The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1870-12-30
The Mont Cents rupne,

-onOhr'stmas afternoon, the workmen
on the French and Italian sides Of the
Mont Gents Tunnel had come so near
each other as to exchange greetings
through the barrier Of rock that still
divided them, and on the following dav
that barrier was itself removed. While
Northern France 10 drenched with blood
and echoes to the sound Of hostile can.
non, the peaceful task Of boring a pas
sage through the Alps, of establishing
a perpetual and easy line of transit
between two great nations, has been
brough hit to q conclusion. Napoleon the
First built the road across Mont Gents
Napoleon the Third hoped to have com.
pleted the road throughit. 1t is salts
factory to see that whatever may be the
changes Of dynasties or OF international
relations, this great work of engineering
has gone steadily on, and that the world
will soon enjoy the benefit of it.
The tunnel through Mont Cents, as
most of our readers know, is eight miles
In length, without shaft. It's cost is
reckoned at about ten millions of dol
lars. The railway will plunge into the
side of the mountain at Fourneau, some
three miles from Modane, in the valley
of the Arc, and will emerge in Italy
near spot called Nardonneche. The
closest calculators have assigned the
date Of April, 1871 for the completion
OF the tunnel, and estimated that about
six months more would be needed for
opening the railway. This was founded
o. the expectation Of excavating at
about the rate of ITO metres-or, say.
300 ieet, a month-reckoning the pro
ress at both ends. But, partly owing
20 greater ease than was looked for in
penetrating portions of the rock, and
partly to Improvements in the tools
employed, the work has been more ex-
peditiously executed. 1t is now proba-
bic, if no political complications pre-
vent it, that the whole will be finished
and trains running, by July ! of the
coming year
The Mont Gents Tunnel having be-
come practically, an accomplished fact
a stimulus will doubtless be given to
other and greater enterprises abroad OF
similar character. Chief among
these is the proposed tunnel under the
British Channel. Several eminent en-.
ginetrS, both French and English have
expressed their confidence in the practi-
cabiity of this scheme. among whom
may be named Mr.. William Low, Mr.
Hawkshaw, and NJ. Thome de Gamond.
In fact, preliminary borjngs on the two
coasts, and surveys OF the bed of the
channel have been in progress for some
time. On the English shore boring
was begun a. St. Margarets Bay, near
the South Foreland, in 1866 and has
been carried through the chalk and
into the green sand to a depth of
$40 feet below high water In
France, similar shaft, at a point three
miles westward of Calais, has been
carried down about 52D feet. The re-
suit OF all that has been done goes to
show that the tunnel can be safely car
riCd through what is termed the lower
gray chalk; that icrnptions from the
sea or land springs can he sufficiently |
guarded against; and that proper ven
tilation can be fully assured These
are the main difficulties that have been
apprehendel, and their removal rem
ders the scheme entirely feasible When
once carried out, sea-sickncSs in cross !
ing the boisterous channel may be for
ever avoided, while the cost Of trans
portation between the two countries will
be permanently reduced.
The engineering exploits which to-
day are matters Of course, appeared inn
possible generation ago. We are now
as sure OF our East RIVER bridge as of
our Pacific railroads, and no great risk
is run in predicting that tunnels under
both the East and North rivers will be |
built in few years. The iron rails
that already reach to the Pacific will be
extended in no long period to Alaska
Itself, and tunnel under Behring
Straits, connecting the Oldest with the
newest continent and forming part Of an
unhroken railroad from New York to
st. Petersburg may be among the posi-
hlines Of the iuture.-Nc,0 York Times