Place of Stones is an ambient/drone record inspired by the construction of the Hoosac Tunnel in Western Massachusetts from 1851 to 1875. Though a marvel of civil engineering (multiple revolutionary technologies were devised on site), the project also claimed the lives of 195 workers, earning it the nickname The Bloody Pit.
The record is posted below, followed by a track listing with some additional historical and structural context. It is also available for purchase through Fallen Moon Recordings.
the record
Side A
Hoosac (Place of Stones) - Hoosac is an Algonquin word meaning Place of Stones. The tunnel takes its name from the mountain through which it passes. I think of this song as an ominous dawn.
Tunneling - The tunnel is 4.75 miles long and runs from the east portal in Florida, MA to the west portal in North Adams, MA. Workers bored from both ends simultaneously, as well as from the middle out via a central shaft (see diagram below). The song attempts to evoke the crushing monotony of the excavation process.
Naphtha Fumes - Naphtha is a flammable liquid used as a fuel and solvent. A naphtha tank was housed in a multi-story building directly above the central shaft (along with the hoisting mechanism to lower workers down). This song woozily foreshadows the events of the next song.
Central Shaft Fire, 1867 - On October 17th, leaked naphtha fumes caught fire in the hoist house. As it burned, the thirteen workers below were showered with wreckage. First 300 sharpened tools went tumbling down, then the hoisting mechanism, then the entire building. The pumps were also destroyed, filling the shaft with water. When the fire had been put out, a man named Mallory was lowered down with rope to look for survivors. When they pulled him back up he was unconscious. After several scary minutes, he was revived and gasped “no hope.”
Built a Raft - It took a year to clear out the shaft and recover the bodies. Upon finally reaching them it was discovered that they hadn’t been killed by falling debris, and had built a crude raft before succumbing to a lack of oxygen.
Side B
Alignment Towers - To ensure that the tunnel stayed true to its course, six alignment towers were built across the mountains. The stone ruins of these towers can still be found today. This song is about struggling to find direction after a tremendous loss.
Cold River - There is a discrepancy in the death toll reported at the time (136) and the currently accepted one (195). This is partially due to problems in classifying the deaths of “men who, while employees at the Tunnel, died by falling in the river after drinking too much or froze to death while trying to get home in an inebriated state.” Cold River is one such hazard, flowing north to south through the mountains between North Adams and Florida.
Bloody Pit - It took 22 years to complete the tunnel. I imagine the numb resolve it must’ve required to keep entering the pit year after year, knowing the risk and the Sisyphean nature of the undertaking.
A Pinprick of Light - The last bit of heading was blasted away on November 27, 1873. The song takes its name from the book by Carl Byron, a definitive tome on the subject. It mourns the loss of life and the exploitation of the workers, marvels at human ingenuity, and attempts to capture the strange emptiness that so often follows the completion of a long-term goal.
cover art (draft)
Front Cover - An unidentified person standing on the rim of the Central Shaft.
production notes
The record was made using:
synthesizer, electric guitar, field recordings, cello, piano, voice
Written and recorded by Robert Sergel
Mastered by Lawrence English at Negative Space
