Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1843-08-31

In the be;'ers of THuRLow WEED, Esq. from
abroad, now In The course Of publication in the
Evening Journal, visit to the Thames Tunnel is
thus described;
MONDAY, July II.
have been through the Thames Tunnel. This
Is TO London what the Croton Water. works arc
to New \ ork, the great achievement of the nine
teen,h century. There is nothing at either en-
trancoOi the Tunnel which indicates that you are
IN 'he vicinity oil TINS extraordinary Improvement
we passed over /, in u steamer in the morninU
without being aware that other masses of fellow
beings were quietly walking through a subterra.
mean passage below us! The vis,er is directed
"Ihls way to The Tunnel IT," by board ON the
corner oil street. You descend a winding stone
stairway o, one hundred steps, and enter into the
Tunnel! which is well lighted with gas, and af
iorded us cool pleasant walk, after four hours
exposure to the sun. The Tunnel has two ave.
nues, each wide enough to allow twelve or sixteen
persons to walk abreast Half way THROUGH a
pIintng Press is stationed, by Royal Authority
which is throwing of sheets containing an ac.
count OF the Tunnel. told the man would
purchase two OF his sheets, provided he would
allow me to "pull'' them myself This. unon
learning That IL knows the ropes" as they saw at
sea, he consented to. have. therefore, an ac-
eoun, OF The Thames Tunnel, printed by myself,
standing midway between the London and Snrrv
sides OF The river, seventy feet below its bed, with
steamers and ships passing directly over my head
Inc tunnel Is two miles below London Bridge.
where another bridge, which was much wanted.
wouia nave proved seriously injurious to the i'm
mehse commerce OF the metropolis. In 1923, az
ter the failure and abandonment of several nI,rs
or tunnelliDg the Thames one was submitted bv
now Sir j. NJ Brunei, which received the conf
derce oil capitalists, and in 1925 hoi commenced
his operations. But he encountered difficulties
anu obstacles Tor years at every step of his pro-
sreSs ina, would have disheartened and appalled,
any man out one whom the pmprUepcv had MO
daced TO accomplish this mighty enterprise
V"icksand beds were among the most troublesome
ana Petiious obstacles met with. The top O! the
runner arcil, about The middle of the river. an
Proaches within ten feet of the bottom of the r.
yer; our Times, during its progress, the Tmnel
ana snaits were hled with water, and the irrup-
iion OF 1927 threatened to destroy the en,erbrisr,
but by The most incredible efforts all WAS over
come by Its indomitable architect, and i'm 1885.
seven years afterwards, Sir j. NJ Brunei WAS
enabled to resume the work..
:, The progress Of this great work was neccssa-
'hy"ery SLOW. Sometimes, with favorable exca-
vations, two feet would be ACCOMPLISHED in twep.
ty-four hours, working as they did, with chances
oil hands, day and night; where the excavation
was difficult, only two feet would be done in a
week; and lor the last three months, so great WAS
The labor and so formidable the distractions, that
only ieet and inches progress were made! In
August, 1871, fifteen years after the ground was
broken on the London side of the Thames, Sir J.
Nj. Brunei descended shaft from the Wappnr
SIDE, and passed through small s'tlrift-waV
through the shield into the Tunnel" Less than
TWO years thereafter, in March, 1913, the mavni.
hcent work was completed. The whole expense
OF construction is stated at 96l4, 900 sterling.
me Toll is only penny for passing through the
tunnel, and, but Tor the "getting up stairs" j.
would pay well. Until passengers are let down
ana taken up by an engine, it will not take foot
passengers from the bridges.