The Hoosac Tunnel

In addition to the Burleigh drill, the next most impressive implementation of technology in blasting of the Hoosac Tunnel involved nitroglycerin. In 1866, Thomas Doane imported a liquid and unstable explosive called trinitroglycerin, which is called nitroglycerin in America. His decision to think outside of the box and import the substance changed many aspects of the tunneling process. The Hoosac Tunnel was the first location where the explosive was used in the United States, and it became an integral part of the blasting process since it could blow up higher quantities of rock than black powder. One might say that the length of the tunnel proved to be challenging because of the amount of nitroglycerin needed to complete the project would
With the ability to set off bigger explosions from a further distance, safety became a topic of concern because of the explosive which not only included the popular nitroglycerin, but less temperamental substances of dualin and dynamite. Due to the long distance of the Hoosac Tunnel, the escape options of bad explosion were limited and could result in causalities, which is why the electrical blasting became an important part of the process. The primary cause of deaths were, ‘hanging fires’ which occurred when “…the tape fuse failed to ignite the charge…” and once miners would warily return to find out why the fuse did not blow, they were arriving just in time for a delayed explosion; the electrical detonation and nitroglycerin were supposed to prevent similar situations from occurring. Although it may not appear as though worker safety was a primary concern, the technological advancements sought to alleviate the total number of
However, the advancement of tunneling can be attributed specifically to this project and it has become an American symbol for technological advancement. Researching the antiquated methods that workers and engineers used to penetrate and excavate the rock, such as black powder and hand drilling, proved to be an eye-opening experience, especially when visiting and viewing pictures of the completed project. The invention of the Burleigh drill and the implementation of nitroglycerin changed the entire process of tunneling which also helped improve worker safety and conditions. Moreover, the political and financial crises that were experienced throughout the construction delayed completion, but when the tunnel was finished, there would be no doubt that the final product was worth it. Poet Oliver Wendell Holmes summarizes the overwhelming project wonderfully which greatly supports the magnitude of the entire