The Sun.
London, England, 1869-07-06 00:00:00

THE CHANNEL TUNNEL,

The engineering enterprises of the day have been so
extensive in their character, and so ambitious in their
aims, that it must be an undertaking of very unusual
diaracter which attracts more than a passing notice. The
scheme of establishing a submarine communication
between France and England by means of a Channel
tunnel is, however, somewhat remarkable, even in these
days of scaling the Andes by the aid of the iron horse, of
bridging the St. Laurence and of connecting the two great
oceans by one vast highway. Yet the project of a Channel
tunnel is actually assuming definite proportions. A few
days since Mr. Hawkshaw, Mr. Brunlees, and
Mr. Low laid their proposals before Mr. Bright, and
asked for his assistance in obtaining the Government
guarantee of 2k per cent. interest on an expenditure of
£2,000,000. The French Emperor, who looks favourably
on the scheme, has given a conditional promise of a similar
sum to forward the enterprise. The plan is, indeed, of
French origin, being based on the proposal made by M.
Thom 6 de Gamond, and investigated by a scientific com-
mission appointed by the Emperor in 1856. The commis.
sion was favourable, but suggested that M. de Gamond's
investigations should be tested by sinking shafts. Mr.
Low, who has great mining experience, has n•ade
some improvements on the original scheme ; and
Mr. Brunlees, Mr. Hawkshaw, MM. Michel,
Chevalier, and Paulin Talabot— three French and three
English engineers—united their efforts and prepared a
practical report on the bed of the Channel and the gealo-
gical structure of its coasts. An Imperial Commission
was subsequently appointed to consider this report, whose
members were anything but unanimous in their opinions.
It is not a little curious, however, that those commissioners
who were opposed to the scheme objected to it on the
ground that the tunnel was not wanted, and would not
pay. They declined to recommend that the English and
French Governments should guarantee the money required
" from a purely economical point of view." Of the feasibility
of the scheme none of the commissioners appear to have
entertained any doubt. On the contrary, they all agreed
the undertaking presented a reasonable chance of success,
though they admitted that an obstacle may arise which
will defeat it. They decline to fix a particular sum as the
probable cost of the tunnel, but they think the cost of the
driftways which they recommend as the best means of
ascertaining the difficulties to be dealt with. The engineers
have decided that the tunnel must run through the
grey chalk, which is more impermeable to water than
the upper or white chalk. The grey chalk has a mean
thickness of 55 to 65 yards. It lies at very different
depths in different localities. Near Folkestone it is com-
paratively near the surface, while at Calais it lies 273 yards
below the level of the sea. The most favourable spot for
the proposed line is from the south foreland on the English
side, to a point between Calais and Sangatte, on the French
coast. The great difficulty of the undertaking will be the
ventilation , and already a number of schemes for effecting
it have been suggested.