The Sun.
London, England, 1861-04-08 00:00:00

riitE SUN, LONDOn, MONDAY EVENING, APRIL 8, 1861.

MR. SHERMAN 4ND 111,5 CuIV,N7II-
-

TO THE EDITOR OP THE TIMES.

Sir,—With reference to your comments in the
imes of this day on my speech delivered at the
Walsall Reform meeting, I hope that you will per-
mit me to say a few words in explanation.
Your right to criticise as severely as you please
the political opinions of members of Parliament
cannot, of course, be questioned; but it can as little
be questioned that the premises upon which your
argument is founded should be correct; and in my
case you have been misled by inaccuracies in the
reported speech, which inaccuracies I had taken
steps to correct by writing to two papers the fol-
lowing letter the day before your article appeared :

to send a deputation to the Emperor, to beg of him
not to take any step " vvhieh could tend to remove
the centre of gravity of the empire from Austria to
Hungary, as the petitioners are of opinion that the
fate of the empire ought-not to be dependent on the
last-mentioned country." Some of the local papers
maintain that the Imperial ordinance relative to the
reorganisation of Transylvania led to the Ministe-
rial crisis, but it is positively known to me that the
promitie which the Emperor gave to. Count Apponyi
to sanction the newly-framed Hungarian civil and
criminal laws was the immediate cause of the resig-
nation of the seven Ministers,
The Servia„n National Congress war to have met
at Carlovitz in the Vojvodina on the 28th of March,
but several of the members refused to attend, be-
cause General*Philippovits, the Imperial Commis.;
sary, told them' that the sittings were not to be
public. The deputies held private meetings, at which
it was resolved- that, if the Imperial Government
would not permit the affairs of the Servian inhabi-
tants of the Vojvodina to be discussed publicly,
" the National Congress would enter into direct
communication with the Hungarian Diet." Many
persons from the Principality of 'Servia are now at
Carlovitz, and the 'political agitation is so great
that the Imperial Government may have cause to
,rue' the day on which it determined to p:ay off the
Servian nationality igainst the Hungarians.
The export of saltpetre to Turkey in Europe is
strictly prohibited, but "still considerable quantities
are smuggled across the frontiers. A few days ago
some sacks' of flour were subjected at Baiiasch to
a closer inspection than usual, and they were found
to, contain no less than 4,0001 b. of saltpetre. About
a week ago an attempt was made to smuggle gun-
`powiler from Bukovina into Moldavia, but the
whole consignment-58 cwt.—fell into the hands
of the Austrian Custom-house officers. Moldavia is
in a sadly disordered state, and a Sassy correspond-
ent tells' us that, robbery and murder are by no
means an frequent occurrerces in the streets of the
city in which he resides. In one fortnight no fewer
than 27 persons were murdered, but the authors of
the crimes committed are rarely or never brought
to punishment.

From Zara we learn that the families of the offi-
cers in DAnatia have received orders to quit that
province and to go to the interior of the empire.
The rate.of exchange on. London is 151.-

men. They wished to create dissensions; tkey
have undone the work of unification initiated by
us ; they wished to divide two elements so precious
and necessary in our present circumstunces. But
let us drop that subject; they are trifles not to
be thought of. Above all our thoughts we must
place Italy.
" One thing more I must recommend to your
societies, and I could never do so with sufficient
earnestness—that is, concord. lam no orator. I
say' what comes uppermost in my heart.. You;
know that our history is not equalled by that of
any people upon earth. With Rome and with
concord Italy will be great and powerful. Under
the republics of the Middle Ages Italy achieved
great things ; yet, as she was divided, she became
the butt of foreign outrages. Whenever we are
united we shall be feared ;we are so already. We
have the sympathy of great nations. Let us only
be unanimous, and Italy shall be."
Under this speech the Liritto prints the follow-
ing short note : •
" Sir,—A Turin paper state 3 that I came to
Turin called by Count Cavour. This announce-
ment is quite incorrect.
" Turin, April 3." " G. GARIBALDI.

THE RAILWAYS AND TUNNELS OF THE ALPS

The Turin Papers contain the following very
interesting report, which has just been addressed
to the Commander and Senator Paleocapa, the
President of the Royal Commission charged with
examining into the best tunnels to be cut through
the Alps, and with determining the best route
between Italy and the North-west of Europe.
It would appear that the recommendations of its
author,, Mr. Villiers Sankey, had received the
approval of the commission :
" Sir,—Having had the honour to be presented
to you about ten years ago by the Chevalier Jocteau,
at present Envoy of his Msjesty the King to the
Swiss Confederation, and having since that epoch
frequently had occasion to converse with your ex-
cellency, I have had opportunity of judging with
what accuracy, enlightenment, and impartiality
your great intelligence is able to resolve the impor-
tant questions relating to public works, so often
submitted to your judgment during the long years
in which you have remained at the head of this
department.
" As the MiniSter, M. Peruzzi, in his reply of the •
19th current in the senate to the Marquis Pareto,
has declared in his discourse, full of ability and im-
portant details, that the commission has almost
terminated its labours, allow me, before it be too
late, to address to you some remarks of great impor-
tance with reference to this question.
" The commission, I feel certain, has carefully
studied the special advantages of the diffbrent routes
proposed as regards the engineering and expense;
but, before forming a decision, it will be necessary,
FO to speak, to mount up to the summits of the
Alps, and thence to take a general view of the whole
question. After having heard the explanations of
the advocates, .and of the partisans of each line, you
will be compelled to sum up what has been said on
each side, and balancing the advantages with the
disadvantages, you will then have it in your power
to pronounce a final judgment.
" Having frequently traversed and studied most
of the Alpine passes, I venture to submit to you a
few remarks which perhaps escaped the attention
of several of the members of the commission, neces-
sarily engaged, as they were, in the examination of
details.

" The object of a great railway between Germany
and Italy is to give to the north-west of Europe a
harbour in the Mediterranean, and to procure for
Italy (where there still reigns, and was formerly
dominant, the commercial spirit, and where the
entire system of banking has been invented) an easy
and rapid communication with the States of the
Zollverein, and in general with the numerous com-
mercial, industrial, and political centres, of which
the necessary relations with the south and east are
at the present moment clogged and hampered by
the wall reared up in so many ages, and so difficult
to scale—the colossal rampart of the Alps.
" And first, I would remark that Germany must
be put into communication with the Mediterranean,
for the Adriatic, which is, moreover, a very stormy
sea, and in which navigation is difficult, does not
lie on the direct route between the south-west and
the north-west of this hemisphere.
" It ought to be observed here thatat the present
day we can travel by land four times as quickly as
we can by sea. It is clear, therefore, that on any
given route we ought to lessen as much as possible
the distance traversed by steam boats, preferring
railways wherever it is practicable ; that is to say,
as a general rule we should reduce to a minimum
sea voyages, mid increase land journeys to a maxi-

mum.
" Now it must be further remarked that the two
valleys leading into Germany, or rather taking the
direction of that centre at which all the German
railways converge, are those beginning at the Lake
Maggiore and the Luke of Como. But the surface
of the Lake Maggiore is more than 30 metres above
that of the Lake of Como.
" These two observations simplify enormously
the question for the establishing, first, the advan-
tage to be obtained by making Genoa the seaport
of the Zollverein, and they further demonstrate the
necessity of carrying the great line direct by the
shores of the Lake Maggiore. This line, moreover,
has everything in its favour. It will find on its route
centres of high importance—Genoa, Alessandria,
Novara, Pallanza, Intra, Belinzona, Olivone, &c.,
to the south of the Alps, and to the north many
towns of great fame, the mere enumeration would
fill a page. The valley loading to Luckmanier is
inhabited by a civilised population. From Novara
to Locarno, from Locarno to Belinzona, from Belin-
zona to Biasca, from Biasca to Olivone, you never
leave the great route, and you find almost all that
you want. The ground, moreover, is more favour-
able to railway undertakings, for the space at the
bottom of the mountain is broad enough to allow
six or eight lines of rails to be laid down if desired,
and at certain distances the valley widens, and thus
allows oue to take the necessary curves in order to
gain the required height without too steep ascents.
On the other side of Luckmanier, in what is termed
at Coire the Oberland, the ground is not less fa-
vourable. It is very wide in certain spots, and
almost as united as a plain.
" None of the other lines proposed for a great
railway between Italy and Germany presents the
same advantages.
The lines across the Alps proposed hitherto
with any chance of success are, as regards Italy,
first, the line along the coast ' • second, the line of
the Mont Cenis; third, the line of the Simplon
and its modifications; fourth, the line of the St.
Gothard and its modifications ; fifth, the line of
Luckmanier and its modifiations ; sixth, the line
of the Splugen ; seventh, the line of the Septimer.
" We shall now see what are the advantages and
disadvantages of these projects, in a general way,
and without entering into questions of detail,
" First the coast line will always possess a cer-
tain importance, because it puts Leguria in com-
munication with the south of France. This railway
will cost a great deal—far more than is commonly
supposed—because, in running along the shore
there will be immense difficulties to overcome, but,
after all these difficulties may be reduced to a great
outlay of money and of time. On the other hand
this railway is greatly wanted. It will become very
useful in connecting with one another towns like
Spezia, Genoa, Nice, Toulon, and Marseilles.
"Next comes the Mont Cenis Railway. Its
necessity is incontestibie in order to establish a
fitting communication between Italy and the north
of France, England, and Eastern Switzerland.
The difficulties are considerable, but they will be
overcome, and the works are proceeding regularly
towards their termination. To place Italy in rela-
tion with Paris, London, and Berne is certainly
worth a good many sacrifices. I would, however,
remark that for the work to be more complete it
would be necessary to construct a line which shall
go directly to Geneva, passing by Albertville,
Annecy, and La Roche, &c. But this is now the
concern of France. The tunnel will be completed
without the least doubt, :and the piercing of the
Mont Cenis will remain as a magnificent monu-
ment of genius and of science to illustrate this age
of wonders.
" The third line in the order of enumeration, but_
by no means in that of importance, is the line of
the Simplon.
" Should this line ever be made, which I greatly
doubt, it will benefit only the valleys of the Toccia
and of the Rhone, two districts resembling one
another in their miserable state, and which you
n
would believe lay at the end of the world, so little
have they profited by the progress of civilisat.on,
.tt
for they remain in a condition extremely primitive,
not to say quite savage.
" This line, after traversing the valley in which
is Domo d'Ogsola, and crossing the Alps near the
Simplon by
.means of immense and enormously ex-
pensive engineering works, must descend the- course
of the Rhone, in order to reach the shores of

,41;, STAMPED, op.

the Lake of Geneva, which have already been 4-int
in communication much mere directly and much
_more easily by the Mont Cenis route. Ido not think
it necessary to busy myself more with this project,
for it can never be advisable to make such a
long circuit, even on a railway, when it is pos-
sible to go a great deal more rapidly by a
straight route. The St. Gothard line has several
advantages pleading in its favour. It is intended to
pass by the Lake Maggiore; it would also be the
most direct route to Basle, hut, on the other hand,
it would be necessary to make a circuit to reach
the Lake of Constance, and on that account it is
less recommendable than the line of Luekmanier.
The ground is favourable for engineering works
between Novara and Biasca, but between Biasca
and Faido the valley of the Ticino assumes a savage
character. Civilisation has disappeared, the moun-
tains rise up sharply on the two sides of the route;
earth-slips are frequent. The, valley is not wide
enough to allow the line a sufficient development;
and finally, the works to be constructed are im-
mense, and will cost enormously. The tunnel to
be constructed is not, perhaps, an obstacle more
difficult to overcome here than at any other point ;
but, on the other side of the Alps, how many diffi-
culties must be removed by patience, perseverance,l
and expense of every kind before bringing the line
to Lucerne. Very great sums and long works
would scarcely suffice to make a tolerable line
where it is necessary to create a great international
communication of interest to the whole of Europe.
" To those who, like myself, 'have often visited the
valleys leading to the Luckmanier from the two
sides of the Alps, it seems clear and incontestable
that the best international line can be constructed
by turning to account these valleys, which appear
to have been truly designed by nature in order to
form an important passage for international com-
munication.

" Should the commission decide in favOur of the'
direct route between Locarno and Coire, a railway
may be made leaving nothing to desire, and which
will be as useful and as 'medical as our best roads,
by which the mountains may be traversed at great
,peed, precisely like those which have been created
in ordinary districts.
" As the line of the, Splugen, it is surrounded liy
difficulties—first, as I had occasion to remark above,
the Lake of Como is more than 30 metres lower than

the Lake Maggiore, and being at the same distance
from the culminating point of the Alps, where the
tunnel must be cut, and where the line must reach

its highest elevation, it follows that it is necessary
to gain this height, by sharper ascents, or else by
prolonging the line; but it is clear that either of
these courses, if adopted for the purpose' of obviat-
ing difficulties 'determines the incontestable advan-
tage of the line passing the shore of the Lake
Maggiore.
" But, moreover, the whole route 'of this line is at
variance with the conditions of success in a great
railway. The district from Colico, as far as the
Spiugen, is very slightly civilised. The town •f
Chiavasso is one of the dirtiest to be met with, and
the valley leading thence to the mountain of the
Splugen is little else than a ravine. It is a species of
gorge, where there is hardly the space requisite for
the passage of the waters of the mountain torrents,
and for the present route. It would be neces-
sary to adapt the line to the ground by sharp curves,
which would Frevent the trains from running with
great rapidity. Now this is 'not, $o to speak; a
good foundation for a railway. It will be neces-
sary to cut into the rock in order to obtain a plat-
form for one, or at the most, two lines .of rail • and
if, after a short time, it became necessary to enlarge
the railway, in compliance with the exigencies of a
great traffic, certain to spring up in a well con-
structed line, what then could be done ?
" We have met with similar difficulties in Eng-
land,' in consequence of not having sufficiently fore-
seen the immense traffic accruing, in the course of
time, to the great railway lines when they have
once begun to attract the travellers and goods that
previously took different directions; and if these
observations are applicable to the portion of the route
between Chiavasso and the mountain, how much
more justified would they be when you arrive at
the other side, at the Via Mala. Here, in truth,
one ought never to dream of making a railway
unless that formed the (filly passage. The difficul-
ties, the expenses, and the dangers of this route
will be immense, incalculable. _

" The proposed line by the Septimer is no better.
As one must- pass by the Lake of Como, the line
will be compelled to surwount the 30 or 35 metres,
already surmounted when one passes by the Mag-
giore.
"It must be remarked that this line traverses
a considerable distance before reaching the moun-
tain, and in addition' to the loss of time, passengers
and goods would be affected by tho—loaa of.monev-
consequent on this increase of distance. It must
further be observed that, notwithstanding thegreat
circuit taken by the route, the rising of the ground
is far too considerable for a railway of great speed.
A sharp rising here and there may be tolerated,
provided it does not exceed certain limits ; but one
long continued, such as would have to-be encoun-
tered in this line, would have the effect of ren-
dering it wholly impracticable.
"It is proposed to make this line by pursuing, for
its entire length, the Lake of Como, and passing by
the poor though large town of Chiavasso, in order
afterwards to enter into the narrow and rapid valley,
or rather into the ravine of Bregalia, which is not
at all fitted for the formatios of a railway, and in
which I do not see the passibility of obtaining the
necessary height in order to pierce the tunnel ; but
this is a matter of detail. What is more important
is the fact, that after having passed the Septimer
the difficulties become greater than , ever. The
valley of the Albula is very narrow at several
places. It is extremely winding, and at certain
points not wide enough for the the waters which
it receives, and which frequently overflow their
banks, occasioning great earth-slips, quite sufficient
to prevent the regular course of the trains.
" Finally, the proposed line joins that of the
Splugen at Thusis, and there it will meet with the
difficulties of which I have spoken when discussing
the project of the Splugen, and particularly the
confluence of the two Rhines, Henter-Rhine and
Vorder-Rhine, difficulties which will also be met on
the line of the Splugen, passing equally by Thusis.
Then it will be necessary to take into consideration
that the great line of railway 'will not be in the
least degree productive if it be not established
from its very commencement with all the ele-
ments of a route of the first order, capable of
being subsequently enlarged, as soon as it
shall receive a greater development, and I fore-
see the day when four lines, that is to say eight
rails, will not be too many to meet all the require-
ments of so great and so important a line of com-
munication. It will be necessary also to take into
consideration that the speedrequired, as one of the
elements of the success of the line, may be that
necessary for the Indian mail in its course on the
French railways between Marseiles and Calais,
thus compelling the commission to impose a limit
on the ascent of the line, that it may not exceed
a certain inclination.
"These considerations ought not to be neglected.
They should, on the contrary, enter largely into
the calculations before finally adopting the best
line ; and I am convinced that I have only to
point them out in order that the commission
may weigh them carefully.. These are not tech-
nical questions, depending often on the opinions
of engineers, and also on the point of view
from which they are regarded.. They are truths,
bases evident to all the world. It is sufficient to set
them forth, and I am firmly convinced that the
various conditions necessary for the establishment
and success of a line will be found combined in no
other except the one passing by the Lake Maggiore,
and going directly to Coire.
" Being here absent from home, I have not all
the necessary maps and plans before me, so that I
am unable to submit to you certain other important
considerations worthy of finding a place after the
foregoing. I reserve them for another occasion,
for the moment when probably I shall speak of the
other Italian lines which must form part of the
great network of railways throughout Europe.
" Begging you, sir, to examine the observations
which I have here the liberty of submitting to you,
I pray you to receive the assurance of my high
consideration.
(Signed) " VILL El SS A NKEI,
" Hotel Feder.' Directing Engineer.

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