Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1871-10-26
THE MONT GEMS TUNNEL.


Tine Location, Construction and HIS.
tory of tIe Great Alpine Tunne i--HoSv
Is was Driglnafcd--'rae DiHic mites OF
she Cndertaking.
L From the New York Tribune,
The Mont Gems Tunnel may now be
named with the Suez Canal, the Pacific
Railroad, and the Atlantic cables, in
recording the great enterprises begun
and Completed within She last fifteen
years. Trains are now constantly pass
ing through it, and on Monday, IN the
presence of distinguished assemblage,
it WAS formally opened
The need OF an unbroken highway
between France and ITALY has been
strikingly obvious since the railroad
line approached their respective from,
tiers. Arriving by rail from Paris, the
traveller bound for Italy hitherto pro-
ceeded from ST Michael over the noun
tain, passing Modane, Lans-le-B ourg,
the Mont Cents Hospice, and thence
descending the PERCEPTIONS slope by
Molaretto, hereached Giaglione, whence
the railroad is open to Turin and all
Italy. This journey enabled one to be-
hold the sublime scenery Of the Pass,
but was wanting in the convenience
and safety which the railroad through
the tunnel, now affords. Besides. it
usually required five or six hours to ac-
complish the journey over the noun
tains, while by the tunnel route one
may travel over the entire distance be-
tween Paris and Turn in eighteen
hours.
Upward OF thirty wears ago Som
meiller advocated the construction OF
tunnel through the Alps, but his pro
posal was treated with Indifference and
inercdulity. When, however, the great
engineering triamphs in this country
and Europe demonstrated it's practica.
bihty ii was resolved to attempt the
great work Several years were occu-
pied in discussing plans and hearing
ohjeGtions, until Mt length, in 1857, the
work was actually commenced. Savoy
was then portion OF the Sandman
Kingdom, and, apart from the general
usefulness of the tunnel in forming a
connecting link between the French
and italian railroad system, Victor
Emanuel desired to establish speedy
communication between the two dis
tlact races which had constituted one
people for more then ten centuries.
Sardinia prosecuted the work aswell az
her feeble resources would permit, TN
I'll the Italmn campaign OF 1859, by CIV
ing her Lombardy aud losing her Sa-
qoy, rendero IA new arrangement III re-
gard TO the project imperative.
THE LOCATION AND COST or rnE Tunnel.
Although called Che Mont Gems
tunnel, the name is misnomer, as the
track selected is n considerable distance
from that mountain. Leaving a point
above tn, village of FourneauX ON the
French side, 3 90i feet above the sea
level, 1t strikes through The mountain
Mt u point between the Col de Freius
and the Col de In Rome, not lar from
that great clustering mass which bears
the name of Mount Tabor, aud from
which the mountain chain stretches over
Mont Ambln, and the littlo Mont Gents
to the Great Mont Gems The highest
point attained by the tunnel is 1877
feet above the sen, and 3, $50 feet below
the crest of the mountain overhead.
From this point the tunnel slopes down
to the other opening otthe tunnel on the
Italian side, n Bariouneche, 4,33i feet
above the sea, at the top cf a lofty
glen of the same name, whence the mil.
road goes down TO OuiX on the Dona
R,paria, following the course of. that
valley 10y Sulhertmnd and ExilleS, till
il debouehes into the wide open valley
of Susa at BussoIino
Incited both by her new obligations
On anneNing Savoy, and her cordial re.
lations with the Italian people, France
evincsd in 1860 great interest in the
Mont. Gems project, and showed an
eager desire to hasten It's completion
Accordingly m arrangement was enter
ed into wherein strong Inducements
we're offered To the sister nation to com
plete the great highway. The total
expenses OF constructing the tunnel
amount to SIS, 900. 600, OF which sum
Victor Emanuel or the Railway of North
Italy contributes $4,000, 600, which ~
TO be paid ON or before the opening OF
the tunnel. The French Government
agreed 70 pay Italy SS,oO10o0 X the
work was finished within twenty wears,
reckoning from 1852 But II thJ
work was finished ne an oarlICC date
France bound herself to ray &lop, oot
moro for ever year gained upon th,
stipulated time. The Incentive which
France thus pruteSsed to afford has Ger
tainly attafnc3 ITS end. The work. il
now finished eleven years before thJ
limit named, aud uccoriiugly Frank
will hayetc pay si,yCa, eco besides tht
$4,000, 900 Of the uliginai Stipend. She