The post. [volume] (Middleburg, Snyder County, Pa.) 1864-1883, 1871-01-12
The VT. Cents Tunuel-An
Interesting ana Most
pOrtant WORK,

the Red Sea at the Southeast, it will
be seen that 10 pass between these
points one may sail down the Eastern
Atlantic, through the long stretch OF
the Mediterranean, and at Alexandria
or, crossing France to Marsci les, h.,
may save part of the distance by wa
ter; or by land route, he may cross
B,lgium and Germany into Austria,
and passing round cast of Switzcr.
land, and returning around the head
Of the Adriatc uia Triesta ard Ne-
nice, lie may go down through East
ern Italy to Brindisi, aud then by a
short sea-voyago reach Alexandria.
But q dirict line, hualreis Of miles
shorter than the others, is to 20 thro'
France by way Of Lyons, thence ever
to Susa and Turin in Italy, aud SO
on to Brindisi.
But right across this route tho Al.
pine chain Of mountains raises for
midablc barrier. The pass of Mt. Ce-
nis over the Alps is on the line but
though travcrsed by the great ar.
mics Of Hannibal and of Napoleon. it
is fearful passage. Three years u
go. on October 18th we went over to
Mt. Gems wiIba small party (wiio
thrcc children aud iricud). To
meraly cross tho mountains, -
miles from ST. Michael to Susa, cost
us 10 hour, Of severe travclinc-vcry
dangerous, we should call it, did
not so many 60 sately. The route
ran along the edges Of steep gorgcs
often impedcd by large masses Of snow,
the cold was intense and relays OF
twenty stout horses were riquered to
take our one carriage up and down,
at n cost of 800 francs $50 gold)
Two aud twenty hosrices or shelter
stations are established, aud needed
along the mountain road, to afford
shelter and assistance to travellers
Msny hundreds Of heavy vehicles, dill.
igclccs, etc, were passed or met on
the mountain, transporting pas5cn'
gers, mails AMI merchandise between
France and Italy. 1t was well to
try this route once for the grandeur of
the scenery, and to know by actual
observation what difficulties are sur
mounted We would prcicra journey
of II thousand miles around, and by
sca at that, to making another Octo-
Der journey oyer the Mt. Cents Pass
But the end is at hand. That
great mountain, requiring ~ miles
travel to get over it, vas TOO great to
he eveled for the iron horse, aud the
enterprise aud energy Of man have
found q way through it, ON our
way up, VIC saw at ForncauN a small
opeuing, nearly hidden by immense
buildings aud machinery at its mouth
and near by we're mountain heaps OF
dcbris--brokcn stone and earth. To
the inquiry Of our driver, when the
tunnel would be cut through, he an
swered with shrug of the shoulders (;
Never nobody expects it," The
engineers themselves hoped to get thro'
by 1874. But the telegraph brings us
word that the workmen on either side,
who had penetrated in distance OF
three or four miles each, had met in
the bow els of the mountain on Christ
mas, and that it now only remains to
smooth over the opening and lay down
the rails, when the iron horse will in
less than an hour take from France to
italy q train of comfortable cars, with
people enough to fill hundred diligen-
ces, and freight that would require
thousands of horses by the old road,
In short, this tunnel through the Alps
opens short, direct, easy road be-
tween all Of Western Europe and the
Indian Ocean, aud the famous realms
beyond. With our Pacific railway,
the smooth passage of the peaceful
(Pacifc) ocean, tho railways already
built across HiIdoos'an, tho Suez Ca
nal, and the completed Alpine tunnel,
a voyage around our planuet will soon
become q pleasure.trip, less iatiguiug.
and consuming little mora time than
did a journey from New-England to
Illinois, within the memory Of the
writer aud Of many Of our readers.
We have not space to speak at length
of the skiliul appliances of science and
mechanism brought into uso in the
construction of this famous tunnel
At either end, powerful mountain
streams wero used to drive the drilling
and excavating machinery, while its
escape within supplied pure air and
ventilation. as an outward current was