The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-05-28
UNDER THE SEA.
The Projected Railway. Between Dover and


For some years past there has been con-
siderable amount of attention directed to the
probability of effecting n communication be-
tween England and France without the necessity
of undergoing what to so many persons is re-
garded with feelings of averson-thc short sea-
passage The idea of making tunnel under
the Straits of Dover was suggested to Napoleon
the First, but then the scheme merely contem-
plated carriage way and footpaths on each side
of the road. In 1917 VI. dc Gamond prepared,
with great elaboration, his plans for II tunnel
sous marin, between England and France, show
ing the position and dimensions of the various
shafts and plans of a central dock, to be con-
structcd in the Straits. Mr.. Remington, an
English engineer also prepared plans on the
same subject, and Mr.. Hawllshaw the engineer
has for some time past been engaged in taking
preliminary soundings and surveys for Il tunnel.
A distinguished French engineer desirous to
avoid the making of n tunnel, boldly suggests
the construction OF bridge across the
Channel To this list of projects
may now be added one which
shows that in the matter of crossing the Channel
more than the usual three courses which are
applicable to every matter are available. The
Channel, for instance, may be crossed above by
means of bridge, upon it by steamer, and be-
meath by a tunnel. \ fourth mode proposed is
that of going neither above, upon, or below, but
through the body of the water in the Straits. 1t
is actually proposed to build tube sink ii par
tally and support il in the water in such man.
ner as to admit OF the passage through it OF
Y
daring engineering scheme was probably never
suggested. 1t is proposed that the iron tube for
the railway shall be laid across from the English
to the French coast and be supported at
depth of 30 feet below the surface of the water
by iron stanchions or tressels the feet of which
will rest upon the bed of the straits. The
tube is to be in its outside diameter
% feet inches, and with view of
giving it sufficient strength to resist the pressure
of the weight of water: to sustain the weight OF
the trains between the points of support; and
allow for the decay caused by the action of the
water the tube is TO be of cast iron, inches in
thickness being nearly twice the thickness of
the armor-pates of the Warrior iron-clad. The
length of the tube between each pair of legs or
supports is to be 300 feet, and the weight of
each of these sections 5000 tons. Each of these
lengths of 300 feet is TO be made up of eight
segments of 81 feet inches and these are to be
firmly bolted together by means of 1919 steel
bolts passing through the internal ilanges of
each length of tube. Ask the bold engineer how
these segments are TO be put together In the
water and he explains the matter i'm the most
practical manner. Each segment will be made
watertight by Il bulkhead, and will be lowered
until il is brought into exact position with the
portion previously fixed, and when made fast by
the bolts the near bulkhcad will be removed, and
the Workmen will pass on to the next see
ton. The stanChiOns which will have to carry
the tube are made, rs it may be supposed, of
enormous strength. They will vary in length
according to the depth of the water The largest
will be lO6 feet in length; it will be formed hol
low, tapering from each end to the middle where
1t will be Z feet inches in diameter the ends
being feet inches in diameter. They will be
cast in three pieces and bolted together by cast
steel bolts on inside ianges. The weight OF each
OF these legs or stanchiOns will be 454 tons. In
order to give them a sure fOOthOld ut the bottom
OF the sea, they will be fastened by bolts to discs
! OF metal 70 feet in diameter, and weighing 81
TONS 10 prevent any lateral motion, the feet of
these stanchlons will be held together by tension
pirs lOO leet long and weighing 20 tons, and u
similar tension bar, though of less length, will
conhect ana hold the stanchion at the upper eX-
uemlly' Inc bolts that are to hold and keep
ule sIahGhlons apart weigh not less than Az tons
@ @o'cn me transverse strength Of the tube when
olWPle@ted W @ mas been satisfactorily ascertained to
pe SGuo4 tons, and ii loaded in the middle it
WoulG salely carry $500 tons weight In order
W SINK inc tuDe, each section of 300 feet will be
loaaea wlth ADD tons OF rails air and water tubes
ana OF 1870 tons Of ballast or shingle each se~
lnent as II Is lowered being provided with its
due share of dead weight, to ensure the neces1
sary displacement OF water. The pressure Of the
now OF the tides will be equal to 450lbs on every
! square loot OF the cross sectional area. bnt The
sulhchlons are calculated to be of sufficient
Suehgth TO resist any movement from this cause
me ventilation OF the tube is to be provided by
stationary steam power at one of the en-
frances 10 the tube, which will force a sufl-
cheney oi air through channel con-