The Hoosac Tunnel in Western Massachusetts was first proposed in 1826, as a canal tunnel, but the Massachusetts State Legislature balked at the high cost. Construction of a railroad tunnel finally began in 1851, as the state’s rail lines needed to connect to those in New York State. However, blasting through Hoosac Mountain proved difficult and progress was slow until after 1866, with the introduction of nitroglycerine, used for blasting through rock. When the two ends of the tunnel were finally connected on November 27, 1873, they were only nine-sixteenths of an inch off, but it delayed completion for another two years. In the end, construction of the tunnel cost the state $17 million, 196 lives, and 24 years of effort.