Riot in the Tunnels

Riot in the Tunnels. . , One of the first projects on the Pacific Railroad was the construction of the first tunnels west of the Mississippi River , the Barretts Tunnels , one of which is currently located on the Museum of Transportation's grounds, about 13 miles west of the city of St. Louis., Working conditions on the tunnels were difficult and dangerous. Living conditions were not much better. The men built their own "shanty" homes that were flimsy enough to move as they progressed in construction. The limited Irish workforce that labored on the tunnels was further compromised when cholera , a disease induced by unsanitary conditions , especially polluted drinking water , spread through camps. Management operated under the mistaken idea that cholera could be prevented by alcoholic beverages. Therefore, the Pacific kept the men supplied with "whisky, brandy and beer." The men were not saved from cholera, but were more susceptible to drunken disorderly behavior., Misery and intoxication most likely played a role in the riot that occurred in December 1852 and early January 1853. According to newspaper accounts, workers on two different sections of the tunnels had begun warring against one another. In the process, two men were killed instantly and many others injured by the gunfire. The "riot" was in retaliation for the beating of a single laborer. The exact reason why he was beaten is unknown.