Cave-in at the Moffat Tunnel

Cave-Ins, Costs, and Catastrophe: Struggles at the Moffat Tunnel in January 1925

Explore the dramatic events of January 1925 at the Moffat Tunnel, where cave-ins, soaring costs, and a tragic fatality tested engineering limits.

Moffat Tunnel Construction Happenings from 100 Years Ago

January 1925 brought no shortage of challenges for the Moffat Tunnel construction, particularly at the West Portal, where the soft ground proved to be the most persistent obstacle.

The first major incident of the year occurred on January 16th, when a cave-in near cross-cut number 3 caused significant disruption. Engineer Clifford A. Betts described the event, stating: “The cave-in was due to the soft geological formation, with which the drillers have been battling since the work started. It forced out partly-placed timbers and braces, filling the tunnel so solidly that it takes a week to move the debris.”

Fortunately, no one was injured, but the collapse, which occurred approximately 2,734 feet from the West Portal entrance, underscored the immense pressure and instability of the terrain. In some areas, the lateral pressure was so severe that double timbering was necessary to stabilize the worksite.

Just days later, the financial realities of the project became clear. Rising timbering and construction costs, compounded by the extent of the unforeseen soft ground at the West Portal, created a financial shortfall that appeared unavoidable. Newspapers reported: “The $6,720,000 bond issue authorized for the work [on the Moffat Tunnel] will be inadequate.” By January 1925, slightly more than half of the authorized funds had already been spent, yet only one-third of the tunnel was completed.

Despite these challenges, there was cautious optimism. Officials noted that approximately one-fourth of the expenses had been invested in the camp and construction plants, which were expected to sustain operations for the duration of the project and offer salvage value upon completion. Still, the ongoing issues at the West Portal had already resulted in an “unforeseen expenditure of between $300,000 and $400,000, and which still continues, increasing costs and retarding the progress of the tunnel.”

To address the immense pressure and soft conditions, Oregon fir was used for the main timbering, while native lodgepole pine was employed in less pressurized areas, such as headings and bores.

The challenges of January took a tragic turn on January 22nd, when a cave-in claimed the life of Joseph Grusser, a 34-year-old mucker. The incident occurred at 5 o’clock, approximately 6,150 feet from the tunnel’s entrance, in what was described as “the most dangerous spot in the Moffat Tunnel due to the nature of the rock, a seamed granite and the softest material yet encountered in the workings.”

Grusser and several others were placing new props at the tunnel face when they heard “a series of explosive cracks in the rock.” While most workers escaped in time, Grusser was buried under tons of soft rock and earth as he turned to flee. His fellow workers labored tirelessly for several hours with picks and shovels to recover his body.

Reports indicated that Grusser had “no living relatives,” and while newspapers initially claimed his death was the first fatality in the Moffat Tunnel project, this was incorrect. As previously reported, Rade Lekich was killed on May 22, 1924, at the East Portal when he was struck by switch cars. The discrepancy calls into question the accuracy of the widely reported figure of 28 fatalities during the tunnel’s construction, suggesting that the true number may have been miscounted or misrepresented. However, Grusser’s tragic passing marked the first recorded death associated with the West Portal efforts to bore the Moffat Tunnel.

Today, Grusser rests at Riverside Cemetery in Denver (Block 12, Lot 31, Sec 45). Tragically, his grave remains unmarked, a silent testament to a life lost and a sacrifice forgotten by history—yet remembered here, as we honor his story in this comprehensive, multi-year review of Moffat Tunnel history.

As construction efforts pressed on, technology became an essential ally. General Electric prominently advertised their contributions, stating: “General Electric mine locomotives are carrying out the rock [of the Moffat Tunnel], and G-E motors are driving air compressors and pumping water from underground rivers.” Adding to the month’s events, a curious claim about the tunnel appeared in the January 31, 1925 edition of The Holy Cross Trail: “You will see [that] the Moffatt [sic] Tunnel passes under a bottomless crater lake…. This lake is fed by eternal snows and has no outlet… why any corps of engineers would run a tunnel under a lake, is incomprehensible.”

January ended with a mix of progress and setbacks, but February 1925 would prove that the challenges of the Moffat Tunnel were only beginning. Deep beneath Colorado’s peaks, natural forces quietly built toward a reckoning, threatening to turn ambition into chaos. Stay tuned as nature reveals its hand in the months ahead.

Cave-in at the Moffat Tunnel

B. Travis Wright, MPS | Preserve Rollins Pass | January 26, 2025

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