The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1825-09-07
Tl!e arts a,1o @clemces.
Tunnel Nnder tie Thames.


/ excite continually increasing Interest,"
A tunnel Tor carriages beneath such d
river as the Thames being regarded as
one, at least, of the various wonders for
which England has become such 40 OBJ
ject of admiration.
The tunnel will consist of two arch
ways, and, IN order that there NAV be
no obstruction to carriages, those going
from the north to the south shore will
pass through one. while those from the
south TO the north will occupy the 9th.
I-eF archway. The passages will be
tlacadamzed, and there will be distinct
paths for foot passengers. In the CEN
ire, between the two archways and dl-
VIdlng the two roads, will be line of
luumerons arches OF communication, spa
-cious enough TO admit OF persons passing
from one road to the other; and in each
Of these arches will be fixed strong
gas light. The approaches to the en-
trance of the tunnel will be by circular
descents. of easy decIiyity. not exceed
ing four feet in every hundred One
smaller one for pedestrians another
larger one for carriages; and so easy
will the descent be, that The heaviest
loaded Wagon, will never need to have
the wheel locked. The bed of the ri
yer has been rigidly examined by fire.
quent and deep borings, in order TO as
certain the nature of the strata, and The
results have been, we are informed,
highly encouraging the deep parts be-
ing uniformly of a tenacious. hard, blue
clay. The machinery, by which this
excavation is to be made, is the inven-
ton of Nlr. Brunei. The iron shield,
for the protection of the @orkmen, and
for the security Of the work as it pro-
ceeds, is of an ingenious combination,
and of itself il is said to weigh ninety
tons and this weight is literalIy.to be
pushed through the earth, entering at
the shaft on the north side Of the river
For this invention Mr.. Brunei has OBJ
tanned patent. As this large shield,
or three-storied iron scaholding, is dali
! ly moved on to ill up the excavation
made by the workmen, is 10 be follow
ed closely by the bricklayers. who will
make all good; so that the incumbent
earth will always be supported by he
iron shield, or by compact and well &C.
mented brick work. The size of the
tunnel will be 35 feet wide, by 90 feet
in height each archway will have a
bout IA feet clear width (including foot
path } and the whole length of the tun-
mel will be about 1900 feet. Should
nothing unforeseen proven, it, this nov
ell communication is expected TO be
opened in less than 3years. No bridge
could cross the Thames where the tun.
mel is designed to be made, unless il
were of "a height so great that ships
could sail beneath it. Such bridge
has been projected, but the design wa,
soon abandoned The tunnel may be
regarded as bridge reversed, and as q
channel Of intercourse between the two
shores, at once commodious, and suited
( 20 lis locality. There will be in this
tunnel a thickness of Is feet of earth
between the crown Of the tunnel and
bed Of the river. The following is Z
description of the mode adopted 10 Car,
rying the work into effect, as set forth
in Mr.. Brunel's plan -
10 the case Of the drift-way made IN
| der the Thames at Rotherhithe, IN 1909
the water presented no obstacle fol
| nine hundred and thirty feet, when /;
great body Of quicksand gave way, ant
4 filled the drift. The miners soon over
came this obstruction, and were able t
proceed until they were stopped by
second eruption, which in "A few minute
filled il. Nothing comes more satisfac
torily in support of the system that il
adopted here, than the result of the op
erations that were carried on, unde
the most disadvantageous circumstances
to an extent of one thousand and eleyel
feet, and within one hundred and thirt,
feet of the opposite shore.
The second eruption could be stop
ped merely by throwing from above ;
quantity of clay, partly in bags, and 9th
err materials; and after pumping tht
water out, under head Of twenty-five
J feet of loose ground, and thirty feet 0
water, the miners resumed the work
} and proceeded little further; but find
: ing the hole at the first eruption increas
ed, and the filling over the second very
much sunk, the undertaking was aban
doned.
The peculiar character of the plar
before Us consists in the mode Of effect
I ing the excavation by removing nj
| Al. Z. 4 n