remembered was made in ,november1 #ahfb17 and from a very able account in the ,edinburgh ,review of ,july1 #ahfe4 ,the object of this work is to connect ,france and ,italy1 by a continuous line of railroad1 by piercing the great ,alpine barrier which separates ,savoy from ,piedmont1 and thus connecting the valleys of ,rochmolles and the ,arc4 ,when the scheme was first suggested it seemed like a dream of enthusiasts4 ,the distance would be more than seven miles4 ,no shaft could be sunk1 as it was estimated that it would take forty years to reach by that means the line of the axis of the tunnel4 ,the gallery must then be constructed by horizontal cutting from the two ends4 ,how were the workmen to breathe8 ,what chasms1 unfathomable abysses and resistless torrents might not be encountered8 ,was it certain that the two sections commenced from the opposite ends would not miss and pass each other in the middle of the mountain8 ,but as the subject was more thoroughly discussed1 these doubts and fears seem gradually to have faded away1 and a conviction took possession of the public mind that such a tunnel was practicable4 ,this conviction at last assumed form and development through the genius of ,messrs4 ,sommeiller1 ,grattoni and ,grandis1 three young ,italian engineers1 who have won for themselves a nobler fame than that of either of the great generals who led their armies over the ,alps4 ,it was their good fortune to have secured the confidence of one of the most enlightened statesmen of modern times1 ,count ,cavour1 the energetic minister of ,victor ,emanuel1 who1 throughout all the doubts1 perplexities and embarrassments attending the first stage of a new and bold enterprise1 exposed to criticisms1 sometimes ignorant1 sometimes malevolent1 on the part of politicians and professional men1 gave these engineers his constant1 earnest and sanguine support and encouragement4 ,it appears that an ,english engineer had patented a machine for drilling by steam1 by means of which the drills were darted forward against the opposing rock with great velocity and force4 ,but steam could not be used in the tunnel1 where the great desideratum is a supply of fresh air4 ,in the meantime ,messrs4 ,sommeiller1 ,grattoni and ,grandis had turned their attention to the question of compressed air as a motive power1 and after a long series of experiments2 gave to the world as the result of their joint ingenuity1 a machine which acts simply by the force of air reduced to one-sixth of its ordinary volume1 by means of the pressure of water4 ,the quick perception and practical genius of our three engineers soon enabled them to combine their machine with the perforating apparatus above named1 so that the compressed air took the place of steam1 and performed its work perfectly4 ,this combination is the machine which has been in successful operation under the ,alps since ,june1 #ahfa1 and which1 greatly improved and perfected by ,yankee ingenuity1 is about to be applied to the ,hoosac ,mountain4 ,before proceeding to give some account of the ,alps ,tunnel1 it should be stated that it is a national work1 and not a commercial speculation4 ,it was originally undertaken by ,sardinia1 within whose territorial limits it was then wholly included4 ,the cession of ,savoy to ,france brought nearly half the tunnel into ,french territory1 and by the convention establishing the new boundary between ,france and ,italy it was stipulated that this great national work should be continued1 should remain exclusively under the control of the ,italian engineers1 and that ,france should pay into the ,sardinian treasury its proportion of the cost1 according to an estimate then made and considered final1 and fixed at #cjjj francs for each running metre1 equivalent to #eej for each running yard of its length in ,french territory4 ,the work has remained1 therefore1 as it was1 under the exclusive direction of ,m4 ,grattoni and ,m4 ,sommeiller1 the engineers2 and a ,french commission visit the work from time to time1 by order of the ,french government1 to view its condition1 ascertain its progress1 and vouch for the amount to be paid to ,sardinia4 ,it is hardly necessary to give a detailed description of the mode by which the compressed air is made to act on the perforating machines at ,mount ,cenis4 ,the problem was how to get a constant equable supply of air compressed to one-sixth of its ordinary bulk4 ,to effect this a reservoir was constructed at ,bardonneche1 elevated to a height of eighty-two feet above the works1 which furnishes a moving force of two hundred and eight horse power1 that being all which is required to operate the drills and ventilate the tunnel4 ,the reservoir is supplied by a never failing mountain stream4 ,from the compressing works1 the air is conveyed in a pipe into the tunnel to the drilling machines2 another pipe conveying water to wash out the drill holes4 ,at the ,fourneaux end of the tunnel1 the reservoir is supplied with water by means of pumps4 ,the compressed air and water being ready for their work1 an iron frame containing the perforating needles moves along the rails and confronts the rock which is to be attacked in the gallery or heading4 ,the frame is armed with nine or ten perforating machines arranged so that the greatest number of holes can be bored in the center of the opposing mass of rock4 ,to each of these are attached flexible tubes1 one containing the compressed air which drives the drills1 and the other water1 which is injected into the holes as they are bored4 ,the machine consists of two parts2 the one a cylinder for propelling the drill1 by means of a piston1 and the other a rotary apparatus for working the valve of the striking cylinder1 and turning the drill on its axis at each successive stroke4 ,to bore eight holes of the required depth1 the piston rod gives #eg1fjj blows4 ,the action of each machine is independent of the other1 so that if one of them is broken1 or gets out of order1 that of the rest is not delayed4 ,the drills act at different angles so as to pierce the rock in all directions1 and when the requisite number of holes have been drilled1 the iron frame is pushed back1 and the central holes are charged and exploded4 ,the smaller surrounding holes are then charged and fired4 ,at each blast1 a strong jet of compressed air is thrown into this advanced gallery to scatter the smoke and supply air for respiration4 ,wagons are next pushed forward and filled with the fragments of broken rock1 which are conveyed to the mouth of the tunnel and dumped down the side of the mountain4 ,after each blast a fresh relay of workmen come in1 and the same operation is repeated night and day4 ,one of the objections urged against the use of compressed air as a motive of force was1 that if it were conveyed a long distance it would lose so much of its elasticity or expansive power1 that it would be unavailable for any practical purpose4 ,but this conjecture was confuted by facts4 ,it was found that the loss of pressure at the ends of the conduit pipes where the air is applied1 as compared with the pressure in the reservoir is only one sixteenth of the whole4 ,m4 ,sommeiller calculates that in the center of the tunnel1 a distance of three miles and three quarters from the reservoir1 he will be able to apply the necessary pressure of six atmospheres4 ,that ,m4 ,sommeiller is correct in this opinion appears to be conclusively proved by the latest accounts from ,mt4 ,cenis1 which state that the work is steadily progressing1 that one half of the entire length would be excavated by the first of ,january #ahff1 and that at a distance of nearly two miles from the reservoir1 the drills were operating with as much force as ever1 and that there was no appreciable loss of motive power4 ,in the middle of the tunnel line beneath the rails1 there is made at the same time with the excavation1 a covered way or drain1 in which are laid the pipes for gas1 water1 and compressed air4 ,by this drain the waste water runs off1 and it is also intended to serve as a means of escape for the workmen1 in case of a fall of rock1 or other accident which might block up the tunnel4 ,of course the tunnel must be continually supplied with fresh air along its whole length1 as well as at the heading4 ,this is easily done from the compressed air tube in the covered drain4 ,the whole length of the ,mt4 ,cenis tunnel is through rock varying in hardness1 and veined throughout with quartz4 ,in many parts it is liable to flake off1 and in some places considerable masses have broken away during the construction4 ,the full section of the tunnel is twenty-six feet and three inches wide1 and twenty feet and eight inches high4 ,the heading is carried forward about eleven and a half feet wide and nearly ten feet high4 ,at the time of ,mr4 ,storrow's visit the drilling machines were used only in the heading4 ,the whole of the enlargement was done by hand labor in the ordinary way4 ,the drills when brought up to the work drill eighty holes before any blasting is done4 ,about ninety workmen are employed at each end4 ,it required from five to seven hours to drill the eighty holes4 ,mr4 ,storrow visited a workshop where some machines were ready1 and a large block of stone was placed in front of them for trial4 ,the air was let on and a drill put in motion4 ,in #f #a-b minutes it drilled #e #a-b inches4 ,the engineer stated that they would make better progress than that at the rock in the tunnel4 ,the average progress made by hand was about sixty-six feet a month4 ,that rate was about doubled by means of the machines2 but since ,mr4 ,storrow's visit these machines have been greatly improved1 and the rate of progress latterly has been about two hundred feet a month4 ,the opening of the ,mt4 ,cenis ,tunnel was commenced in ,october1 #aheg4 ,up to ,july1 #ahfa1 about #badb feet had been excavated1 the average progress being about sixty-six feet a month4 ,the machines were then introduced1 and at the present time1 upwards of three miles have been excavated1 and at the rate of progress now being made the tunnel will be completed in four years4 ,mr4 ,storrow's estimate of its cost is #fdj per running yard4 ,we have now placed before our readers such facts in relation to ,european tunnels1 and more particularly in relation to that under the ,alps1 as will enable them to judge for themselves of the feasibility of completing the ,hoosac ,tunnel1 and of the weight of the objections which are urged against it by the opponents of the enterprise1 as well as the nature of the obstacles which have been encountered1 and the means of surmounting them4 ,we shall next present a brief history of the work1 the progress made1 the delays which have occurred1 and the causes2 and the sources1 nature1 and motives of the opposition which has been made to it4 ,in the course of this history we shall have occasion to expose the gross misrepresentations and deliberate falsehoods which have1 from time to time1 been put in print and scattered broadcast throughout the ,state1 for the purpose of sustaining and extending a great railroad monopoly1 already too powerful1 against the vital interests and actual necessities of the ,commonwealth4 ,the first section of the ,tunnel ,line obtained its charter in #ahdb1 under an act incorporating the ,fitchburg ,railroad ,company1 in spite of the strenuous opposition from ,boston1 ,springfield1 ,pittsfield1 and the whole power of the ,western ,road1 which a few years before1 had only obtained its charter by the aid of some twenty-five members of the ,house1 from ,northern ,massachusetts1 who held the balance of power4 ,of these twenty-five gentlemen1 to whom the ,state was thus early indebted1 one was ,hon4 ,alvah ,crocker1 of ,fitchburg1 whose name in connection with the ,fitchburg1 the ,vermont and ,massachusetts1 the ,troy and ,greenfield roads1 and with the ,hoosac ,tunnel1 has since become familiar as household words4 ,the appeal of the late ,judge ,kinnicut1 one of the pioneers of the ,western line1 contains this passage3 ,assume if you please1 that your route is better than the ,southern or ,western one2 if you are willing to identify the ,commonwealth with such an enterprise1 you establish a precedent1 and the ,commonwealth1 to be just1 to be consistent with herself1 must aid you in like manner4 ,nay1 every other section4 ,she will never be partial1 as you suppose1 but fair to all4 ,she will certainly go as far as she safely can1 to develop and increase her growth4 ,such appeals could not but prevail with fair minded men1 and these twenty-five members1 with a spirit of liberality and almost of self sacrifice1 which should put to shame the narrow minded and selfish policy of the ,western ,railroad ,company in regard to the ,tunnel line1 gave their voices and votes in favor of an enterprise1 the commencement of which would otherwise have been deferred for years4 ,the result was that by the first of ,january1 #ahdc1 the receipts of money by the ,western ,railroad ,company1 from the stock and scrip of the state amounted to #e1efe1faj4hf4 ,as stated above1 the ,fitchburg ,railroad ,company was authorized to build a road from ,boston to ,fitchburg1 a distance of fifty miles1 in spite of the strenuous opposition of the managers and attorneys of the ,western ,line4 ,the intelligent legislator of #ahff1 who has passed over the ,fitchburg ,railroad1 and observed the numerous trains of passenger and freight cars which daily follow each other over its double line of track1 can but smile at the language of ,mr ,mills1 a senator from ,hampden1 a little more than twenty years ago ,sir1 said this zealous legislator1 who1 in his style and logic forcibly remind us of ,mr4 ,bird1 of ,walpole1 a six horse stage coach and a few baggage wagons will draw all the freight from ,fitchburg to ,boston4 ,it is hardly necessary to give details of the history of the ,vermont and ,massachusetts ,road1 and the struggles of its projectors against hostile legislation1 and the intensified opposition of the ,western line4 ,suffice it to say that this second section of the ,tunnel ,line1 extending from ,fitchburg to ,greenfield1 was commenced and finished1 in spite of all opposition1 without a dollar of that aid which ,mr4 ,kinnicut said the ,state would have to furnish in order to be just and consistent4 ,its stock1 which could be bought for #i a share1 ten years ago1 now commands upwards of #dj4 ,its gross receipts1 last year1 were #cij1jhe4gi1 and its net income1 #ia1bbi4he4 ,its debt has been reduced from upwards of a million to one half that sum1 and this year it has paid its first dividend4 ,the ,troy and ,greenfield ,road was chartered in #ahdh1 the same old elements of opposition being combined against1 and fighting it at every step4 ,the managers of the ,western road clamorously declared that if this competing line were chartered1 it would greatly diminish the security of the ,commonwealth1 for its investment in their road1 and that if the ,state should be compelled to sell its stock after the granting of such charter1 she would lose a hundred and seventy thousand dollars2 while1 at the same time1 they affected to deride the ,vermont and ,massachusetts as a pauper road1 and the region it traversed as a ,god-forsaken country6 ,in #aheh1 the ,western end of the ,tunnel ,line1 extending from the ,western base of the ,hoosac ,mountain to ,troy1 had been completed through the enterprise of the citizens of that thriving city and those of ,north ,adams4 ,the ,vermont and ,massachusetts was finished1 and only thirty-seven miles of rail were needed to complete the direct connection of ,boston with the ,great ,west4 ,then was the time and opportunity for the ,state to have continued the same liberal policy which it had adopted toward the ,western road1 and to have extended her helping hand to the struggling corporation1 which had undertaken the noble enterprise of piercing the barrier which was interposed between them and their promised land4 ,but their appeals for aid were met with sneers and derision2 the work was bitterly opposed at every stage of its progress2 the arts of demagogues1 the cunning of lawyers1 the fears of the timid1 the credulity of the ignorant1 and every conceivable influence which the well-filled treasury of the ,western road could purchase were enlisted and combined against it4 ,but1 at last1 perseverance and a good cause prevailed1 and in #ahed1 the ,legislature authorized a loan of the ,state credit to the amount of two millions of dollars1 to the ,troy and ,greenfield ,railroad ,company1 for the purpose of enabling said company to construct a tunnel and railroad under and through the ,hoosac ,mountain1 in some place between the ',great ,bend1' in ,deerfield river1 and the town of ,florida1 at the base of the ,hoosac ,mountain on the ,east1 and the base of the ,western side of the mountain1 near the ,east end of the village of ,north ,adams1 on the ,west4 ,but this loan was modified and restricted by such conditions1 artfully introduced by the foes of the enterprise1 that the work still languished1 and its friends almost despaired even of ultimate success4 ,the enabling act of #aheg1 would have greatly relieved them1 but it was vetoed by ,gov4 ,gardner4 ,at the beginning of #ahfj1 only #bcj1jjj of the two millions had been advanced4 ,in the ,legislature of that year1 the original act was modified so that the balance of the loan might be divided between the road from ,greenfield and the ,tunnel1 for the construction of both parts of the work simultaneously4 ,provision was at the same time made for the appointment1 annually1 by the ,governor1 of a state engineer1 to examine the work1 make monthly estimates1 and impose such requirements upon the company and contractors as he and the ,governor and ,council might deem expedient4 ,in the summer of #ahfj1 ,colonel ,ezra ,lincoln of ,boston1 was appointed ,state engineer1 and resigning in the following autumn1 on account of illness1 was succeeded by ,c4 ,l4 ,stevenson1 ,esq4 ,in the meantime the company had contracted with ,messrs4 ,haupt and ,cartwright to construct the road and tunnel4 ,the first named gentleman was one of the most eminent and experienced engineers in the country4 ,under the administration of the ,state engineers1 ,messrs ,lincoln and ,stevenson1 the existing location was approved1 and certain prices were established1 upon the basis of which contracts were made for labor and material1 and rapid progress was made with the work4 ,upon the accession of ,governor ,andrew in #ahea1 ,mr4 ,stevenson was summarily removed1 and ,mr4 ,william ,s4 ,whitwell appointed in his place4 ,this gentleman at once proceeded to change the entire basis of work as established by his predecessors1 reduced the prices under which extensive contracts had already been made1 and cut down the estimates1 so as to compel an entire suspension of the work4 ,more than a thousand laborers and mechanics were discharged4 ,mr4 ,haupt states that at the time of this suspension1 the graduation of the whole line could have been completed in a few weeks4 ,the iron and nearly all the ties and bridge material had been delivered2 but little remained to be done except finishing the bridge and laying the track4 ,after a warm and protracted discussion of the subject in the ,legislature of #ahfb1 an act was passed1 providing that the ,state should take possession of the road1 tunnel1 and all the property of the ,troy and ,greenfield ,company4 ,a commission was also authorized to examine the work1 ascertain the feasibility of completing it1 and report to the next ,legislature4 ,the commissioners appointed under this act1 by ,governor ,andrew1 were ,messrs4 ,j4 ,w4 ,brooks and ,alexander ,holmes1 of ,massachusetts1 and ,mr4 ,s4 ,m4 ,felton1 of ,pennsylvania1 two of them being eminent civil engineers1 and all three gentlemen of large experience in railroad affairs4 ,they entered upon the duties of their commission at once1 and having dispatched ,mr4 ,storrow to ,europe to examine the tunnels there1 proceeded to take possession of the road and property of the ,company1 which was surrendered to them in ,september of the same year4 ,the elaborate and exhaustive report of the ,commissioners was submitted to the ,legislature in the latter part of ,february1 #ahfc4 ,the closing paragraph expresses their opinion that the work should be undertaken by the ,commonwealth1 and completed as early as it can be1 with due regard to economy4 ,the result of another discussion in the ,legislature was the adoption of the recommendation of the ,commissioners1 and the responsibility of completing the tunnel and road was assumed by the ,state1 in ,april of #ahfc1 operations having been suspended nearly three years4 ,since that time1 the work has been conducted by the ,commissioners1 under the immediate superintendence of ,mr4 ,thomas ,doane1 chief engineer1 in such manner and with such progress as to give very general satisfaction to the friends of the enterprise1 and promise its completion within a reasonable time4 ,a very considerable portion of the labor and expenditures1 since the operations were resumed1 have been applied to preparing buildings and machinery1 to the construction of a dam across the ,deerfield river1 in order to secure power to operate the tunneling apparatus1 and to an enlargement and an alteration of the grade of the ,eastern end of the tunnel1 which had been excavated by ,haupt and ,cartwright4 ,but before proceeding to consider the present condition and prospects of the ,tunnel1 it is necessary to revert to the legislation of #ahfb and #ahfc1 in order to note the tactics of its enemies1 who had by no means been idle1 nor had in any degree relaxed their opposition4 ,in fact1 it was through this opposition that the act of #ahfb was effected1 the bill being a substitute for that reported by the committee1 and generally regarded as a compromise between the friends and foes of the enterprise1 though the latter believed they had1 at last achieved a triumph1 and exultingly whispered that the great ,hoosac ,tunnel scheme had received its death blow4 ,they certainly did play their game with boldness and skill4 ,while the contractors1 ,messrs4 ,haupt ,co41 had actually applied all their private means1 to the extent of more than #bjj1jjj1 to carry on the work1 it was asserted that they were swindling the ,state and pocketing its funds to the tune of #cjj1jjj4 ,they proclaimed that they were in favor of the ,tunnel1 and only desired to take the work from the hands of swindling contractors and the control of a bankrupt and irresponsible corporation1 in order that it might be assumed and prosecuted by the ,commonwealth2 but they were secretly confident1 and not without reason1 that a board of commissioners would be appointed who would report against the prosecution of the work by the ,state4 ,of the three gentlemen appointed1 not one had expressed an opinion in favor of the enterprise1 and ,mr4 ,brooks1 the president1 was known to be opposed to it4 ,both of the two resident members were from localities where the prevailing sentiment was against the ,tunnel4 ,but this adroitness of the opposition was baffled1 and its confident hope disappointed by the integrity and fairness of ,mr4 ,brooks and his associates4 ,the latter had no prejudices to conquer1 and ,mr4 ,brooks had not applied himself many weeks to the duties of his commission1 before he was convinced of the feasibility of the work1 and satisfied that the ,state ought to assume and complete it4 ,when their report was made to the ,legislature in #ahfc1 the old opposition manifested itself with more intensity than ever1 and the same honest gentlemen1 who1 the year before1 were so friendly to the enterprise1 and only wanted to transfer it from the hands of rapacious contractors and a bankrupt corporation1 to the fostering care of the ,commonwealth1 threw off their masks1 resorted to their old tricks and arts1 and renewed their old clamor1 against the ,tunnel swindle2 yet1 vainly1 as the result proved4 ,the name of ,mr4 ,f4 ,w4 ,bird1 of ,walpole1 has been once or twice mentioned in this article1 and not improperly1 since he has gained that equivocal notoriety in connection with the ,hoosac ,tunnel1 which attaches to the enemies of all great and noble undertakings4 ,this gentleman has informed the public1 that in #ahdg and #ahdh1 when he was in the ,legislature1 he voted for everything that the friends of the ,tunnel asked for4 ,this action cannot have greatly embarrassed ,mr4 ,bird during his subsequent career1 since the only thing asked for by the friends of the ,tunnel1 during those two years1 was the charter1 granted in #ahdh4 ,mr4 ,bird further informs the public1 that in #ahfb1 we were overruled by the committee1 but we defeated them before the ,legislature4 ,in #ahfc1 we were defeated1 and the ,legislature sanctioned the resumption of the work4 ,mr4 ,bird also boasts that1 while a member of the ,executive ,council1 he did resist the assumption by the chairman of the commission1 of irresponsible control over the work1 and did something to prevent the building of the road from ,greenfield to the mountain4 ,in #ahfb1 ,hon4 ,w4 ,d4 ,swan represented the opposition to the ,tunnel in the ,senate4 ,mr4 ,bird1 in a communication to the ,boston ,journal of ,nov4 #c1 #ahfb1 says3-- ,the ,tunnel fight was organized and directed by three members of the ,third ,house4 ,the ,tunnel matter came before the ,senate late in the session1 when many important questions demanded the attention of the ,senate and rendered it very difficult for them to make personal investigations4 ,as to ,mr4 ,swan1 he very frankly declared that the whole subject was so new to him that he must rely upon us for his materials4 ,his published speeches upon the ,tunnel1 upon which his fame as a practical legislator is based by his friends1 were written substantially by one of us beforehand1 and afterward revised by all of us for the press4 ,we furnished every fact1 made every calculation1 prepared every table and arranged every point and every argument logically and rhetorically4 ,one of the arguments which ,mr4 ,bird confesses he and his associates arranged1 is expressed in the following extract from ,mr4 ,swan's speech3-- ,i am aware1 sir1 that it may be said3 ',you are going to stop a great enterprise4' ,no ,i am not4 ,i have no such intention4 ,i am in favor of the ,hoosac ,tunnel4 ,if ,massachusetts has granted her aid for the accomplishment of any great purpose1 ,i am for going through with it4 ,i am for going through with the ,tunnel2 but ,i am for going through with it understandingly2 and if ,massachusetts is to do the work1 let us know that we are to obtain something like an equivalent for our expenditure4 ,we say1 then1 to the corporation1 we will send intelligent commissioners to examine the road and tunnel1 and if the report to us1 or our successors1 next year1 is favorable to this great enterprise1 we will go on with it2 we will bore a a hole through the mountain1 we will arch it1 lay the track1 and give you ten years in which to redeem the property4 ,but it is not necessary to quote further from ,mr4 ,bird himself2 he has been well known for years as an agent of the ,western ,railroad ,company1 and the leader of the combined elements of opposition to the ,tunnel4 ,he is a man of ability1 bold1 and adroit in his management1 but entirely unscrupulous in the choice of means to effect his objects4 ,as a lobby member1 as newspaper correspondent1 as pamphleteer1 as councilor1 and in the numerous other characters which his ,protean genius has enabled him to assume1 he has1 by fair means and foul1 diligently adhered to his boastful promise that he should not desist from opposition till the work is stopped2 and he has lately reiterated his purpose of keeping that pledge1 with the help of ,god4 ,those who know ,mr4 ,bird well1 entertain no doubt that he will continue to do his best to stop the work1 whether with or without the ,divine assistance1 and that he will literally fulfill his promise1 since the work will1 undoubtedly1 be stopped when it is finished4 ,one other gentleman has been associated with ,mr4 ,bird1 as a leader of the opposition to the ,tunnel enterprise1 who1 perhaps1 deserves a passing notice in this article1 ,mr4 ,d4 ,l4 ,harris1 ,president of the ,connecticut ,river ,railroad4 ,he has less ability than ,mr4 ,bird1 but much more practical knowledge of railroad engineering and management4 ,it has apparently been a part of the duty assigned him1 to furnish ,mr4 ,bird with the texts for his pamphlets and newspaper articles1 and to supply such information1 from time to time1 as that gentleman's inexperience and ignorance required4 ,he has also emulated the example of his associate by contributing to the anti-tunnel literature of the newspapers4 ,while a member of the ,house1 a few years since1 he had the bad taste1 in the course of discussion1 to quote from one of his own anonymous articles4 ,upon being accused of being the author of his quotation1 he roundly denied the charge1 but was convicted by the production of his own manuscript4 ,his seat was vacant during the remainder of that session4 ,whether this desertion of his post was occasioned by a conviction in the minds of anti-tunnel men and the ,western ,railroad managers that the exposure had impaired the influence of their agent1 or whether he was impelled to retire by the stings of that remorse which a certain class of men experience only when they have been detected in a falsehood1 the writer of this paper is unable to determine4 ,the ,boston ,advertiser of ,october #e1 #ahfe1 contains an article over ,mr4 ,bird's signature1 which was soon after published in the form of a pamphlet1 and profusely distributed throughout the ,state1 having for a title1 ,the ,hoosac ,tunnel3 its ,condition and ,prospects4 ,it appears1 that a few weeks previous1 ,mr4 ,bird and ,mr4 ,harris visited the ,tunnel locality1 and this pamphlet purports to be the result of ,mr4 ,bird's observations4 ,it has been extensively read1 and has1 doubtless1 inspired the minds of many timid and ignorant persons1 with honest doubts of the practicability or expediency of ever completing the ,tunnel4 ,it is considered smart by those who mistake denunciation and abuse for wit1 and baseless assumption for truth4 ,to those who are familiar with the history of the ,tunnel1 and who understand its present condition1 it is more remarkable for misrepresentation and disingenuousness1 than even any previous effort of its author4 ,he introduces his subject by stating that the commissioners1 since they commenced operations1 have had unlimited and irresponsible power1 and that1 for all failures and blunders1 they1 and they alone1 are responsible2 yet1 within a month from the penning of this assertion1 ,mr4 ,bird boasted that he did something1 while a member of the ,council1 to prevent the building of the road from ,greenfield to the mountain4 ,the obstacles encountered at the ,west end of the ,tunnel1 which had been foreseen and understood from the beginning1 by the friends of the enterprise1 appear to have first engaged the observation of our inspector1 and are represented as a startling and recent discovery4 ,the well known effect of water upon the soft material in this locality is described as rock demoralized into porridge1 and this porridge is represented as a difficulty of such serious nature that the managers are at their wits' ends4 ,mr4 ,james ,laurie1 an eminent civil engineer1 employed by the commissioners to make a survey1 in his able report in ,january of #ahfc1 says the portions of the ,hoosac ,tunnel embraced between the ,western entrance and the present shaft1 a distance of #cjjh feet1 will1 from all indications1 be the most troublesome and expensive4 ,the material consists of gravel1 clay1 sand1 detached beds of quartzose sandstone1 some of which is partly decomposed1 and limestone4 ,the whole formation is full of springs4 ,however bad the material may prove1 this part1 under proper management1 can be completed long before the rest of the ,tunnel4 ,mr4 ,bird says1 ,common men1 and some uncommon men1 too1 look upon these difficulties as insuperable4 ,those who can1 for a moment1 weigh the opinion of the accomplished and experienced engineer1 ,mr4 ,laurie1 with that of ,mr4 ,f4 ,w4 ,bird1 of ,walpole1 may relieve their doubts by referring to ,mr4 ,storrow's report on the ,european tunnels1 in a very large proportion of which the most formidable kind of porridge was encountered and subdued4 ,mr4 ,bird observed the ,western shaft4 ,the work at the ,western face of this shaft was suspended on account of imminent danger of porridge and our observer's most important criticism here1 is that they were1 at the time of his visit1 advancing on the ,eastern face of the shaft1 at the rate of only thirteen feet weekly1 that is fifty-two feet per month4 ,mr4 ,storrow says the average progress in the ,european tunnels was about thirty feet per month4 ,the ,central shaft was visited1 and ,mr4 ,bird does not appear to have observed anything which demanded an expression of his disapproval4 ,the work was progressing at the rate of twenty-two feet a month1 and the pumps gave a gallon and a half of water per minute4 ,in constructing the ,kilsey ,tunnel1 in ,england1 ,mr4 ,storrow says that during a considerable portion of nine months1 the water pumped out was two thousand gallons a minute4 ,mr4 ,bird's report of progress at the ,east end was certainly very encouraging the heading having been advanced successfully during the two months preceding his visit1 at the rate of sixty-five feet per month1 and the work was being pushed with vigor and activity4 ,the dam across the ,deerfield next claimed the observation of the inspector1 who appears to have regarded it with much surprise1 both on account of its cost and because it was thrown across a fitful mountain torrent1 so feeble at the time of ,mr4 ,bird's visit1 that it was only allowed to run by night1 for the reason1 as he guessed1 that if it was allowed to run by day1 under the hot sun1 it would all evaporate before it reached ,shelburne ,falls6 ,this guess is associated in the same paragraph with an assertion that there was not then in the river1 and had not been for some weeks1 and has not been since1 7unless they have had heavy rains17 water enough to give under a thirty feet head1 twenty1 or even a ten-horse power1 for twenty-four hours a day4 ,it is as well established a fact that the ,deerfield river was never known to be so low as at one time during last year1 as it is that wells all over the ,state were dry last autumn1 which were never dry before4 ,yet1 at the time of ,mr4 ,bird's visit1 when the river was lowest1 ,mr4 ,doane1 the chief engineer1 states that the water was running at the rate of thirty-four cubic feet per second4 ,on a head of thirty feet this gives1 theoretically1 one hundred and sixteen1 and1 practically1 eighty-seven horse power4 ,the intelligent reader will not be at much loss to decide whether he will rely upon the guesses1 observations and loose assertions of ,mr4 ,bird1 or the record and word of the careful and skillful engineer4 ,mr4 ,bird says1 it is discreditable that the precise quantity of water has not1 so far as we know1 been ascertained by actual measurement4 ,such measurement had been made1 and ,mr4 ,bird might have known it if he had taken pains to inquire of ,mr4 ,doane or ,mr4 ,hill4 ,the testimony of ,messrs4 ,lamson ,goodnow1 of ,shelburne ,falls1 as to the power and reliability of the ,deerfield river1 is that this is the first season we have been at all troubled on account of the scarcity of water1 but not as ,mr4 ,bird stated it4 ,we have not been compelled to stop our mills except one half day1 and we employ four hundred men on cutlery4 ,the same gentlemen 7,messrs4 ,lamson ,goodnow7 state that the ,deerfield and ,north rivers furnish water enough1 at ,shelburne ,falls1 for one thousand horse power4 ,the ,north river is a small stream1 and deducting its contribution together with that of the brooks which find their way into the ,deerfield between ,shelburne ,falls and the mountain1 at the high estimate of two hundred horse power1 and there remains to the ,deerfield alone a force of eight hundred horse power1 which is the estimate made by the commissioners4 ,the measurements made by ,mr4 ,doane and his assistants confirm their accuracy4 ,yet ,mr4 ,bird who boasts of an intimate acquaintance of over thirty years with water power1 asserts that for such a privilege1 ten thousand dollars would be an extravagant price6 ,would he sell even the puddle which works his paper mill at ,walpole1 and which1 we presume1 has afforded all his knowledge of water power1 for half that amount8 ,the writer of this article has not enjoyed an intimate acquaintance of over thirty years with water power1 but he has resided exactly the same length of time as ,gov4 ,gardner said he had been a temperance man1 in the manufacturing town of ,fitchburg1 and during that time has learned something about its thirty-four water privileges and five hundred and eighty-two feet head of water which they command1 on the little ,nashua and its tributaries4 ,his knowledge of this water power enables him to exhibit the gross absurdity of ,mr4 ,bird's efforts to dry up the ,deerfield4 ,one of these tributaries1 which is less than eight miles long1 affords a privilege with a head of twenty-one feet1 of from seventy-five to one hundred horse power4 ,the reader can form his own conclusions1 by comparing this brook with that fitful mountain torrent1 the ,deerfield river1 which has its sources in the town of ,stratton1 ,vt41 flows southward to the foot of the ,hoosac ,mountain1 then turning eastward1 finds its way into the ,connecticut1 near ,greenfield1 traversing in its course1 a distance of more than sixty miles4 ,the length of the fitful torrent above the ,hoosac dam1 is about forty miles1 and in that part of its course it is swelled by the contributions of numerous tributaries1 several of which are respectively from twelve to eighteen miles long4 ,a shrewd ,yankee1 who is not a civil engineer1 and has not even had the experience of running a small paper mill1 might guess that such a stream would furnish1 with a head of thirty feet1 as much as an eight hundred horse power4 ,but it is not eight hundred horse power1 nor four hundred that is required to operate the drilling machinery and ventilate the tunnel2 for two hundred and eight horse power is all that has ever been used or needed at ,mt4 ,cenis4 ,this leaves a pretty wide margin for drouths1 evaporation1 and other contingencies4 ,in his observations upon the power required1 ,mr4 ,bird becomes severe and sarcastic4 ,he assails the opinion of the commissioners that the loss of power by carrying the compressed air through five miles of pipe will be quite insignificant2 and after asserting that there are no data by which to test the correctness of this opinion1 and claiming some experience in such matters1 prefers that such an experiment should be tried with somebody's money besides his own4 ,it is gratifying to learn from ,mr4 ,bird1 himself1 that he he has had experience in the matter of compressed air as a motive power1 and that a cussed furriner1 as he elegantly phrases it is not to be allowed to bear off the palm of this great discovery uncontested4 ,doubtless ,m4 ,sommeiller will yield to the superior science and sagacity of ,mr4 ,bird2 but our countryman should lose no time in informing his fellow citizens of his investigations1 experiments and success in arriving at the conclusion that compressed air cannot be carried through five miles of pipe without a very serious loss of power through friction1 leakage1 c4 ,but1 unfortunately for this view of the case1 there are data establishing the fact that compressed air has been conveyed through more than two miles of pipe at ,mt4 ,cenis1 and then operated the drills without any appreciable loss of power4 ,if there is no loss in two miles1 how can there be in five8 ,it is no longer an experiment1 but an established scientific fact4 ,the size of the present excavation next engages the attention of our observer1 and he calls the commissioners to account because they have not followed their own recommendation to excavate the ,tunnel to its full dimensions as the work proceeds4 ,since their recommendation was made in the winter of #ahfc1 the commissioners have had much experience1 and the price of labor has doubled4 ,only a small number of men can work on a heading1 but when a heading has been advanced a large number of workmen can follow rapidly in enlarging the excavation1 and will soon overtake those engaged on the heading4 ,at ,mt4 ,cenis1 the pneumatic drills are only used on the heading1 and the enlargement is done by numerous laborers with hand drills4 ,it is apparent that the commissioners have been actuated solely by motives of economy in prosecuting the heading alone1 at the present high rates of labor4 ,the work of enlargement is comparatively easy and rapid1 and might well await a decline in the cost of labor1 though it must be admitted that the importance of completing this noble work1 ought to outweigh the consideration of any possible cost4 ,on the subject of pneumatic drills1 ,mr4 ,bird is emphatic4 ,he says1 no intelligent man puts the slightest confidence in the successful working of any borer1 or drill1 in the rock of the ,hoosac ,mountain1 unless operated by hand4 ,in a strictly homogeneous rock1 machine drills might work1 but in a rock like the ,hoosac1 where the drills1 working generally in a comparatively soft material1 are liable at any moment to strike veins of quartz1 and where a part of the hole will be in the slate and the rest in quartz1 no machine drill has yet been found to stand4 ,this reckless and false assertion is made in utter defiance of ,mr4 ,storrow's report and all other authorities upon the ,alps ,tunnel1 which has now been excavated nearly four miles with machine drills on the heading4 ,mr4 ,storrow says that masonry is used because the rock is not homogeneous in character4 ,i stood at the front of the machines1 watching them for three quarters of an hour4 ,one drill was driving directly into hard quartz1 advancing very slowly1 and making the sparks fly at every stroke4 ,others working in softer spots1 were cutting rapidly4 ,mr4 ,bird has much to learn about pneumatic drills1 and1 without going beyond the borders of ,massachusetts1 he can see a drill operate by compressed air1 so indifferent as to the character of the rock it works upon1 that it will penetrate the hardest granite and the composite rock of the ,hoosac with the same facility1 and at a rate which would astonish even ,m4 ,sommeiller4 ,the figures upon which ,bird bases a calculation as to the time of completing the ,tunnel1 are as far from being correct as his general statements are from the truth4 ,one example is enough to illustrate1 and by this the reader may fairly judge what the calculation is worth4 ,he says the total length of the ,tunnel is #bd1ehf feet1 when the fact is that it is #be1ehf feet4 ,this is no mistake of the printer1 for the figures repeatedly occur in the pamphlet1 and always the same2 and it is with this gross blunder that the calculation sets out4 ,the truth is that any careful reader of this article1 is a ,better judge of the whole subject than ,mr4 ,bird1 because he will have reliable dates1 facts and figures1 by the aid of which he can make a calculation for himself1 or' form an opinion as to the time within which the work can be done1 which will be quite as likely to be correct as any1 ,i undertake to say1 of the oracular ,bird4 ,on the #ast of ,december1 #ahfe1 the penetration at the ,east end was #bijd feet2 at the ,east heading of ,western shaft1 #dad feet2 ,west heading of same shaft1 #bhj feet2 at ,west end heading1 #gef--;in the whole1 #dced feet4 ,the central shaft had been sunk two hundred and twenty feet4 ,the average progress on this shaft during the months of ,august1 ,september1 ,october and ,november was #ah #c-d feet per month4 ,assuming this for the average in ,december1 ,january and ,february the shaft was #bge feet deep1 on the #ast of ,march1 the whole depth to grade being #ajcg feet4 ,the average progress on the ,east face of ,western shaft was sixty-three feet per month4 ,allowing that average for ,december1 ,january and ,february1 and the penetration on this face is now more than #fjj feet4 ,the average on ,east end was forty-four feet4 ,add this average for the last three months1 and the penetration at this end is now #cjcf feet1 and the total penetration #dfge feet1 with #ege feet of shaft sunk4 ,mr4 ,laurie states in his report that in the ten tunnels which he names1 in this country and ,europe1 the average progress made on each face from a shaft was thirty-eight feet1 and on the end faces fifty-four feet per month4 ,let the intelligent man who forms opinions and conclusions for himself1 compare the statistics which have been given in the course of this writing in relation to tunneling in ,europe and in this country1 and then1 taking into consideration the inadequate means which have1 until recently1 been applied to the ,hoosac enterprise1 and surveying the progress which has been made whenever the work was prosecuted with vigor1 let him judge how soon1 and at what cost1 the ,tunnel may be completed1 even without the aid of machine drills4 ,the concluding pages of the pamphlet contain a general charge against the commissioners1 or rather ,mr4 ,brooks1 the chairman1 of mismanagement4 ,the only illustrations of this charge are1 first1 that ,mr4 ,brooks declined to sell the #c1jjj tons of railroad iron which had been purchased1 and distributed along the graded track from ,greenfield to the mountain1 and other saleable property2 second1 that he has disregarding the advice of others1 whose judgment was entitled to weight1 put his own constructions upon the acts of the ,legislature relating to the powers and duties of the commissioners1 in opposition to the construction and in defiance of the orders of the ,executive ,council2 third1 he has seriously contemplated the amazing folly of building the railroad from ,greenfield to the mountain6 ,it is gratifying to know from more reliable authority than the intimation of ,mr4 ,bird1 that ,mr4 ,brooks did justify the opinion which is generally entertained1 of his good sense and judgment1 by contemplating that amazing folly1 and the only evidence of serious mismanagement on his part1 which ,mr4 ,bird can produce1 is that he did not1 at once execute his purpose1 lay the rails and put the road in operation from ,greenfield to the mountain4 ,the additional facilities which the completion of this road would have afforded for expediting the work1 and reducing its cost1 are too obvious to be enumerated4 ,the extent and value of the resources and material of the region through which the road passes1 and the importance of their speedy development1 have already been shown4 ,the distance from ,greenfield to the mountain is about thirty miles1 by a very uneven and hilly road2 and yet1 in #ahfa1 the amount of freight transported over it1 was #ab1cej tons1 and the freight and livery receipts were nearly #ej1jjj4 ,with a good railroad in operation1 in the place of a rugged highway1 and the summer travel which it would induce1 there can be no doubt whatever1 that the local business alone would afford receipts very far beyond the estimates1 upon which it is presumed the offer of the ,fitchburg and ,vermont and ,massachusetts companies to take a lease of the road was based1 that is1 #ba1ejj a year more than running expenses4 ,whether ,mr4 ,brooks is responsible for the delay in putting the road under contract1 and for the waste and damage which have resulted from a neglect of three years1 or whether ,mr4 ,bird did succeed1 while a member of the ,council1 in procuring an absolute injunction1 the public cannot now well determine1 for1 as the reader has already observed1 ,bird declares that ,mr4 ,brooks had absolute power1 that the whole responsibility rests with him1 and yet boasts that he did something towards preventing the completion of the road4 99 99 99 99 99 ,since the foregoing pages were written1 ,mr ,bird has published and distributed another pamphlet1 the remarkable audacity of which challenges our attention4 ,if one half of the assertions it contains were true1 if one half of its calculations and estimates could be demonstrated1 the ,hoosac ,tunnel ought to be abandoned at once1 as the greatest folly of the nineteenth century1 and its ruins sacredly preserved as a monument to coming generations of a monstrous popular delusion3 and if the epithets--swindlers1 tricksters1 liars1 plunderers1 thieves1 ingrates1 rascals1 traitors and fools--which ,mr4 ,f4 ,w4 ,bird1 of ,walpole1 so freely and indiscriminately applies to everybody who has advocated or favored the building of this ,tunnel1 were deserved2 then a very large proportion of several legislatures1 a majority of several executive councils1 and many distinguished citizens and state officers1 including the late governor and attorney general1 ought to be lodged for the remainder of their days either in the state prison1 or the asylums for idiots4 ,this last publication of ,bird's is mainly a repetition1 with embellishments1 of his previous pamphlet1 with the addition of a preface purporting to be the history of tunnel legislation to the beginning of the present year1 a string of calculations and conjectures as to the capacity of the ,western ,railroad to transport 7 provided it were properly managed1 and the double track completed7 all the ,western freight and travel for all future time1 and several pages of coarse denunciation of ,mr4 ,brooks1 chairman of the ,tunnel ,commissioners1 and the manner in which he has managed the trust committed to him4 ,the subdivisions of these subjects are3-- #ast4 ,tunnel ,legislation4 #b;d4 ,abuse of ,mr4 ,brooks4 #c;d4 ,power ,drills4 #dth4 ,the ,deerfield ,dam4 #eth4 ,porridge4 #fth4 ,the ,western compared with the ,tunnel line4 #gth4 ,the ,possible ,capacity of the ,western ,road4 #hth4 ,the ,cost and ,time required to ,complete the ,tunnel4 ,it is not our purpose to expose all the misrepresentations and perversion of facts to which ,mr4 ,bird has resorted in the treatment of his subject2 but only enough of them to show what disreputable means the foes of the ,tunnel are capable of using in order to deceive the community4 ,late results in the progress of work at the mountain1 and in the perfection of machinery1 will enable us to illustrate the utter absurdity of several of the most important of ,mr4 ,bird's calculations1 or rather speculations1 and enable the reader to judge what reliance can be placed upon any of them4 ,in a review of the history of tunnel legislation1 as given in this pamphlet1 passing by the frequent charges of packed committees1 deceived legislatures1 and tricks of legislative legerdemain1 we come to an account of the ,act of ,april1 #ahfb1 by which it appears that the bill passed was not materially different from that prepared by ,mr4 ,bird1 and offered by ,mr4 ,swan4 ,it was entitled1 ,an ,act for the ,more ,speedy ,completion of the ,hoosac ,tunnel1 yet the anti-tunnel league considered its passage a substantial defeat of the scheme1 because they believed that ,governor ,andrew was opposed to the ,tunnel1 and would appoint commissioners whose opinions were in harmony with his own4 ,and the virtuous and honest member of the ,third ,house1 through whose adroit management1 a bill bearing a title so inconsistent with its purpose1 was framed1 affects a pious horror of legislative trickery6 ,whatever ,mr4 ,bird may have to say upon any of his various topics1 he never forgets to abuse ,mr4 ,brooks2 ,carthago delenda est at any rate2 and he returns to the assault at the beginning or end of almost every chapter1 with renewed spitefulness4 ,on page #ba it is represented that ,mr4 ,laurie1 the engineer who had been designated by the governor and council to make surveys1 had a personal interview with ,mr4 ,brooks1 and that the following colloquy took place3-- ,i am here1 ,mr4 ,brooks1 to make the surveys ordered4 ,what order8 ,what surveys8 ,the surveys ordered by the governor and council4 ,i have ordered no surveys and want none4 ,when ,i need your services ,i will send for you4 ,go about your business4 ,even those who have never reckoned ,mr4 ,bird a man of strict veracity will be surprised to learn that this story is a pure fabrication1 that no such conversation1 and no such interview ever took place4 ,the communications between the two gentlemen were a letter from ,mr4 ,laurie1 who was at ,hartford1 and a reply by telegraph from ,mr4 ,brooks1 who was in ,boston4 ,mr4 ,laurie wrote1--,presuming that you wish me to make these surveys1 ,i will come to ,boston1 c4 ,mr4 ,brooks telegraphed1--,the new survey has not been acted upon by commissioners4 ,on the same page of the pamphlet it is stated that ,mr4 ,brooks1 not being satisfied with ,mr4 ,laurie's conclusions1 demanded the suppression of some portions of the report1 and the modification of others4 ,mr4 ,laurie1 after making such concessions as he could honestly make1 resolutely refused to yield to ,mr4 ,brooks' imperious demands upon material points4 ,now' this representation is just as false as the story about the colloquy4 ,mr4 ,brooks did not make any such demands4 ,an exposure of both these fabrications is made in a communication to the ,boston ,advertiser of ,march #ajth1 which contains copies of all the correspondence on these subjects1 between ,mr4 ,brooks and ,mr4 ,laurie4 ,on page #bc1 we are requested to look at the item of the amount of the people's money applied by ,mr4 ,brooks to the payment of ,mr4 ,haupt's debts1 than which there never was a more atrocious swindle4 ,by referring to the records of the executive council for ,may1 ,june and ,july of #ahfc1 it will be seen that the subject of paying these claims was referred to a committee of the council1 consisting of ,alfred ,hitchcock1 ,f4 ,w4 ,bird and ,joel ,hayden for special investigation4 ,upon the question of the meaning and intent of the ,act of #ahfb1 and its legal interpretation1 the committee took counsel of ,dwight ,foster1 ,emory ,washburn1 and ,isaac ,r4 ,redfield1 lawyers who had been designated by the governor1 as a commission to whom should be referred such questions upon legal points as might arise in prosecuting the work1 and in accordance with the advice of these gentlemen1 and their own convictions1 a majority of the committee 7,mr4 ,bird of course opposing7 reported that the claims ought to be paid4 ,a majority of the council and the governor being of the same opinion1 the claims were paid4 ,the part performed by ,mr4 ,brooks and his associates was merely to audit and allow them4 ,they could not draw a dollar from the state-treasury for any purpose except upon the governor's warrant4 ,if the payment of these claims was an atrocious swindle1 then the governor1 a majority of his council1 and the three lawyers1 as well as the commissioners1 were the atrocious swindlers4 ,it would appear that the incorruptible and virtuous ,bird was the only person about the state house1 at that time1 who could make any pretension to honesty or fidelity4 ,the motives of ,mr4 ,bird1 in these unscrupulous attempts to disparage the judgment and asperse the character of ,mr4 ,brooks are best known to himself1 but it will be remembered that when ,mr4 ,brooks received his appointment he was thought to be opposed to the tunnel enterprise4 ,he has proved to be one of its ablest and most resolute friends4 ,the disappointment and grief of ,mr4 ,bird may have been rendered more poignant by his defeat last fall as a candidate for the honor of representing his district in the ,legislature1 a defeat which he has publicly attributed to the opposition of ,mr4 ,brooks4 ,the only noteworthy thing in this pamphlet concerning the ,deerfield ,dam1 is an absurd attempt to misrepresent the commissioners' report of its cost4 ,they state that it is #abe1iai4gd4 ,it was finished last fall4 ,mr4 ,bird says the dam will have cost when finished1 at least #bge1jjj1 and thereafter to the end of his chapter on that topic1 assumes that sum to be the actual cost4 ,he obtains these figures by adding to the real cost of the dam1 that of all the canals2 buildings and machinery which are being constructed between the dam and the tunnel4 ,he might1 with equal propriety1 have added the cost of the ,walpole meeting house1 or that of his own paper mill4 ,in a supplementary note we are informed that the dam across the ,connecticut at ,holyoke1 #ajag feet long1 cost about #aae1jjj4 ,we may assume that ,mr4 ,bird applies these figures to the present dam1 and not to the one which gave way some years since4 ,the cost of the first dam is not given1 and the inquisitive reader might ask what that was1 or whether the #aae1jjj should not with more propriety be considered as an expenditure for repairs of an old dam rather than the cost of a new one4 ,however that may be1 the cost of labor and material at the time the new dam was built1 or the old one repaired1 was less than one half of the cost of labor and material1 at any time since the ,deerfield dam was commenced4 ,it is possible that a cheaper structure might have been built1 which would answer the purpose1 but the commissioners and their engineers1 warned perhaps1 by the ,holyoke disaster1 may be excused for constructing a work that will not be washed away1 though done at some additional cost for its security4 ,if there is one thing which ,mr4 ,bird absolutely loves it is porridge1 and he returns to this topic with great vivacity4 ,it may be briefly stated that in ,december last1 after the heading from the ,west portal had been carried forward #aaa feet1 progress was stopped by an inlet of water from a brook overhead and a spring below4 ,this water operating on the rotten rock1 produced what ,mr4 ,bird calls porridge4 ,it was a difficulty which had been foreseen1 but was never regarded by the commissioners or engineers as of a formidable character4 ,soon after work was suspended at this point1 responsible parties came forward with an offer to construct an arch lined with solid masonry through the porridge to the ,western shaft1 a distance of about #bjjj feet1 for less than #gjj1jjj2 and to furnish satisfactory security for the performance of their contract4 ,the offer was declined4 ,when ,mr4 ,bird learned that work at this point was suspended1 he became jubilant4 ,he has filled ten pages of his two pamphlets with porridge1 and excited some fears on the part of his friends that the stuff has found access to the thinking part of his own person1 and muddled it badly4 ,but of this the reader may judge by noting on page #cd of the last pamphlet an assertion that the distance from the ,west portal to the shaft is all demoralized rock2 and on pages #cf and #cg a calculation that it will cost #e1dcj1cjj in gold1 to construct this section of #bjjj feet6 ,but porridge is unreliable1 and that at the ,hoosac1 has given out2 and so ,mr4 ,bird's hopes and calculations1 which were based upon it1 fall to the ground4 ,work has been recently resumed1 and twenty-seven feet beyond the point at which it was discontinued1 solid rock was reached1 in which the workmen are now drilling and blasting without molestation or fear of porridge4 ,the brook is passed1 and in the artesian well about half way from the portal to the shaft1 solid rock has been reached at #acj feet above grade4 ,porridge has served its friends a mean trick and well might ,mr4 ,bird exclaim in the language of ,woolsey 7slightly altered17 ,had ,i but served the truth with half the zeal ,i served my porridge1 it would not1 in my need1 ,have left me naked to mine enemies4 ,the theoretical capacity of the ,western ,railroad is a fruitful subject for speculations and array of figures1 but facts and demonstrated truths are what practical men wish to deal with4 ,a comparison of the ,tunnel and ,western lines is of no significance1 when both are urgently needed4 ,in #ahdg1 when the ,western ,road was opened to ,albany1 it transported from ,albany to ,boston #hh1dch tons of freight1 and last year1 only #hg1bed tons1 #aahd tons less4 ,yet in #ahdg it had no double track1 and in #ahfe it had #aaf miles of double track4 ,the greatest tonnage was #aaf1bhh1 in #ahfd3 and that same year1 #ehh1bjg tons of through ,eastward freight arrived at ,albany and ,troy1 and the total amount to those two points was #c1hff1jbe2 nearly three fourths of which was transported on the ,erie canal1 an institution which is entirely left out of ,mr4 ,bird's calculations4 ,more than six million tons of freight were brought from the ,west last year to the ,hudson river4 ,of this vast amount only a little more than one sixtieth found its way to ,boston over the ,western ,road4 ,in #ahfd1 #dga1iai tons of freight were transported from ,albany and ,troy to ,boston by the circuitous routes we have mentioned4 ,mr4 ,bird makes a calculation that the capacity of the ,western ,road can be so increased1 by finishing the double track1 increasing the rolling stock and adding special auxiliary force to draw its freight trains up the steep grades1 that it can bring #a1gig1abj tons of freight in a year4 ,it may be presumed that he means both local and through freight4 ,but his calculation is as baseless and flimsy as any of his numerous statistical bubbles which have already been pricked4 ,the best answer to his whole argument is contained in a memorial of the ,albany ,board of ,trade to our legislature1 with some extracts from which1 our review of this topic will be closed4 ,but a few more of ,mr4 ,bird's misrepresentations must first be exposed4 ,on page #ef he represents ,mr4 ,brooks as claiming that the whole through freight from the ,west to ,boston eight years hence1 will amount to #ddh1aja tons4 ,this estimate was made three years ago1 and the words eight years hence were used at that time1 and not now1 as ,mr4 ,bird represents4 ,on page #ej1 is a list of names purporting to have been taken from the original subscription list of stockholders in the ,troy and ,greenfield ,railroad4 ,mr4 ,otis ,clapp is represented as having subscribed #bjj in services2 and ,daniel ,s4 ,richardson's name is appended1 with ciphers and exclamation points4 ,the first of these misrepresentations has been exposed by ,mr4 ,clapp1 who writes to the ,boston ,advertiser that he never charged the company for any service1 nor was ever credited by them for services1 but that he did subscribe and pay #aaea4dc for stock of the road4 ,mr4 ,richardson also writes to the ,advertiser1 and mildly suggests that he was never in any way connected with the ,troy and ,greenfield ,railroad4 ,on page #ea1 ,e4 ,h4 ,derby is represented as being president of the ,fitchburg ,railroad a pure fabrication2 and ,alvah ,crocker as having large investments in the same road1 when its books show that at that time he owned but six shares of stock4 ,the truth is1 ,mr4 ,bird has no hesitation or scruple in using other people's names in the same manner as he uses figures and statistics in his calculations4 ,mr4 ,bird says lie never had any communication or correspondence with1 and never received a dollar from1 any person connected with the ,western ,railroad4 ,that may be2 but it is well known that ,mr4 ,d4 ,l4 ,harris1 president of the ,connecticut ,river ,railroad1 has been for years the fidus ,achates of ,mr4 ,bird in fighting the ,tunnel1 his colleague in the ,third ,house1 his companion at the ,hoosac ,mountain1 and the guide of his inexperienced feet in the wilderness of facts and speculations of civil engineering4 ,it is not so well known1 but nevertheless true1 that ,mr4 ,harris is made director and president of the ,connecticut ,river ,railroad by the influence and vote of ,chester ,w4 ,chapin1 president of the ,western road4 ,his zeal in the service of his benefactor has been manifested by an active hostility to the ,tunnel1 as persistent and unscrupulous as that of ,mr4 ,bird2 and1 were it possible for that gentleman ever to act from other than disinterested motives1 or a sense of public duty1 his intimate relations with ,mr4 ,harris might justify a suspicion that the sinews of war might be supplied through that channel4 ,at all events1 we may be permitted to say that1 if these two men have organized and led the opposition to the ,tunnel every winter for the last ten years1 printed thousands and thousands of pamphlets1 and spent a considerable part of each year in the lobby1 and all this at their own cost1 from a sense of public duty1 then they have better deserved statues in front of the ,state ,house than ,webster or ,mann2 and the ,western ,railroad management is even meaner than it has been generally considered4 ,a corporation must indeed be without a soul1 which can look upon such sublime virtue1 and suffer it to pay its own expenses4 ,but enough of ,mr4 ,bird and his motives4 ,the statements we have made in regard to the necessity of a new route are1 in every particular fully confirmed by a memorial which has been recently addressed to our ,legislature from the ,albany ,board of ,trade1 through a committee of seven of their number4 ,the gentlemen comprising this board are not theorists1 but practical1 clear-headed and reliable business men1 who have been compelled by the urgent demands of yearly increasing business1 to appeal to the people of ,massachusetts for aid and relief4 ,from a table in their memorial1 it appears1 that1 while the increase1 during the last fifteen years1 of miles of railroad in eleven other ,states through which ,western products press to the seaboard1 averaged #afi per cent1 that of ,massachusetts was only #bf per cent4 ,but we proceed to quote from the memorial3-- ,twelve years of experience have convinced us that the ,western ,railroad is wholly inadequate to the prompt1 rapid and cheap transportation of the commodities so extensively consumed by the people of the ,new ,england ,states4 ,to illustrate the diversion of trade from the natural route to ,boston via ,albany1 occasioned by the incapacity of the ,western road to meet the wants of commerce1 we call your attention to the article of flour4 ,we collate our facts from reports of the ,boston ,board of ,trade and the official reports of the ,western ,railroad4 ,in #ahfe1 the ,western road1 according to its own report1 transported from ,albany and ,troy to ,boston1 one hundred and fifty thousand barrels less than it did in #ahdg1 nearly twenty years ago4 ,during the thirteen years1 including #ahdh and #ahfj1 the average of its transportation of this article1 per annum1 between the ,hudson and ,boston was #bhg1fih barrels4 ,for the same period1 there were received in ,boston1 via other and more circuitous routes1 an average per annum of #fgj1bcc barrels4 ,the next four years1 including #ahfa and #ahfd1 the average per annum by the ,western road was #egb1fcg barrels4 ,boston received from other routes an average1 per annum for the same period1 of #hbd1icg barrels4 ,now1 we hold that1 by the natural laws of trade1 most of this vast quantity of flour1 which reaches ,boston in these roundabout ways1 would have left the ,hudson river at ,albany and ,troy1 had the requisite facilities for a cheap and rapid transportation been afforded4 ,about one-fourth of the average quantity received in ,boston from other routes1 for the four years named above1 reached that place via the ,grand ,trunk ,railway and ,portland1 aggregating #ief1ide barrels4 ,taking ,detroit as the starting point1 the distance from there to ,boston via ,portland1 is #bbh miles greater than the route to ,boston via ,albany4 ,yet1 owing to the inadequate railroad facilities between ,albany and ,boston1 the consignors of this flour prefer to send it via ,portland1 and pay the charges on #bbh miles of additional distance4 ,what is true of the article of flour is equally true of all the staple commodities produced at the ,west and consumed by the ,new ,england ,states4 ,large quantities were last year turned aside at ,rochester and other points in our own ,state1 to say nothing of points west of ,buffalo1 and sent to ,boston and contiguous localities via the ,new ,york and ,erie ,railroad4 ,boston is even now receiving flour from ,albany1 ,troy and ,schenectady1 by way of ,rutland1 a distance of some fifty miles further than by the ,western road4 ,we have no words but of commendation for the noble work which your ,state is pushing with such energy to open a still shorter route to the ,hudson4 ,we have no feelings of jealousy toward the new route1 because it terminates in another city than ,albany2 a healthy rivalry will do more than moral suasion1 to wake up the old route from that lethargy which seems so near akin to death4 ,had the ,hoosac ,tunnel been completed twelve years ago1 we have reason to believe it probable that the people of ,massachusetts alone would have saved an amount in the way of cheap transportation1 nearly if not quite sufficient to equal its cost4 ,we have spoken more freely in this paper than might be considered becoming in us1 but for the fact that in the day of its need1 ,albany1 along with ,massachusetts1 came to the aid of the ,western ,railroad4 ,and now that we are suffering so much from its insufficiency to meet the public want1 we trust the presentation of these views and facts will not be regarded as obtrusive1 but rather as properly coming from those1 who1 with you1 aided to produce a common benefit1 and are now suffering with you from a common cause4 ,the cost of the whole work was estimated by the commissioners in their first report1 at #e1gai1ccj1 the estimate being based upon ordinary labor at one dollar a day1 and of materials at a corresponding rate4 ,nothing has yet occurred to invalidate this estimate1 excepting the advance of the cost of material and labor1 an incidental misfortune common to every public1 as well as private enterprise1 requiring labor and material1 which has been prosecuted during the last three years4 ,it is certain that these high rates will greatly decline1 perhaps nearly to their former level within a year2 but admitting that the ,commissioners' estimate should be swelled through these incidental causes to the sum of eight millions1 would such an increase of expense justify the abandonment of this great enterprise1 upon which so much has already been expended1 and at the very period in its progress when the most formidable obstacles in its way have been surmounted1 and its success become a certainty8 ,had the ,western ,railroad been utterly destroyed last year by a rebel raid1 as were some ,southern roads by the march of ,sherman1 or by any conceivable cause1 would the consideration of twenty-five1 or thirty1 or even forty millions1 prevent its being rebuilt at once8 ,why then should two millions stand in the way of the ,tunnel line1 which is now a greater necessity than the ,western road was at the time of its construction8 ,the time required to complete the work1 without the aid of machinery1 was estimated by the ,commissioners at eleven years and four months2 and with the aid of such machine drills and power as had already been applied with success at ,mt4 ,cenis1 at seven years and a half4 ,the work at ,mt4 ,cenis was commenced in #aheg1 and up to ,july1 #ahfa1 #badb feet had been excavated by hand labor2 the machine drills were then applied1 and the ,italian government has recently announced that the work will be finished by the close of the year #ahgj4 ,it will be seven and a half miles long4 ,the ,hoosac ,tunnel will be about four and a half miles long1 and at the present time it has been excavated #dfge feet1 and shafts have been sunk to the depth of #ege feet4 ,the machine drills will be applied in a few days2 but they are drills which will do twice1 and possibly three times the work of those at ,mt4 ,cenis4 ,to the sound judgment1 energy1 and untiring perseverance of ,mr4 ,brooks1 and the inventive genius and skill of ,mr4 ,stephen ,f4 ,gates1 of ,boston1 and ,mr4 ,charles ,burleigh1 of ,fitchburg1 belongs the credit of perfecting a pneumatic drill1 by means of which our great tunnel will be completed much within the time named by the ,commissioners1 and with a reduction of their estimate of its cost by hand labor of several hundred thousand dollars4 ,we have seen this drill operated by compressed air1 at the rate of two hundred blows a minute1 each blow given with a force of more than five hundred pounds1 cut an inch and a quarter hole in a block of ,hoosac rock1 thirty-eight inches in thirteen minutes1 without changing its points4 ,its superiority over the ,mt4 ,cenis drill consists in its lightness1 automatic feed1 and smaller size4 ,the ,mt4 ,cenis drill is eight feet long1 and weighs six hundred pounds1 and the whole machine moves forward in feeding4 ,the ,hoosac drill is four feet long1 weighs two hundred and eight pounds1 and can be handled by two men4 ,in feeding1 the drill alone advances1 and in such manner as to accommodate itself to any kind of rock it may encounter1 whether hard or soft4 ,its points are sharpened in a die by half a dozen blows of the hammer4 ,it will do the work of twenty men2 and1 finally1 sixteen of them can be applied to a surface upon which only nine of the ,mt4 ,cenis drills can be used4 ,the operation of this drill has already been witnessed by hundreds of persons1 among them machinists1 engineers1 and stone masons1 and not one of them entertains a doubt that it will do all which is claimed for it by the inventors4 ,but the carriages are nearly ready1 and these little machines will shortly be put to their work4 ,the friends of the ,tunnel have no fears of the result4 99 99 99 99 99 ,massachusetts has always led her sister ,states4 ,at the call to arms1 her sons have been first in the field1 and first to die for the common good4 ,her schools and colleges1 her institutions of charity1 and her statutes have furnished models for the new states of the great ,west1 and for foreign republics4 ,in her manufactures and mechanic arts1 in the products of her inventive genius1 in maritime enterprise1 in the building of canals and railroads1 and in every undertaking to develop the resources and promote the prosperity of the country1 she has been first and foremost4 ,with so proud a record1 and with almost exhaustless means at her command1 we do not believe our noble state is yet ready to abandon the lead2 nor that the consideration of a few millions of dollars will prevent her from breaking down the barrier which divides us from the ,west1 and by which the great stream of ,western traffic has been so long checked and diverted4 ,rather let us trust that1 by wise legislation1 a liberal policy1 and a cordial support of the gentlemen to whom the conduct of this enterprise is entrusted1 the great work of ,de ,witt ,clinton will be perfected1 and the noble design of ,loammi ,baldwin executed1 by the completion of the ,hoosac ,tunnel1 before it shall be announced from ,sardinia that the ,alps are pierced and ,france and ,italy have joined hands under the ,grand ,vallon4