The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1865-11-26
PROBABILITIES or TRIUMPHANT SUCCESS.
Journey Of a Herald Correspondent Into
the Bowels Of the Alps.
STRIKING SCENES AND INCIDENTS
MAP OF THE LOCALITY.
sc. &cs &es
Our Fourneaux Correspondence.


Our Fourncaux Correspondence.
FoURSEaux savoy, VALLEY or THE ARC AND MOUTH
THE GaEAl ALrIss Tunnel, Oct II, 1865.
II the rocks which dam up the Niagara river and cause
the mighty fall Of water which the wonders Of
the world should give way fine evening and be
swept by the irresistible tide into the gulf below and
Niagara should be more is not probable that people
New York would be long left in ignorance or even In
doubt OF the fact And yet past three months
have been in circulation in Paris have assumed
tangible form and found way the journals Of
Europe and America regarding the fate of another won
OF the world and the truth fasy Of which, or the
relative Of each they contained, found 1t i'm
possible ascertain by any amount OF the most careful
inquiry in Paris That the work upon the great Alpine
tunnel which been In progress seven years. had
been suddenly suspended seemed TO be gener-
ally believed and various causes had been as
signed for its being brought to so abrupt a ter
minaon The Emperor Napoleon had decided that
upon the whole II would not be to his interest
the interest Of his dynastywhch are the two prn
cipal things the Emperor Napoleon looks out for-to
break down barrier which separates Italy from the
rest OF Europe and had backed out of her share
OF the bargain. The Italian government, overwhelmed
with debt had become appalled, at the daily increasing
expense Of the undertaking; the experiments In pro-
gress on the "Amercan railway Mount Cents had
already proven that perfectly practicable to scale
the mountain, and at infinitely less expense than TO
pierce through its stony heart. ledge Of quartz had
reached which found impossible to pcrforate
and which shivered drills . thousand pieces
fast they struck IL and finally, in boring, tho work
had found gold aud precious stones in immense
richness and the French Italian governments
working mine secretly for their mutual profit These
OF the principal given why the work
had been suspended for that it suspended seemed
to be generally acknowledged in Paris
SETTING SEARCH INFORMATION.
determined therefore. to go and for myself and
IN the the readers Of the HERALD ascertain what
the real difficulty was believing that II tho enterprise
had abandoned for lack Of proper machinery some
shrewd Yankee would be able upon proper representa-
ton Of the fact invent some process by which 1t
might be con tnucd 50 left Paris the 18th Of Octo
ber and arriving here the day after my departure have
been engaged for = keek in examining the ground,
visiting the tunnel itself and studying its history, and
propose furnish the readers OF the HERALD with tho
result Of my researches and observations regarding this
wonderful piece Of engineering in all respects the most
wonderful in progress in the world.
yfHsT IMPRESSIONS
The moon was rising the night Of my arrival here
began ascend uhe mountain path which follows
the course OF river Arc from ST. Michael to Mount
Gents. Through barren, narrow, steep valley, BY
ar.covercd hill sides and snow-capped mountain
tops, my Jehu drove for two hours. Just
before reaching The village of Fourneaux We
passed large white building, in the rear Of which
some twenty huge iron pipes up, looking like mon
ster organ tubes and through them heavy, hiss
ing music This the house and this the machinery
in and by means Of which the compressed air which is
the motive power that Is boring tunnel through
the Alps is II may be allowed the term, ''manufac
turodr little further on, upon the other sde and
high up the mountain. the moonlight fell upon huge
49, xoLn (.~urt ~
excavation aud back q H. mot hidden by IL, however,
from view, was the entrance to The tunnel which Is
few years 10 remove the barrier which shuts out the
broad plains Of Piedmont and the rest Of Italy from
france and Europe. aN ~ nH
may well state In the begnn that all the stories
about the work upon tho tunnel being stopped are the
caaarfs, without particle Of truth in them.
ledge Of hard quartz In many places almost pure VS.
tai VAS indeed struck IN the month Of June last This,
on n q Is 70 diminish the
OF daily work and viii NOT Is expected have any effect
upon the general result nor delay Vie completion Of the
TIE rsorik AND THs PLACE
Many not most Of the people in these valleys Of
idocy have mot YET observed any symptoms Of so.rs
compslIed 70 remain here much longer shall AZ least
have attack Of acute diocy for Fourneaux ia very
hundred houses, in which horses sheep. cows. Digs
and Savoyards all live together There Is sno good
hotel and no newspaper, and cannot ind anybody
going on the outside world. The tunnel sail that
ANYBODY las any information about here and stalking
tunnel" continually naturally without intending any
pun) becomes in time great bore II Is relief here
70 turn away from tho ignorant and stupid hadotic
and brutal looking people 70 the Wild grandeur and sub
Unity which nature hns imposed upon her handiwork
In this valley II Is mere gorge between the Alps, and
through which runs the little stream the Are There
Is only room upon the river bank for single row Of
houses most Of village beng upon the hill SIDE to-
ward the entrance 70 The tunnel
MOUNT MsSoNuR
The tunnel OF Mount Gents is an gorgeous msnomcr,
hat mountain being distance Of twentyseven k,lo-
metres 1.-THE klometre IL sxcnths and traction OIL the
English mile from here. But as Americas Vespucius
arried on the honors which should have fallen upon the
came Of Columbus and as me oa'u a o. = n1nh
able that the Coi Freus will be obliged TO rest IN com
parativo obscurily beneath the towering shadow VI
~ taller and more pretcntous and pettei known
oe.nDor desire however IN DENIAL s y mou .hs
shade land this 10 really 50 the Coi fIeus
ought 10 possess immense deal OF "mouess merit
Tor certainly looked about the shadiest place IN Inc
whole vaey TO put record the fact that Mount Gems
has swindled II Of the honor which belongs 70 H.
The culmnang point ofthe Alpine range between -Four
neaux and Bardonneche Is the Grand valon nearly
t000 feet above the level Of the sea- and the mountain
the Bard0nncce side the Col 10 u R0ue.
CouRrfots RECEPTION. - tt ~
called upon the .hevaier CopeIlo the local director
Of the work, the morning after my arrival and present.
ng my card, was nnhesa.ngly informed w him that
there ould be necessity o. my applying Turin for
permt. that h. would give line W Sgsor Gcnesio,
The director OF the actual labor At the tunnel, that
he would accompany me himself II he were not
immediately obliged 70 leave Tor Turin and That he was
hours conyersa,ion obfained vast amount Of inor
nation relative TO this immense work, which, with facts
nnd STATISTICS gathered from other sources and from
III DDveiyation, shall endeayof 70 pace IN a. under.