AWDC Chapter 43
by VolareThe next morning began with an inspection of the tunnel.
“The tunnel is mostly finished with its interior wall construction, although in some parts the concrete hasn’t fully hardened yet, so we can’t remove the wooden framework.
In another month or so, the concrete will be completely hardened, and we’ll be able to run water through it,” I explained.
The tunnel was a circular shape with a diameter of 2 meters, reinforced with bricks and concrete. It was created by applying a wooden ring-shaped frame to the exposed wall of the tunnel, which was then surrounded by bricks. The bricks were pressed between the wall and the wooden frame, and then the space between them were filled with concrete from the floor to the ceiling. During construction, the wooden frame was reinforced with pillars and rods, making the inside of the tunnel full of obstacles everywhere.
Now, the wooden frame had been removed, and the inside of the tunnel was beautifully lined with bricks from the bottom to the ceiling. The bricks, illuminated by the light of the lamps, formed a geometric pattern of combined circles, decorating the entire wall.
“I didn’t think it would be so magnificent,” William Robertson and Roy Keene had been inside the tunnel several times, but this was the first time they had seen it without the wooden framework.
“This is beautiful,” George, entering the tunnel for the first time, exclaimed in surprise.
At the initial stage of entering the tunnel, voices of admiration rose due to the novelty.
However, the neatly stacked brick tunnel stretched for over a kilometer. The exit of the tunnel on the other side appeared as a small dot.
The group, continuing to walk with the light of the lamps as their guide, were lost for words at the elaborate patterns that emerged in the darkness.
In this world, there were no constructions called tunnels. For those who had never seen or passed through a tunnel, this experience was nothing but astonishing.
“I’m surprised the ceiling holds up with just bricks,” Ricardo asked another basic question.
“When bricks are stacked in an arch shape, the weight of the bricks presses them against each other. In other words, the more force is applied, the more strongly the bricks support each other. The tunnel is a perfect circle, so a uniform force is applied to the bricks of the tunnel from the outside, so force is not applied to only one, and they do not fall out. Unless the bricks are destroyed, they become a strong wall that can withstand the force from around the wall.”
I explained to Ricardo that the shape of the bricks was naturally made into an arch, and he listened intently.
William Robertson watched the scene with amusement, and I was impressed by his sincerity.
After nearly 15 minutes, we finally exited the tunnel.
“Whoa, it’s so bright.” As always, Ladapole’s words upon exiting the tunnel were the same.
The lighting inside the 1.2-kilometer tunnel was only from dim lamps, so the brightness of the sun when we came out was very dazzling.
While our eyes adjusted, the spreading scenery was completely different from the desert area.
The mountainside of Lean Ridge here was overgrown with trees, and large rocks rolled down the steep cliffs on the river side.
The Mulan River was a gently flowing river that was easy for ships to navigate up to around Toriholi Village. But when it reached the exit of this tunnel, the slope of the river increased, the flow was rapid, and the sound of the water colliding with the rocks was loud.
Most people who visited this place for the first time were usually speechless, and George and Ricardo were no exception.
“I’ll explain from here,” Ladapole began proudly.
The waterway that continued from the tunnel entrance was so well-made that it was understandable why he was proud.
The waterway, 3 meters wide and 1.5 meters deep, was neatly stacked with stones. This continued for nearly 1 kilometer to the water source.
The waterway, created using the flat area between Lean Ridge and the river, had its bottom and walls intersecting at right angles as if measured with a ruler.
In addition, there were no stones that protruded or receded, creating a remarkably flat stone wall.
“Oh, this is a wonderful piece of work,” William Robertson said, looking at the vegetables growing in the field.
Previously, the flat, wide area was used as a dining area for the laborers. Now that the construction was over, most of the laborers had moved on to the construction of the waterway in the desert.
Among them, a couple remained, managing the weir and waterway while farming here.
“Around here, even if more than 100 farming households moved in, they could manage,”
“Yes, the soil here is rich in nutrients from the sediment flowing from the river.
What’s more, it’s near the forest and river, so you can also hunt animals and fish.”
“We also need to think about a road connecting the reservoir and this place.”
It looked like a new arable land.
The slope of Lean Ridge had a place where it protruded significantly towards the river in the middle, and the flat area was lost. Ladapole had created a culvert there to connect the waterway.
The slope wasn’t steep, but stones were constantly falling towards the river. It was a scree slope. When I planned to draw water from Lean Ridge, the measure against the scree slope was something I was very troubled with.
However, since this place was small, Ladapole had created a waterway by hollowing out the slope. The waterway was covered with a lid made of combined stones, making it a culvert.
The length wasn’t even 4 meters, but the reliability of Ladapole’s skills could be seen even from this construction technology.
We peeked into the culvert, but we didn’t go through it, and we went over the scree slope.
After all, walking over the scree slope was more comfortable than going through the culvert where the stone wall was exposed.
In particular, the water intake from the river was where Ladapole put the most effort.
“The flow is bent to the right by that big rock over there, right? When the water hits that rock, the force is reduced. The flow weakens there.
I made that the water intake.
However, this area is full of rocks, and carving these rocks was extremely difficult.”
Ladapole’s bragging turned into a story of hardship before we knew it. Jim Keene and I, whose construction sites were nearby, often came here, so Ladapole’s story was old news to us. However, William Robertson and the others had never come this far.
They were repeatedly impressed and nodding. Then finally, the motor in Ladapole’s mouth turned on and started spinning.
When Ladapole’s long story began, Jim Keene and I moved a little away, secretly gloating at the victims.
The construction site he was in charge of was the furthest from the village, and it was difficult just to send people and supplies.
Knowing the hardship, neither Jim Keene nor I interrupted the story.
In any case, the inspection ended smoothly.
“We’ll be able to put water in the waterway in the latter half of next month,” William Robertson said with satisfaction on the way back.
“That’s right. The harvest festival is coming up soon, so why don’t we hold a water opening ceremony at the same time this year?”
“That’s a good idea. Let’s hold the water opening ceremony in conjunction with the harvest festival the month after next.
Everyone, please prepare. I can already picture the villagers making a big fuss.”