ural levels. But the
opposition of the landowners having forced the line more to the south, it
was rendered necessary to cut through the hills, and go over the high
grounds instead of round them. The first consequence of this alteration
in the plans was the necessity for constructing a tunnel under the town
of Liverpool 1.5 mile in length; the second, a long and deep cutting
through the red-sandstone rock at Olive Mount; and the third and most
serious of all, was the necessity for surmounting the Whiston and Sutton
hills by inclined planes of 1 in 96. The line was also, by the same
forced deviation, prevented passing through the Lancashire coal-field,
and the engineer was compelled to carry it across the Sankey valley, at a
point where the waters of the brook had dug out an excessively deep
channel through the marl-beds of the district.

The principal difficulty was experienced in pushing on the works
connected with the formation of the tunnel under Liverpool, 2200 yards in
length. The blasting and hewing of the rock were vigorously carried on
night and day; and the engineer's practical experience in the collieries
here proved of great use to him. Many obstacles had to be encountered
and overcome in the formation of the tunnel, the rock varying in hardness
and texture at different parts. In some places the miners were deluged
by water, which surged from the soft blue shale found at the lowest level
of the tunnel. In other places, beds of wet sand were cut through; and
there careful propping and pinning were necessary to prevent the roof
from tumbling in, until the masonry to support it could be erected. On
one occasion, while the engineer was absent from Liverpool, a mass of
loose moss-earth and sand fell from the roof, which had been
insufficiently propped. The miners withdrew from the work; and on
Stephenson's return, he found them in a refractory state, refusing to
re-enter the tunnel. He induced them, however, by his example, to return
to their labours; and when the roof had been secured, the work went on
again as before. When there was danger, he was always ready to share it
with the men; and gathering confidence from his fearlessness, they
proceeded vigorously with the undertaking, boring and mining their way
towards the light.

[Picture: Olive Mount Cutting]

The Olive Mount cutting was the first extensive stone cutting executed on
any railway, and to this day it is one of the m