The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1871-10-14 00:00:00

A BRIDGE BETWEEN ENGLAND AND
FRANCE.

Mr. Hamilton H. Fulton, of 22, Great aeorge-street,
W.,tzniuster, has sent the following letter to The
Times :- -
As the sohject of railway communication between England
anti France seems at the present moment to excite con-
siderable interest, I would venture to ask to be allowed
to state my views as to the most likely means of solving this
Important question. From the investigations which have
been made it appears clearly that the bed of the Channel
lying between borer and Calais Is composed of chalk,
with innumerable lbssures, and with probably an enormous
fault about midway of the Channel, owing to the sup-
posed disruption of our island from the Continent.
If this fault exists, it is reasonable to suppose that it Is filled
up with chalk, rubbish, sand, mud, At. Now it is well
known that chalk is one of the materials most absorbent
of water, and under the pressure of a head of water varying
from MO to 2,0 ft it every lore of the chalk of which
the bed of tile channel is formed most he thoroughly
saturated to a great depth. The risk of tunnelling through
such a spongy water-oaring mass, to say nothing Or :111 en-
counter with fissures and faults, would be great indeed. It
Is a grave question whether such a work is Tracticable at
all. If it should be, it would doubtless require most ex-
traordinary precautions and an unlimited expenditure. As
regards making a tunnel through the greensand and wealden
formations under the channel, the difficulties would be still
greater, as any one who has had ti do with the construction
of tunnels through those watery formations num know.
The public would have a strong objection to pass through
the dark, dank, vitiated, anti unwholesome atmosphere of a
tmmel, which tunnel would be twenty-five miles or more in
length.

Now, as the most likely means of obviating the objections
above referred to, I propose to construct a bridge to extend
from Dover to Calais. The roadway of thebridge would only
be sufficiently elevated rib ye the surface of the high water
of spring tides to prevent the waves from reaching the super-
structure, and so reduce the cost of the structure to a
minimum amount

In order as much as posailde to prevent any unreasonable
interference with the navigation, I propose one or more
opening bridges in every mile. The span if these opening
portiims would be of sufficient length to allow the largest
vessels to pass through with facility. For sailing vessels,
the number of which comparatively Is yearly decreasing,
steaint ngs would be in attendance to assist them through
these openings. steamers could of course pass and re-
pass unassisted, and, under proper precautions, with-
out difficulty. The necessary electric and other signals
would have to be provided by the bridge authorities and
also by vessels navigating the channel, and no prevent any
uncalled Mr delay in the transmission of the railway traffic'
along the bridge. With the great facilities of construc-
tion which would be affonled by the existence, as a rule,
of good chalk foundations, the use of cement-concrete,
and iron, it is believed the erection of the bridge could
be carried out at a comparatively moderate outlay and with
reasonable expedition. 'Elm chance, under the circum-
stances, of incurring enormous expense, long delays, and great
risk in the execution of the works of a tunnel under the
Channel must he obvious to every one. To the traveller what
a boon it would he to he aide to pass and repass by railway
between England and France with ease and convenience
which the existence lif such a bridge would afford, to say
nothing of the beneficial effects morally and commercially,
which might be produced by this great additional freedom
of intercourse between this and the other older nations of
the world.