Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1871-01-13
THE 1Ioar GEMS rUaaEI.

The great tunnel was commenced "a
years since and completed on the a6th
inst. 1t IS a misnOmer to call it the
Mont Gents Tunnel, for it in fact passes
under Mont Frejus, sixteen miles west of
Mont Cents. Notwithstanding this error.
it is improbable it viii ever be corrected
for when the great public bestow name
it is very unusual indeed TO have IL
changed.
The highest point in the Napoleon
road over Mont Gems is ?. 100 French
meters, or 8 1890 feet above the sea level.
The entrance into the tunnel on the
French side is at 4,o46 feet above that
level, and the Italian side 354 feet high
er. SO the tunnel has an ascending
grade of 445 feet per mile from the
French side. 1t is about 5 feet in height
and width, and the usual shape of tun-
nels in our own State, and IS protected
by brick arch. The entire length IS
o,oo4 feet, or seven miles and 6-lo lt
is evident this work required great en-
gineering skill and the most accurate me
struments, for the slightest divergence
from the true line near the beginning of
the work at the distance Of 81 miles from
the center would cause the workmeu to
pass each other and make an inconEen-
| lent curve midway Of the tunnel The
chief engineer of the work was III. Mans,
a Belgian, and inventor of the ingenious
yet simple perforating machine with
which the mighty Alps have been Plcrc-
ed This machine consists Of q frame
work of iron on which is placed IRON
cylinders, wherein are the ponoerous
mining chisels or periorators SIX feet
long and an inch in diameter, put in
motion with incredible rapidity, and
slightly turned after each blow SO that
in two minutes the pcrioradon IS acCp-
ened two inches. This SO completely
dulls the perforator tha- others must be
substituted, of which there is an immense
supply and the dull one is sharpencd on
/ the spot. The machines are consuucted
by Cocl1erill & Co, Of Liege, and are
marvels Of fine workmanship. AS many
as seventeen Of them are successfully
worked at each end OF lhe tunnel. The
motive power is compressed air, forced
into the place Of working through tubes
from either side of the mountain, whence
it is forced in by water power, The pres
sure is over 90 pounds TO the square inca
which works the machines most chec-
lively. The iron tube conveying The oir
from the Italian side was more than lcrr
miles long, yet no difficulty was expert
enced in working the machines at that
distance. In fact, the whole work prc-
ceeded without interruption night and
day, with the exception OF few hish
holidays, so that the work has been
completed within thirteen years, whereas
the engineers estimate was hW,f-hVe
years.
The worlSmen labored faithfplM and
in general enjoyed good health tholgh
the temperature was high, owing DO the
depth beneath the mountain, and the
number of men and animals employed,
so that the thermometer has varied but
slightly from So. The workmen num-
Der nearly a thousandat either side, and
are distributed along the work.
Napoleon III. has generally been
credited with carrying on this important
work. but it is said that Italians Origina-
ted and carried it on until the anncNa-
ton of Savoy 10 France, when the latter
first became inuusted with it. Il is high
Iy creGitable to the descendants OF build
sss- -ofthe great Roman roads and acQuc-
ducts, that they have just completed
stupendous work which compares iovoI-
ably. if il does not surpass, amy cl thc
gigantic works Of their ancestors. and
that too, i'm the face Of The decision ot
scientific engineers. who declarcu tne
work utterly impracticahle, 81 not m-
possible.