Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1861-10-10
The Passage ThrouCh tbe AIMS,

The work of tunneling Mount Gems is being
rapidly executed, and its completion is now
promised in 1866. A few days since, the Ital-
ian Minister of Public Works, accompanied by
a French engineer and several members of the
Chamber, chiefly scientific and practical men,
went to Birdoneehe to inspect the works, and
have since declared that they feel no doubt of
their completion by the time named For some
hours they witnessed The working OF the ma
chimes for cutting the rock. The opinion of the
scientific men who were present at the expert
ment, apd among whom we're NM SelIa,
Cadolinl, end Pecceto, is, that the mechanical
difficulties OF the cutting will be fully over
come
The perforating machine, in somewhat less
than an hour, made seventy holes In the noun.
tain at the end of the opening. The holes which
were made 10 the center, in order to permit
breach to be effected by blasting, were three
centimetres (rather more than one and three
quarter inches) in diameter; the others made
round it, for the same purpose, were two CEN
timetres. The depth of the holes was from
sixty TO ninety centimetres (rather more than
twenty.tbree inches to about thiIty-fVe and
halD. From repeated experiments made in
masses OF schist, with single perforating in
strument, 1t was proved that ten minutes labor
was sufficient to make hole of sixty centime-
men would be occupied for an hour in efecting
one.
The machine employed cuts simultaneously
from twenty to thirty holes in space Of four
square metres-that is, one in which it would
not be handy to employ three or four men. The
machine thus presents an advantage which, as
regards space, Is three or four fold, and as re-
CARDS time six-fold, what conld be done by work
men. The advantage is, however, somewhat
diminished by the fact that the machine must
be dregged back u a distance Of 100 metres, or
more, whenever blasting has to be resorted TO,
and that it cannot be got TO work again until
after the ground is cleared Of the fragments Of
rock, and until the front of the mountain is
made tolerably smooth. But it is certain that
when the workmen shall have obtained greater
skill they will be able to perform the three op-
eraions OF boring, blasting and clestibg away
in three or four hours at the outside.
When operations can be commenced on the
side of tModane, as they will be in few weeks,
is is certain that six metres of rock can be re-
moved in day. This will make more than
Two kilometres (fve-eighths of mile each) a
year; and it is probable from what is now being
accomplished that three kilometres may be at.
tanned. In that case, the cutting of the tunnel
can be terminated by 1864. Ii follows that NJ.
GrattOni, the engineer, runs little risk by Offer
ing to bet, as It ia said he has done, l0O, ,0O0f.
that this great work will be finished in FIVE
years. Unforeseen obstacles may, however,
arise from the rock becoming harder, water
spriDging, or assures taking place. But moth
ing thus far causes such obstacles to be feared.
The rock, at least on the side of Bardoneche,
ia Of sehist, which is Of no great resistance, and
in which are sihcious veins, and instead Of in.
convenience being caused by water fltering
through, as had been feared, some ia caused by
insuffciency Of moisture. The "bydro pneu-
matte" force applicable is equal to $50 horse
power, but the machinery has never yet been
fully tested. BY a simple contrivance the same
machine supplies constant current Of fresh air
10 the galleries where the men are working. -
About 1900 metres are already completed and
they proceed at q rate of three metres a day
which they expect shortly to bring to q much
higher average, as the men get more used tC
working the machinery. ys 40.
NJ. SOmeiller Is Joined with Signor Grattoni
IN the undertaking., and also, it is said, in the
invention of the engine used for boring. The
completion of this work would bring Turin with
in twenty hours of Paris and thirty of London
and would give continuous line OF railway to
Genoa, Milan, the lakes Maggiore and Como
to Bologna, Mantua,- Venice, and Trieste, from
which station the lover of locomotion may re-
turn via Vienna to Paris; and all in few
hours. stf H.-'.s9 q. t.hil.'' ... ....