Clann Mhór
West Portal, State of the Brick Today
West Portal, Augusta County
East Portal, Nelson County
Where Brick Arching Meets Rock, West Portal
East Portal of Blue Ridge Tunnel Today
Looking out of the Western Portal
Blue Ridge Tunnel 1944, former Blue Ridge Tunnel
The Blue Ridge Tunnel (1944) is located on the left, and Crozet’s original tunnel is located on the right.
Location: 121 miles W. of Richmond
Dates of Construction: 1850-1858
Length: 4, 281 ft.
Grade: 75 ft. per mile
Width in clear: 16 ft.
Height: 21 ft.
Length of Arching: Of 4, 281 feet of its length, 797 ft. (18.6 %) had been arched in 3 separate and detached lengths. Starting at the E. portal, 2, 792 ft. were not arched, then 272 ft. arched; next a 20-ft. section not arched followed by a 42-foot arch; next, not arched for 672 ft.; and finally, 483 ft. arched to the west portal.
Single Track: yes
Material encountered: Primary slates with epidotic trap.
Remarks: C. Crozet, Chief Engineer; A. M. Dupuy, T. J. Randolph, and D. Shanahan, Assistant Engineers; Kelly & Larguey, Contractor. Price of labor, previous to 1856: Common labor=$1.12 ½ to $1.25 per day; miners=$1.50; Bricklayers=$2.00; foreman=$3.
Primary Source References:
We were suddenly taken by surprise by the eruption of a large vein of water, for which we were obliged to take hands from their work, and set them to pumping, until we could obtain machinery for the same purpose, working by horsepower. This circumstance has been repeated several times during the year, successive veins of water having been encountered, until the body of water we have now to keep down amounts to no less than probably one and a half hogshead per minute---ninety hogshead per hour.
Report of Nov. 8, 1853; 38th Annual Report, Board of Public Works
Library of Congress