
The digging of the railroad tunnel Begun in 1851, it wasn’t finished until 1875. During those twenty-four years, hundreds of miners, using mostly crude black powder and pick and shovel, chipped away at the unyielding rock of Hoosac Mountain. By the time the tunnel was finished, two hundred men had lost their lives in what came to be known as “the bloody pit.” Most died in explosions, fires, and drownings, but one death may not have been accidental. In 1865, the explosive nitroglycerin was introduced to America and used for the first time in the construction of the Hoosac Tunnel. The tunnel is 4.75 miles and is an active railroad. This is located in North Adams Massachusetts.