This video reminds me of a poem by Bertolt Brecht which I heard in a video talking about the awful things migrant workers in the gulf countries go through, it’s called “Questions from a worker who reads” it goes: Who built Thebes of the 7 gates ? In the books you will read the names of kings. Did the kings haul up the lumps of rock ? And Babylon, many times demolished, Who raised it up so many times ? In what houses of gold glittering Lima did its builders live ? Where, the evening that the Great Wall of China was finished, did the masons go? Great Rome is full of triumphal arches. Who erected them ? Over whom did the Caesars triumph ? Had Byzantium, much praised in song, only palaces for its inhabitants ? Even in fabled Atlantis, the night that the ocean engulfed it, The drowning still cried out for their slaves. The young Alexander conquered India. Was he alone ? Caesar defeated the Gauls. Did he not even have a cook with him ? Philip of Spain wept when his armada went down. Was he the only one to weep ? Frederick the 2nd won the 7 Years War. Who else won it ? Every page a victory. Who cooked the feast for the victors ? Every 10 years a great man. Who paid the bill ? So many reports. So many questions.

"I drove out there at the break of dawn" "It's 11:26 am" 🤣🤣🤣

There are a lot of similar tunnels and shafts such as this in West Virginia. Old mining towns and derelict train tracks. It's interesting to explore.

This is the dark history of the railroad, but thank you for covering it. This is an amazing video, it covers both the good and bad of railroad history, something that is somewhat praised in America. Many people don't know the heart, sole, and body that went into the railroad back then. Thank you 🙏

We used to bike through old train tunnels like that in WI. They were a lot scarier at 8

Hannah Fry has a video on Numberphile about the math involved in digging tunnels like this. These guys in Virginia probably used the same technique that had been used for a couple thousand years.

This tunnel is less than an hour from my house. I have friends that live even closer in Crozet, a town named after the French engineer. You picked a good time to go, when we went there were so many tourists, and so many cell phone lights, the tunnel wasn't even dark. The best part about the whole tunnel is the bricks. I cannot believe how many bricks we're in that tunnel. It's good to hear the engineering side of the story, I wouldn't have guessed that this was built before Dynamite was invented. Great video Phil.

After travelling through some moderately wild natural tunnels I don't think I could ever find a built tunnel to be particularly scary, especially not one where you can see the light at the end! The only time I've truly been scared underground was crawling through a crack in the rock while deep underground (without the guide I would have never made it back to the entrance), as I squeezed through the gap I could feel the solid rock against my stomach and maybe 100 metres of solid rock above scrapping the clothes on my back. I just had to trust that the guide knew this wasn't a dead end. However I also once took someone who was afraid of heights up to a moderate height in a cherry picker (it was necessary for a job). That was when I truly understood that people experience fears of heights and depths differently, there is no way his fear wasn't genuine.

Minor point from an Irish perspective - the term "Potato Famine" is often used in the US. The failure of the potato crop was the trigger, but the famine was caused by exports of food (often under armed guard) to Britain. These exports never stopped at any time, even when millions were starving to death. The "Great Irish Famine" is a more appropriate term as it doesn't frame the famine solely in terms of one crop. Your video is fascinating. I missed an opportunity to go through a similar tunnel in France years ago. Really hope I get the opportunity to go back to it :)

As a corollary, it's a testament to good regulation and social change that we can do big projects like this now without loss of life generally, at least in the Western world. Developing countries obviously are still figuring things out, but they are generally safer too.

There was a DVD I watched a lot as a kid called "Building Big: Tunnels". They had a civil engineer talk about the history of major engineering feats like tunnels, bridges, skyscrapers, that kind of thing. An interesting additional resource in the general area if anyone is interested. I have no idea if they still sell it.

This was a great video. Really similar place is the trail of the Hiawatha in Idaho/Montana, the rails to trails movement is an amazing development for public parks!

Really well done. This is a solid counterpoint to the firehose of "isn't this cool?" historical engineering media.

that seems like the kind of tunnel that 80's middle/high school bullies would force their victims to walk through

I’ve been to this tunnel and it definitely helps when there’s a lot of people around and it’s not raining. I’ve always wondered where this thing came from, and my bigger question when walking through it was why it transitions from rock to brick about halfway through it. It’s super weird

The most under rated educational youtuber in my opinion

As always, I just love your content. Anything you do will be amusing to watch, maybe your tone, your editing, your topics. But I really look forward to getting a notification from you.

Good for you! And thanks for the background of the human loss in some events of progress. You reminded me of an adventure when I was in Cumberland, Maryland, for work. I was out jogging on the C&O towpath and I noticed an old bridge across the Potomac. So I crossed and saw what I later learned was the one-mile Knobley Tunnel. Alone, running clothes, no light. A mile of fantasizing about what critters would attack me. I got to Carpandale, West Virginia, and clambered up a slope to a road. I successfully got back to Cumberland. Both the stupidest and best thing I have ever done.

Thank you, Phil, for this excellent video. In Switzerland we have quite some tunnels too. The stories about the men behind the impressive construction is very similar. Mostly Italian, very poor and willing to risk their lives, worked under horrible conditions. I agree: We shouldn’t forget this men (and families at home)!

There's a similar tunnel on the Hiawatha trail on the idaho/Montana border. That one is 1.6 miles long and has a similar backstory. However, during the big burn of 1910, trains rounded up doomed civilians and took them to the tunnel to escape the inferno. My great great grandfather was of those people saved. Safe to say I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for the people who built railroad tunnels

In the UK there are quite a few abandoned railways because beaching (a train hater) killed all of the "unprofitable" railways EVEN THOUGH A RAILWAY IS NOT MEANT TOO BE PROFITABLE ITS MEANT TO HELP PEOPLE MOVE AROUND

I really appreciate these videos. Your personality, and video composition is just great. Thanks for doing it.

A quick response to your question at the end of the video: I think your work both on vox and on your channel here is great! And part of the joy of a personal channel is that it's personal - just keep doing what inspires you and I'll certainly be hanging out over here with one foot in the cheerleader section :) If I had to offer a personal opinion, I'd say that it's your deep dive into design history (and present) with unabashed takes on the power-politics at play that draws me into your videos both here and on Vox. Has anyone ever told you that you are kind of like the 99% invisible of KZfaq? I'd say that - and I much appreciate it.

Great video! Love how you show obscure examples like this and tie it into a bigger lesson on history. Keep it up!

If you think that tunnel is creepy you should hear about Moonville tunnel in Ohio, there’s not even a paved road through it and the town it went too no longer exists so it’s just a huge creepy tunnel in the middle of the woods down a gravel road.

Super cool video. I'll have to file this info away for some time when I'm driving through the area and not in such a hurry. I did lots of caving years ago, so I don't think it will affect me that much. Years ago my fiancee and I spent the weekend in Asheville, NC. I wanted to rollerskate down a long stretch of the Blue Ridge Parkway because of the long downhills. I ended up doing I think around 6 miles. I didn't realize there was going to be a tunnel, and I had a hard time seeing and was very nervous inside it. My fiancee was following behind in my car and was scared she was going to hit me. Afterwards, we realized we could have seen so much better if we'd just taken off our sunglasses. Doh!

A beautiful story, Phil. A little darker than your usual videos but your light personality did perfect to not lay it on too thick. You've quickly become one of my favorite KZfaqrs with this channel

These videos are so captivating because there’s a perfect mix of humour, information, and visual aspects. Well done I love these videos and you’re and amazing creator.

There's an abandoned train tunnel near Richland, Washington that is part of a foot path. It's not as long as the tunnel in the video but it was super scary to walk through. What scared me the most was looking up and realizing how tall it was. I got a serious sense of vertigo.

yes, we need to see more scary tunnels. or other weird places.

I’m so happy to see this guy go from below 50k a few months ago to over 100k. He 100 percent deserves all of the success.

love these videos, very cool tidbits about history and other topics. that tunnel would terrify me

Great video, I love your content and it inspires me to keep doing what I do

The droplets on your glasses were great for atmosphere and narrative. Felt like an indie thriller.

Hope I have these kind of buildings near me so I can just explore it.

Enjoying all your videos! Thank you!

Leave it to Phil to bring us the most random and most interesting content. So cool!

Awesome video Phil! Exactly what the doctor ordered in these stressful times.

Me: that's not scary at all Also me: watching this in a brightly lit room

Yet another amazing video, I’m shocked this high quality of a video isn’t getting millions of views.

It looks like the Glenbrook Mushroom Tunnel. They stored chemical weapons there during the world wars and then they grew rare mushrooms there and then it was shut down. They still have some of the equipment there. Edit: It's in NSW Australia and it was also for tunnelling through the mountains which are called the Blue Mountains they had a tramway that went from Penrith to Lapstone and they stopped the tramways and made the tunnel a weapons storage facility.

I live near C'Ville, used to live in Crozet, yet I've never even heard of this tunnel. Thanks Phil! You're the GOAT (as the youths say.)

I love videos like these! Please do more!

Nice man! I've commented on a few of your other Virginia videos, because my wife and I got stationed out here and are in Williamsburg, so I'm quite familiar with these locations you've talked about. I've been curious about this bridge in passing, but now I want to visit it! Thanks for the content, yet again! What a historic state, all things considering

It’s amazing how dark it is in there. Makes you feel better about the copious amount of lights we put everywhere.

The “brink of dawn” I left at 11:30am 😂😂😂

Another great video Phil. I used to live am hour south of that tunnel and been in it and visited natural bridge then too. It was amazing and sad like you mentioned.

Another great video Phil, you really inspire me, shout out from South Africa

And at 1:25 . . . "I drove out there at the break of dawn . . . It's 11:26 am." This is why I keep coming back Phil. This is why.

I’VE BEEN THERE! Awesome trail to walk on.

Really good one I really enjoyed listening to this

I love the serious vibes mixed with all the little jokes!

Hey, big fan of your work :)

You’re a wonderful story teller

"It's too subtle. I can't taste the potato chip." 🤣🤣🤣

I enjoy these types of videos.

Nice video. I do like the history of the development of technology. I also like your production style.

It dawned on me halfway thought this video that the reason I like your video production and editing style so much is because it’s Gonzo Journalism

We have a similar tunnel to this, It was a Railway Tunnel. Not far from the current railway.

A lot of West End neighborhoods (far West End, to be fair; Short Pump and environs) are literally built on top of old coal mine tunnels. It's a whole thing. I know of a specific pair of lots in one of those neighborhoods off of Church Road, and they are (used to be, anyway) always bundled together, because a house sits on one, but the other lot is an indemnity nightmare, because, well, coal shafts, basically.

Near my city is a tunnel with the same rail related history and it was built 1901-1902 named Schustersteintunnel. Yes it's German. But in its Restauration it got lights and is now part of a bicycle road that is build on the old railway.

This was a cool video. I'd watch more stuff like this.

I got almost halfway through the Hoosac Tunnel in the early 90's. Scaredest I've ever been. Thanks for the the ptsd :)

I’d love a video about the Hawaiian isles.

Thank you for the respect you give to ALL workers, including the less known irish-american.

You are a great story teller.

Great video

Nice, I'll be heading out there for sure! I'm surprised you didn't mention the Church Hill Tunnel too.

What a bummer about those Reese's peanut butter cups. Chocolate and potato chips go really well together normally

Philadelphia Edwards you’ve done it again

such quality content

Two weeks ago, I realized: Huh, I will get a video for my birthday. And now, the video came out :D. So, thanks for the cool video ;-). Jokes aside: In Hamburg, Germany, there is the old Elbtunnel which you can walk through by foot. It kinda reminds me of the one you are talking about in the video, but I think they have lights installed there ;-). Keep doing great stuff like that!

Camera man be like - i survived the word's scariest tunnel too

Several years ago I accompanied a friend (who's always looking for these kind of places) through an abandoned 2-lane tunnel that was once part of the Pennsylvania Turnpike. At regular intervals there were cut-outs in the tunnel wall that probably once held electrical equipment for the tunnel's lighting -- and in one of them some weisenheimer left a mannequin head to startle or amuse subsequent explorers.😛

"I survived the world's scariest tunnel" Nowhere near as scary as the Hell tunnel.

Great video but my goodness this one was heavy, a lot I’ve never thought about.

Don't think I've been to that tunnel.The Great Allegheny Passage has quite a few good ones that give me anxiety. Isn't it amazing how far we've come?

Another excellent video, thanks phil!

Thank you for shining some light on the human cost of such achievements. :(

Nice! I appreciate the candor, as always. I can’t actually watch shows that highlight engineering marvels of the past due to the tragedies so often associated with their creation. Even in modern times, especially in countries where the glut of wealth is palpable, we learn of engineering projects that bring in people from the poorest counties to build the tallest skyscraper. For the week or so they hold that title. It’s hard to see the continued view that the poor are disposable. Or any people, really. I do love the lack of machismo as you take on something uncomfortable while using humor to manage. Your sense of humor rocks, please keep up the good work!

I live in Northeastern Tennessee now, and I am seriously going to go here for my next vacation, going to be wayyyyy better than going back up to Illinois.

Love your videos, the one about the steel houses was pretty kool and made me wonder about the system of phone numbers back in the day. Why and where did they get names for exchanges like Murray8 and Niagare4. Might be interesting maybe not, thanks for all the work

You need william osmans windshields wiper glasses

Just found this channel, great format though I would have liked to see more detail in the tunnel brickwork.

I love how u make ur videos. It’s a mix of many KZfaq video styles but it just works!! I would love to see more of this especially if u could travel to Europe and educate Americans!!!

Reminds me of the creepy tunnel scene in the movie Men. I had to go check just to make sure it wasn't the same one lol.

They have a similar thing in Bath, England. It’s a really popular cycling route now

You should also look into the Tunnel to Nowhere in Great Smokey Mountains Nat'l Park, the only part of a promised ring road for former residents to access their ancestral burial grounds/graveyards when the Fontana Dam forced hundreds of people out of their homes.

Really nice.

I’ve been eating pizza near there for years and have yet to go 😮 thanks for posting as always fellow Richmonder!

It reminds me of Charles Dickens’ The Signalman, particularly the 1976 adaption.

I never heard of this tunnel before seeing your video. I will certainly go there and walk through it. Thanks for telling this story and make me aware this amazing 19th Century accomplishment.

There is the abandoned turnpike in pa has 3 tunnels they are so long that you lose all light in the middle

Beautifull video.

Ah, so that must be where where the other Phil’s come from! The tunnel leads to a different universe! Brilliant! I love joking about this stuff, but seriously I do find this piece of history amazing. Virginia has always been a really cool state for me whenever I find myself there because of all the mountains and tunnels. I hope I remember this little factoid whenever I get to visit there again. I am really compelled to find that tunnel now and experience it… And who knows; maybe I’ll end up with clones of my own. ;-)

Great tunnel. I am wondering if you could make a video about why most of Staunton wasn't burned down during the civil war

So much good content 🤓🤘🏿

The Hoosac tunnel in Massachusetts deserves the "scariest tunnel" title alot more than this one. 193 people died there and it is 5 miles long of complete darkness. It was also built with no dynamite and many people have said they heard ghosts in it.

I think the point, that Phil is making about a significant death toll involved in big infrastructure projects couldn't be more true nowadays. FIFA World Cup is a modern example of a disregard of human lives. We haven't learned anything since the 1850s...

We are horrible to ourselves. There is little doubt that every major feat of engineering from the moment we reached these shores has left a trail of dead, and sacrifice. Great men are those who plant seeds of trees, whose shade they will never enjoy 😢