The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-11-04
THE COMPREHENSIVE airuRE OF MODERN ENGINEERING.
The Prcpcsed Tunnel Under the English
Charmed.
lrroo, the American Artisan.

Il'rom the American Artisan Nov. A.
Aside from ~ almost universal! inInStering TO the
varied necessities 10 which humanity Is heir, there
Is no More thoroughly distinctive Yea. ure or en-
gneerng science at the present time than lis nearly
nirless scope with reference not only TO the
COLOSSAL nature OF the mechanical agences brought
10 bear to accomplish given objects, but IN even
greater degree to the immediate results which
must flow from the attainment OF those Objects.
In this, modern engineering diners much from
that vi more remote and less progressive ages, in
which even the greatest projects seldom looked
stance. the Chinese wall extending for hundreds OF
leagues or the borders OF barren wiiirrnesscs aud
requiring III its construction the labor OF countless
hosts OF worsmen for unnumbered years. was IN
tended for no other use than 10 keep the wandering
Tartar robbers from the deep TILED hcl1s OF the Cen
tra Flowery Kingdom. anu when completed served
this simple purpose and no other. The same engi-
neering effort expended IN our own time and among
enlightened ne0pe would be designed 70 pro lace
some economy Of time, some utilization OF forces
or some rev agency by which labor could
be better applied than was possible before;
and instead OF acting an inert part in
some merely passive function, would cons itute an
active means for the development Of progress and
would inure not alone TO the benefit OF The genera-
ton that made the effort, but would also form
source or perennial benefit to those that came after.
may be mentioned the Suez Canal. which. when cont
peted 30 that ships may pass direct from the Medi-
terranean the Red sea, and thence 20 India, must
create revolution in the between the Oc-
cent and the East OF scarcely less magnitude than
discovery OF the passage around the Cape Of
Good Hone. Thus, also, should the long-taAei-of
canal across the narrow region lying between North
ana South America ever become reality ships NAV
sail in only slightly devious way from the cities
the Atlantic seaDoard to the harbors that ndclt the
coast or Asia, ana bear 10 them. from Anolo.axon
looms and for2cs products OF greater value than the
spoil that Castan ana Portuguese navigatora
dreamed Of In their early visions OF Cathay. An
other illustration OF the same idea may he found
in the project. often revived, OF joining the Island
Of Great Britain with the Continent by tun-
mel driven through the soft chalk or limestone
that Is believed to constitute the bottom OF The
English Channel, and the Importance Of which
project IL successfully carried out cannot be esti
mated merely by the increased facility which would
he Afforded thereby 10 travel and transportation. but
rather by the community OF interest and the promo
ton Of harmony between two nations with whom
the memory OF Waterloo Is not yet eflaccd. IN each
Of these examples MANY Others OF like charac-
ter might be adduced-we find that however mighty
the project in itself may be- II IL far transcribed In
proportions by the results direct Indirect derived
thereirom, AMI IN this last. especially may he said to
lie the colossal and iarextending scope Of modern
engineering.