The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1858-08-02
THE GREAT ALPINE TUNNEL.

The Proposed Railway Tunnel Through the
.s ps,Pun 20, "a @sr m"' ma no." Ton".i
Translated from tho la Presse OF Paris July 10, for the
NEW York HERALD
The construction Of Q railroad ACRES the Alpe-the
piercing OF nourt Cenis-by which q communication be-
tween the valleys OF Piedmont and Upper Italy rs 10 be
interruption the whole breadth OF the Aips
ertl, this moment Pre- oocu pics the inhabitants OF
ihse countries ssd Of Central Europe Itself Attic sitting
or 19b June Of the Academy Of Sciences OF the most
learned eppneers OF the Sardnisu States, Mr. Meosbrcs,
read noe this important rueject Mr. Menabres Ii
Colonel OF engineering and cepuiy OF the Piedcootese
Chsu bers was me Der Of the commits niuased
by the 5eronian fer the purpose OF exsmn
re the new sohr es whh have been proposed for the
piercing OF ,ub Alpine tuone and in his note 70 the
Acscemy Of scerces he made spovn the results OF the
severe riAls u -hch these Dew apparatus have been
submitted. Thus se are nov enabled TO give some
precise ideas this great pr ject 70 which pablo
cpipnp has been directed but with reference 70 winch
positive statements we're still wanting
According N investigations which made over
twery years ago and are duo TO learned al modest
nhsbsnt Of hose Countries The lsta Mr. Medal tue pas
ssge Offering the easest aud mos. dire com nuuicson
tetwcep the valleys Of pedm,nt and upper Italy, ADD
which q, the lime would oppose the least oicul,es
the execution tho sork Of piercing found between
Modsne in savoy aud Bsrdpcneche small 10 rn stuled
the southern side Of tbs Alps In fact ioTsrd these
two localities toe vaeys II the Arc and the Dors are
alpcst parallel tbs descending from east west aud
tie o,her having ipcostoo the opposite direct
roe two points where tness valleys level
POND 10 the rnrro vert ua,t Of she Alpiuc chain
Between MSdape and Bsrdnnnecns the dpoth Of the
mourisin about thf eco kilometres fne els
sssfs order 10 sock the tunnel different points, there
then other ef lhsn that Of wskpg oHy at
the tao extremtes But here arose several dicuues;
and hfft OF AL, that Of time Even suppoens that this
operation voso have been feasible by ~ The
which I'LL have been ooy I'd Tor the perc
ing OF tunnels would have taken less than thirty
sS ears for erminslipg that Of tbs Alps The psssb
~ Of airing Tits imnense subtsrrsneous work caused
great coubv the excavation would have hseo difficult
operation; nraly, people very much cuoed
itn the geological ormatioo Of toe mountain very little
kuowa then, and which perhaps might have opposed az
almost insurmoun,aoe oostaclo Therefore for many
people sbrunk oscs before toe idea Of this ex,raor
binary enterprise
In fs4o Belgian engineer W. Msuss, laid before the
SArdiDsg goeerI jm.sota memoir res-
tive 10 TIE npeneg ST as1b Alone t1unel, which sould
have Permitted 70 VA ne vcto- En- manuel railroad With
The Ines OF uppcr tly ihie memoir comDreheoded the
complete pr efs OF 'be crg1tcrog works bat thair
execution = ex'rsord difficulties
Mr.. Maus, povos,J h-sB the petcrs simuus ,cousiy
Tor the h go o. he mountain tie toopel could
been 81 amrs' 500 msies OF substance rlcn woali
Rave prevented the svtrr ~ shaft and the
Of cir IN tue lu,m.1se trench
W g.oss hat 20 ,tis purpose invented a machine
d,,tree W socseketpe work OF piercing the rocks In
nI,-, fsl o. water rsDidy driven sgsnc, the
~ me tJ' bel, crins divided the In ncr
gee r~o nschusr o. Tins kind, cash net 10
p,iJn tai of ~s,fr, snvse p)~er Wa transmitted
dtntoe ~ uesss Of Icing nose, would have
b., r so.d tbe Op,c ents Of the tunnel, snd
Noulo have prog sssei one towards the oshcr until
f,nDtsriLe set Ukber.
A conui-.tn rnunnstd 10 lsle by the sudiuisn 60
yerpu, rs approved this oroisct 5owever acocuut
VI the c-.crcsl dhre,s voicn rere 70 arse from the
,np,ot cf ~ -tg hose inr traoetntas the
~ power ard of IT.. other di 'ry 70 renew Toe air
the idea. az Mr. hatss rot carried out.
IN 1855 Mr.. C,l'eito, of genevs well known ply
scao, pres=rtec neg project, -b'se cnsaciersuc Tea
ture the enplosmes, ~ compressed sir havug IN
serve tho oc tsusn esiau OF We mschaoic
force ard the ventilation A. the ssue epoch Mr. shp
Bartlett engineer Of the Victor Ennsuusl raroai
inside kDov a machine for periossng rofSs shico
he proposed 10 apply 10 the " Mount OsEs. Mr.
Bartlett made Of moveable. norz,nta se1 eng 40
Tor the purDose oi thrus,ng drills seaiast the -ocs
Ar ar cushJn ngenously disp~ed on tn' passage
~ the ptru q he steam engine ssrved 70 teiuGs toe
blocks Of mo engine without d cnishi-g ther force
voui have been very difficult 70 make . move1ble
steam engine work in the interior Of tinpo ~t,out
communication with the Outside under opon heaven; the
steam pushed forth by the cylinder Of the eugne would
soon have filled The gallery and rendered he working or
air the perorsne machine OF Mr.. Bartlett could be
applied 10 boee OF The sub Alpine tunnel.
Nevertheless was " be hoped that an excellent re-
suit might be Obtained n The too prop SD By
Nessfs Colsdon and Bartlett could be combnsd VIZ IL
the perorstns machae invented By Mr. Bartlett steam
could be replaced by conpressed air. ~ Mr. COLLATION. pro
posed However The great question 70 be solved for the
combination OF the tgs means hos 10 easily produse
the quan Of compress sci air necessary f0r serving
mechanic force Ia other terms, 70 create naSbno
proper 10 furnwh easily considerable mass OF con-
pressed air.
rbsse sariiniau eugussrs -Msssrs Grsnds, Gratone
scmu,eiIsrqSvs me Gfst Satisfactory sOut0n Of as
uruplem The apparatus iaventei by thess eDgnoers
permits 20 aim 1iaueJusly prosde for me ventilation Of
lie rppe he pcr,OrAtOn OF The T0cx and thS ol0asiSg