The Tunnel
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- Опубліковано 12 бер 2021
- The Tunnel is a new 35-minute documentary film about the creation and the re-creation of the Blue Ridge Railroad Tunnel. In the 1850s, Irish immigrants dug this nearly mile-long tunnel. Many of them were maimed or even died. The story also examines the role of enslaved Black railroad workers. In 1944 the tunnel was closed. But in 2020, it was re-opened to the public as a remarkable historic site and tourist attraction.
I was so happy to discover this exceptionally well produced documentary.
I grew up in Greenwood, a community nearby. I remember, early one morning my father took my twin brother and me (we were just 5 or 6 at the time, and I believe it was about 1958) to Staunton where he loaded onto a train and left us there alone. Turns out, we were told, before the train departed, it was the last time that steam locomotive would run from Staunton to Charlottesville and Dad wanted us kids to experience the last of a bygone era. He got in his car and drove all the way to Charlottesville to pick us up. He arrived before we did. For years and throughout my adult life, I thought the train had gone through the old tunnel but, now that I've seen this documentary, it must have been the new one.
My most memorable part of the journey was rolling through a small community, next to the track, about a mile or two from the tunnel toward Charlottesville, called New Town. It's still there today and I would not hesitate to say the original settlers must have been some of the negro slaves who built the 17 miles of railroad from the tunnel to Crozet. Our nanny named Adelaide and her husband Sam (I think their last name was Stone) lived in a little cabin up on a hill above the tracks. Every morning either my mother or or father would drive up a long dirt road from our farm, "Longhouse,"' which is still there and includes Misty Mountain Camp Resort to New Town to pick her up and bring her down to the farm. The day we rode the train she was out near the tracks, waving to us as we went by. That was one memory I have never forgotten. My brother and I loved Adelaide like a mother.
The most recent memory I'll never forget of this tunnel was just last week. when I, still a runner at 71, ran through the tunnel. It was the morning after rain and all the waterfalls on the rocky Piedmont side were flowing. It was beautiful and spectacular.
This is why I love You tube, I can get to see places around the world, and never leave my seat. great days.
Yep same here, I also use Google earth to see other twons and villages around the globe, even noticed a fault on front of a building, managed to let the owner know about the fault, go an invitation to come visit, but on the other side of the world, yeah is super eh.
Yeah, "Sorry to bother you mate, I was on Google Maps and couldnt help notice your lawn needs cutting" LOL!
@@patrickhouston2610 wow!
@@petemoss8625 😆
@@patrickhouston2610 thats cool, what did they say?
I am still letting this little film sink in, what a gem of a find. Well done. The production was superb, and the actual history behind the tunnel got me tearing up in no time. Thank you for this. Call PBS and let this be aired. The entire country needs to watch this film. Well done, indeed.
If you know a teacher you could tell them it would be good to show in class
Both comments are great 👍
We just visited the tunnel and looked up the documentary after coming back home. How awesome it is to go in it and then hear the story!
I clicked on this thinking it might be a short movie, but it is so much better than that. So well produced, that it really draws one into what the times were like, and the conditions that the Irish worked under. So well balanced and animated by input from the local Irish societies, it is inspiring that this re-opening project was undertaken. Thank you!
The dispensability of the Irish workers struck a chord. When slaves were too expensive to risk losing, they turned back to replacing loses with more Irish, who were no doubt waiting in line for the next job opening. No one was demanding compensation from across the sea for lost sons and fathers.
Here in western Canada, it was Chinese workers pushing the rails through the mountains, with similar fatalities and injuries. All those worked so hard out of desperation deserve recognition, but get little.
So as the western and southwest united state...chinese were being treated badly,discriminated even till now and not much being appreciated than those other races
@@qborne The Chinese and Irish were paid for their labor. Slaves were considered a commodity and were auctioned off like all other commodities. Most importantly they worked for no pay, making their owners millionaires. While Chinese and Irish were prospering for their labor, slaves were used to amass the nation's wealth that exist today; free labor.
@@nasilamak2201 you totally miss the point
@@qborne My point surrounds when this tunnel was built. Everyone was getting paid except slaves.
@@nasilamak2201 the Chinese were given only enough to feed themselves. They did not have the opportunity to make money to save. So, really they risked their lives far more than the slaves, for no more benefits.
I love this. We saved our tunnel here in Tunnel Hill Georgia. The preservation story is SO familiar with all the "brick walls" encountered on restoring the tunnel. We had IRISH workers and stonecutters, the NEW tunnel only 40 feet away , bought rights from CSX and had to drain water and build up the floor for public use. This is a historic tunnel also for this is the only tunnel on the old Western and Atlantic line where the " Great Locomotive Chase" came through. It's 1,477 feet long and was only of 1/4" of in the center when the two working parties met in the middle. So that's why I LOVE this story!! Thank you for posting it. I'm also a railroad nut and there's another reason I love this along side of my Irish ancestry.
So glad you enjoyed it!
I’ve walked through it, it’s so surreal, you lose all light except the tiny bit at the end, the sounds of water dripping, it’s amazing!
The attentiveness of the students is fantastic.
Those kids dancing in the tunnel, that made me cry, tears of sadness, tears of joy.
Exceptional photography throughout this documentary. Photos may only be paper representations, but these photos captured the essence of the tunnel and its surroundings. Great design and brickwork around the openings - nothing like this in modern day construction.
What a wonderful documentary. I am 81yrs and will never get to see this live. Very fun to experience even on video.
Paris
I'm so grateful I stumbled upon this video! I had never heard of this tunnel, this history until watching this. Sending infinite gratitude and love to all who originally created this tunnel, to all who were part of the restoration and to all who continue to preserve and share this beautiful piece of history...and to all who produced this amazing video❤
It got my attention when Mr. Heivly mentioned that his father was an O'Brien. So was my mom, and she was inordinately proud of her Irish heritage.
Most common name in Ireland!….millions of them
The entry of the tunnel is so reminiscent of the St Louis Arch. Another gateway into another world. Great work on this video!
yeah phew! what would humanity have done if that arch wasnt done! close call there, boy
According to the video the tunnel used an elliptical arch and the Gateway in St. Luis uses a catenary arch, so technically not quite, but I made that same connection. I was surprised when the video said it was an elliptical arch because I was already convinced it was like the Gateway Arch.
Great to see them trying to preserve this, so much industrial and civil engineering heritage has been lost.
Luckily a lot was eventually found in my Grammas couch cushions.
I’ve watched as true treasures were knocked down, we took all the beautiful old hand fired tile off a one old water/power station before the state destroyed it, & had a rabid leftist board member tried her hardest to sic the dogs on us to confiscate all of it out of the homes we installed it in to just destroy every trace & have us all jailed for daring to have a different opinion about the past, old crone managed to get herself removed from office over this, learned at a young age a whole bunch a lessons just trying to do what we knew was right
@@aloysiusflartey6122 I'm not going to try and say its good but its not Americas shame alone and its certainly not the past either, these things are status quo in other parts of the world and hopefully standards will improve there too.
Preserving the structure and having the tours, historians and educators keeps the actual memory of the men alive rather than just names on a Monument.
What a fantastic story regarding a slice of history lost in plain sight, to be able to journey through the Tunnel I imagine would be very awe-inspiring and almost humbling experience. This story was so wonderfully put together with the Music and Videography playing perfectly together, almost at times giving the true feeling of being back there in the day. I like most who have watched this I imagine, look forward to now being able to one day trek through the Blue Ridge to the light on the other side.
Thank you so much for preserving our state and national history. It makes me feel good to see restoration of history instead of all the destruction and hate for American monuments and landmarks that are taking place every were. You can't erase and change what is still here to see and feel.
What a beautiful story! You bring the people who worked and died there back to life. Well done! :-)
Wow, clicked on this to watch for a few minutes.....next thing I realize is that the video is over and it has been 35 minutes. Great story.
Beautiful Documentary, thanks to all who worked on it. Truly an amazing story.
UA-cam at 1 AM gives me the lore of the world I want to visit this place
The background music really adds something to this documentary. You sense the suffering of the Irish laborers forced to endure such harsh working conditions. If I had been forced to listen to the shrill dirge of that horrible tin whistle every day, I would have been praying for a premature detonation or a rock-fall to put me out of my misery.
Beautiful homage to the common man that did the hard work back then
Beautiful documentary on a forgotten piece of history.
Amazing that they could align the two halves of the tunnel so accurately with the technology of the era.
Yeah something about this story doesn't add up
Greetings from Glasgow, Scotland.
Oh my goodness. What a wonderful little film.
Thank you ALL for recognising the sheer hard work and sacrifice that went into building this tunnel.
What an amazing project 😍
Thank you so much Alison Lee!
Beautiful thanks! A true magical experience and wonderful project in hopes of educating a generation of young Americans to their awesome Irish heritage!
Those tunnels already existed wake up
That made my day and pressed most of my buttons of interest. Quit emotional as well when you think of the human component. Thanks to all for their solid commitment.
A really well done documentary that deserves to be broadcast. Looking forward to walking the tunnel, and when I do, it will be with a greater appreciation for its construction and those who worked so hard in its creation. Thank you for this fine work.
Beautifully written and recored window into history. We'll done, thank you.
A heartfelt and sensitive vision becomes an inspiring reality. Well done!
What a great video! This really is a piece of history that should be shared with all our children!
I really enjoyed this, I had no idea. So much history out there I am happy that this was not lost to nature.
The Amtrak Cardinal goes through a tunnel next to this one. Thanks for bringing this history to life.
That newer tunnel is next to the old one in a horizontal direction, but below it in a vertical one to make the grade less steep. It is also shorter in length, as a much deeper cut was made on the Shenandoah Valley side. The shape of the Crozet tunnel was the most efficient way to build it in terms of both safety from collapse, as well as minimizing the volume of rock removed. It is either a parabolic or catenary curve in cross section, well suited for early steam locomotives with tall smokestacks.
@@charlesyoung7436 Gives the exhaust gases a place to go as the train passes, too.
We have lots of disused railway tunnels here in the UK,some real long and some opened up as cycle paths.
I would love a ride along the Monsal Trail
Amazing how the disease of the humble potatoes , the potato blight in Ireland over several years caused the hardship and mass migration around the world. The Irish took their skills and changed the face of all the continents they went to. With no crop failure the world might look different.
Wait until the next major crop failure might happen. Do you really think we are better prepared for this?
@@hansjorgkunde3772 The truth: The English starved the Irish out
Up to now, the popular theory is that the Irish were promiscuous, slothful, and excessively dependent on the potato. As a result they died by the hundreds of thousands when a blight appeared and ruined their food source, in the midst of one of the fastest economic growth periods in human history.
Was the Potato Famine an ecological accident, as historians usually say? Like most famines, it had little to do with declines in food production as such. Adam Smith was right that "bad seasons" cause "dearth," but "the violence of well-intentioned governments" can convert "dearth into famine."
In fact, the most glaring cause of the FAMINE WAS NOT A PLANT DISEASE, but England's long-running political hegemony over Ireland. The English conquered Ireland, several times, and took ownership of vast agricultural territory. Large chunks of land were given to Englishmen.
These landowners in turn hired farmers to manage their holdings. The managers then rented small plots to the local population in return for labor and cash crops. Competition for land resulted in high rents and smaller plots, thereby squeezing the Irish to subsistence and providing a large financial drain on the economy.
Land tenancy can be efficient, but the Irish had no rights to the land they worked or to any improvements they might make. Only in areas dominated by Protestants did tenant farmers have any rights over their capital improvements. With the landlords largely residing in England, there was no one to conduct systematic capital improvements.
The Irish suffered from many famines under English rule. Like a boxer with both arms tied behind his back, the Irish could only stand and absorb blow after blow. It took the "many circumstances" of English policy to create the knockout punch and ultimate answer to the Irish question.
mises.org/library/what-caused-irish-potato-famine
@@sevensistersclassicmovies6226 death by famine is a well known method of any totalitarian system. In the Soviet Union 8 million Ukrainians died because all food was required and transported to Russia. Stalins revenge for Ukrainians cooperating with Germany during the war.
Beautiful with respect paid to the tough Irish immigrants who built this. That overwhelming feeling of awe and kinship you can’t quite put your finger on when you are standing in the midst of a piece of history, I like to believe, is that you can feel the thoughts and emotions they experienced, a piece of the spirits of the people who built it, that seeped into the walls as they labored, stored there silently until someone who can appreciate it comes through and feels it also
Great job! So glad the film is out.
Thanks Sarah!
Momma was from Dalton, so we heard about the Blue Ridge tunnel and how hard it was,, and it was still running in the 60's,,, used often,, loved to go to the Blue Ridge mountains and sit up top and watch the 'smoke' come in,,, the fog and dew in the morning, as the sun rose,, was absolutely beautiful!!!,,
Amazing job, well done to all involved. great to see such an important part of history preserved.
In 1999 there was a crew of pipefitters who were renovating an AC system in a hospital in. Columbia SC. They would always play their WV original folk music during lunch break, as they did on every job, and never with an audience, other than crews who were always working. The temperature would be over 120 degrees because of technical requirements of high pressure steam. This is another of many interesting features in the lives of "The Deplorables".
Amazing story! Would love to see it some day. Used to drive this way for years visiting my daughter in Virginia and never knew it existed!
So well done. Glad to learn about some local history. Keep doing what you do and God bless
Wonderful film, completely captured the atmosphere and harsh realities of that time.
This country owes much to the Irish and Africans, not to mention the Native Americans who were here before us all..
6:19 Photography skills: Next level.
Well done documentary. I am so grateful to live nearby this great treasure.
GREAT Fiddler at the end! Beautiful version of the air "The Blackbird":)
Oh, thanks for the name of the tune.
She was hot, too!
Magnificent history indeed.
America NEEDS to invest in it's History. Or we lose our identity. I'm Irish from the O'Connor and my children are Boyne. I'm also MacCrae from Scotland and Eilian Donnan. I love love love these stories.
Thank you for preserving the tunnel and the history, both good and bad, behind it. Amazing piece of work.
Awesome history lesson. Can’t wait to visit the tunnel!
Imagine the history of this tunnel if only tunnels could talk imagine the history they would be able to tell
@wattfreakennzi -:-
Don’t smoke? The tunnels one regret.
l
The Tunnel should be reopened so that future generations will hopefully learn from history and experience it for themselves.
Maybe WATCH the video OR at least READ the description.
Video says it opened in 2020 .
Those kids are just adorable, love it.
I loved the dancing with those arms held still. Old school.
I did the tunnel walk yesterday not knowing any of the history. I wish I could have watched this excellent documentary before. I think the walk would have been much enriched with reverence for the people who gave so much, even their lives, to build the tunnel and those who worked to restore it 150 years later. I definitely will do at the walk again with a deeper sense of understanding.
I loved the curiosity of the children and also their musical contribution in the video. I can't imagine a better field trip for school children to take today. Thank you.
Lovely film. Thank you for sharing this!
Absolutely Amazing Experience walked through it yesterday. You can actually feel the 🌡 change in the summer heat and feel the 50 degrees F rushing out of the tunnel there is fresh spring water in the tunnel. It amazes me that this tunnel was built it reminds me of the hoover damn marvel. Bring a 🔦 1 mile long darkness. I hope the men who lost there lives building the tunnel are honored properly the irish settlers and African americans.
This is fabulous! Beautiful and full of information - and great music...
Thank you Margie!
John Denver's chewing on a piece of grass somewhere in the astral realm right now hearing this wonderful lady speak!
Yaaaaaaa, drugs ar bad MK? Just say no
We saw this the other day. Really cool inside it, very cool to see the history of it.
Brilliant. Many Thanks...
What a great story. We only live about 3 hours away, so I can tell you, we will be visiting The Tunnel. Thank you for a wonderful documentary.
It is so awesome these great people came together to bring this tunnel back into view. Thank You!!
I walked this tunnel today, coming from the east entrance, and it was incredible! We were on a trip and saw a sign and thought we would stop. Amazing and creepy. So cold inside. Take two flashlights and a jacket! Got some fantastic pictures at both entrances inside.
Excellent production, thanks for sharing.
Excellent documentary well told. When you think of the technology and equipment we have today compared to what they had. The tunnel an amazing achievement. A lot of blood sweat tears and death went to make it so. The conditions they encountered must have been horrendous but this was nothing to the land the left behind. A land of poverty sickness death and hopelessness 😭😭.
Excellent documentary! Glad this ended up on my feed, esp since I love this sort of thing :)
That's the good side of UA-cam's AI.
@@KutWrite q!
Great Documentary. We often take for granted the effort and the sacrifices of the men that built this country.
Now, people take these things works for granted. But we need to remember these efforts and appreciate them.
I have never heard of the Blue ridge tunnel. Tho I have heard of the blue ridge mountains of Virginia, the trail of the lonesome pines. Laurel & hardy. You are true stardom ....x
I'm austruck of not only the engineering but the surveying it took to accomplish this.
A beautiful tunnel. I visited this tunnel with my family today. A wonderful experience.
Mary Lyon was mentioned in this video. Is she from Massachusetts? Founder of Mt. Holyoke College?
In my area we have the Hoosic Tunnel. Completed in 1877. Two hundred workers in the twenty four year construction. First practical use of nitro glycerin. The tunnel is 4-3/4 miles long. It’s still the gateway to the west for trains in the northeast. It has a ventilation shaft 12 feet in diameter and 1028 feet from tunnel floor to the mountains summit. A building houses a giant fan that pulls train exhaust out of the tunnel. It’s called central shaft. A building on top of the shaft caught fire during the construction. The burning Timbers and equipment fell on 13 men who were 600 feet of the way to the bottom and were killed. The shaft quickly filled with water and the bodies were not recovered for a year. Then the shaft was completed. Finally both ends of the tunnel met, the error was only 9/16 of an inch. Still revered as a great engineering feet.
Check out the Hoosic Tunnel on UA-cam!
Few are aware of the influence of Claudius Crozet on the evolution of American military engineering in the early 19th Century.
Born in France and a graduate of the École Polytechnique in Paris, he served as an officer under Napoléon I during his invasion of Russia (1812). Fortunate to survive that devastating campaign, during which legions of Napoleon’s soldiers died of starvation, freezing, and disease during the great retreat of napoleon’s army during the winter of 1812. Arriving in the United States, Crozet became a professor of mathematics at West Point, and later the president of the Board of Visitors of the then-fledgling Virginia Military Institute on its founding in 1839.
Crozet Hall, the cadet dining hall at VMI today is named in his memory. His burial site is immediately in front of the dining hall, an unfortunate juxtaposition which has given rise over the years to various questions as to the lethality of the cuisine… :)
Hoosac tunnel was also started in 1850 and had lot of terrible accidents. Total killed were 196 in the Hoosac construction. Similar time and probably building methods to the Blue Ridge.
Ya they say that one is haunted af!
NOTHING IS MORE DEPRESSING THAN abandoning a Railroad tunnel that was created with so much effort...!
Absolutely love this video!
great piece of history. thankyou
This will be on my intinerary now, when I visit Skyline Drive next month. Didn't know this existed before this video. Thank you!
Awesome video. It brought tears in my eyes.
Excellent documentary well told!
Definitely a must see and do. I hiked through it last year. Need to bring a flashlight as it’s pitch black dark inside.
On my bucket list.
I just love the fiddle at the end, well done to all those who put themselves forward for the restoration of this wonderful piece of history, thank you from Eire.
So proud of my Irish heritage!
Beautifully done!
Sad part is it took longer for them to reopen the tunnel then it took to build it in the first place
Thank God they succeeded, now it is a reality!
I wouldn't doubt that at all,,,,,,, lol,,,
Anyone who has repaired old equipment can testify how difficult it can be working on something with serious problems . When it was built the amount of government regulation was laughably small by comparison to now , and I 'll wager no lives were lost in the restoration either .
@@biketech60 true
@@biketech60 I'm glad I work in my safe place,,,,,,
29:00 I love the Ghost foggy entrance 💀👀
Yes sir is the=place haunted?
Love this! Reminds me so much of The Waltons program!
Lord rest all those who suffered or perished on the project, may they rest in the gentle arms of our Lord.
My real name is Michael McCluskey. My mother's family was the O'Grady. I was born in upper Manhattan, NYC on May 3rd, 1954. After some research I found that grand parents were born here in the USA, and all my other ancestors came from Ireland. I'm of 100% Irish blood. I don't know if any of them were down south.
Michael, were you born in Inwood? My wife was born and raised in Inwood, lastly in Parl Terrace.
You’re related to the singer of Jump Around…. Jumppp aroounnnd!.
@@russnixon6020 No I was born in St Elizabeth Hospital in Hudson Hgts. It was at 689 Ft Washington Ave. It closed in the 1970's and has been converted to co-op apartments
@@eduardoyap4740 I don't think I have any relation to the singer
Be de holy jasus, this is a great documentary...."To be sure, to be sure".
Cool video thanks and really like the music 🎶from Scotland
FABULOUS!
Thanks David!
We know our Irish Family history to 912 AD. Our family farm was established in 1847 in up state NY. A hard life that created hard working, hard playing people. We are part of Clan Kelly.
crazy when you think about it, 8 years to dig a tunnel with primitive equipment 14 years to restore it with modern equipment.
It’s 14 years because they’re most likely union workers,
3 laborers 4 supervisors and 2 site managers
🙄😉🤷🏻♂️😂😂😂😂😂
😉😂😂😂😂😂😂
Of course I expect the death rate will be juuuuust a little lower.
Most of that was just red tape, paperwork, and fundraising. The trails / trailheads could have been completed in a few months.
Thank you!
We use to go up there and party when I was in High School
Maybe you left a mark that's still there!
great place to get stoned! I did, in the Oregon Caves! LOTS! ; )
... There are stories in them rocks!
yes you and Optimus Ween
Great story well told
Wow this is only two hours from me! I had no idea something like this was up there, but it doesn’t surprise me - the blue ridge mountains, AT, etc are beautiful and mysterious. Tons of history in that region (and there’s no history quite like railroad history!)