Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1850-06-11
The Great Tunnel OF the Alps.

eOtUmuulCdtlOu USl"eeu DoVP'ShS GIN
Venice and Ancora, and, consequently
between London and the Adria!is. one on
" obstacle lies in the way. The chain o
Mon, Gems and Mcnt Genevre, runnln!
nearly Northeast aud Southwest, woult
cross such line. and present. with thei
elevation of Ii 900 feet, an instrumental
bic bar in any continuous railway.
From London, rs far as Chambery, by
tic LYONS Railroad all IS smooth enough
nav. that rail can and will, and indeed |:
now about to push further, ascending Il
Mont Meiiland and ST. Maurienne (name'
well kaown to old post travellers who di
rected their steps along the valley OF The
Arc, ,owar Is Lanslebourg.) and, by al
Interior effort, il will yet reach higher. as
far as Modane, at the foo, of the northern
cres, Of the Graian and Gotham Alps.
But once there, all further progress is ar
rested, and no train can hope 10 reach the
Italian side TO Susa and Turin, and thence
10 the eastern coasts of the Peninsula. un,
less subterranean wayfare be pierced
through the snow capped barrier.
What, magnificent problem is here pre-
scented to The inventive genius OF the age
What splended results 10 te obtained by
lis successful solution! Such problem
has been under the consideration oil the
Sandman government since August ie4o'
lis solution is no longer matter OF uoun''
The possibility Of boring through The
heart of Mont Genevre. and OF linking
Chanbery with Susa. north and SCUM OF
that ran ge, is demonstrated truth. lie
qrea, tunnel Of the Alps is about to become
a reality, under the auspices OF victor L
manuel and the Piedmontese Par lament
The author Of this gigantic scheme l.
the Chevaler Henry Maus, honorary IN
snector of the Genie CivH, the same who
d. vised and ex cuted the great works on
The Liege Railroad. After FIVE years IN
eessant study of this question, and many
practical experiments and calculations IN
eIuding the invention of new machinery
for boring the mountain. this officer made
his final report 10 the government ON the
9Th of February, lo49.
A commission WIS thereuPon named on
the 18th of July, ls49' consisting OF sew
eral distinguished engineers artillery ON
GERS, senators members of The government
and professor of geology, to eXaiHIhe
and give their opinion on the nature and
feasibility of Chevalier Maus's PROJECT
That c mmission, on the lst of November
last, being then under the presidency OF
the NJ nj Ter of Public Works, the Chew
l. u
alier Paleveoca, decided unanimously anu
entirely in favor of the project. ihel'
report, together with that OF Chevaller
Mans, has recently been printed for prl'
vate distribution, by order of the Sardi,
Man government. illustrated by maps and
plans and all the various calculations, mol
only Of the expense, but of the mechanI'
cal difficulties also which this great ana
striking project presents.
An application for part OF The FUNDS
reouired 10 begin the great tunnel will be
made to the Chambers forthwith, and the
great work, which it is expected will oc-
cupy FIVE years, will cost l4,OoO,ooo
francs. while the entire railroad OF the
Alps. connecting the tunnel with the
Cb,mbery railroad on the one side I'm
length together 1866 metres, 2Ox En-
elish miles, will cost 81, 900 francs more,
forming total expense OF 36,oOo,OOO
francs.
The great tunnel itself will measure r.
900 metres, Of nearly seven English miles
in length its greatest height will be ~
feet. and its width 25, admitting, OF course
of double line of rail. lis northern en-
trance, being the highest point OF the IN
tended line OF rail, will be 1902 feet above
the level of the sea, and yet 2,4OO Tee,
below the highest or eliminating point Of
the great. or pass, over the Mont Gems
ltis intended to divide the connecting
lines of rail leading to either entrance OF
the tunnel into eight inclined plains OF a
bou, 5000 metres, or d English miles
each. worked like those at Liege, by en-
dlsss cables and stationary engines, but IN
the presen, case moved by water power
derived from the torrents.
The mos, remarkable part OF the pro-
iect, however, is the new y-devIsed ma
chinery and motive power ny when the
Chevalier Maus proposes 10 bore the grea
tunnel. Ii is as ingenious as 1t Is new
presenting some extraordinary facts in
Mechanics which could hardly have been
anticipated, but The truth Of which has
been tested and verified by practical es
saws made with working models Ui th'
natural size, before the government com
mission already mentioned. But these
and the consideration Of the immense re-
suits. social. commercial. and poeliea
tina, may be expected to how from g.
ganric Undertaking, in comparison wit
Which the Thames Tunnel and the Brl