, ▁he ▁directed ▁the ▁construction ▁of ▁this ▁tunnel , ▁which ▁facil it ates ▁use ▁of ▁a ▁ ▁drop ▁in ▁river ▁height ▁for ▁power ▁generation . ▁ ▁The ▁tunnel ▁is ▁the ▁first ▁known ▁example ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁of ▁a ▁" full - scale " ▁water ▁di version ▁tunnel . ▁ ▁It ▁is ▁also ▁apparently ▁the ▁first ▁" full - scale " ▁tunnel ▁of ▁any ▁type ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States , ▁its ▁completion ▁pred ating ▁that ▁of ▁the ▁A ub urn ▁T unnel ▁( 1 8 2 1 ) ▁in ▁Pennsylvania , ▁whose ▁construction ▁was ▁begun ▁first . ▁ ▁The ▁tunnel ▁is ▁the ▁only ▁feature ▁of ▁Bell ' s ▁iron ▁works ▁to ▁surv ive ; ▁not ▁surv iving ▁are ▁a ▁dam , ▁head ▁race , ▁and ▁the ▁iron ▁found ry ▁itself , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁Bell ' s ▁house , ▁which ▁was ▁built ▁nearby . ▁ ▁During ▁the ▁ 1 9 3 0 s , ▁the ▁land ▁in ▁this ▁area ▁was ▁le ased ▁to ▁the ▁Boy ▁Sc outs ▁of ▁America ▁for ▁use ▁as ▁a ▁summer ▁camp . ▁ ▁It ▁was ▁de eded ▁to ▁the ▁state ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 8 . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁late ▁evening , ▁on ▁September ▁ 2 , ▁ 2 0 1 1 , ▁a ▁fire ▁was ▁lit ▁in ▁the ▁tunnel . ▁The ▁amount ▁of ▁dr ift wood ▁from ▁ 2 0 1 0 ' s ▁flo od ▁in ▁the ▁tunnel ▁en larg ed ▁the ▁fire . ▁The ▁fire ▁was ▁eventually ▁ex ting u ished ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁hours