The Andrew County Republican. [volume] (Savannah, Mo.) 1871-1876, 1871-11-15
in this great French city.-M 7. Times Paris
LETTER.
Subm aY,ne TunneUno,

in this great French CITY, +. Tunes fdr's
Letter.
Subm anne runnelIng.
European advices state that the project is
revived of constructing . submarine tunnel
under the Strait of Dover, to connect by
a railroad Dover in England with Calais In
France. The distance between the two
places Is twenty-one miles. and the mail
boats make the run in from 50 to 30 minutes.
Though the journey is not long, Its discom-
forts have been q wailing theme for tourists
of all countries. The Strait, from joining
the British Channel with the North Sea, is
subject to a nasty chopping sea, which In
times of bad weather is dashed up into such
a perfect foaming as to make the passage
somewhat dangerous. Hence this short sea
trip Is looked upon In the light Of the hor-
rors of the "middle passage" and the Joys
and delights offs months trip on the Con-
tiuent, or In the British isles, are all efaced
by the recolIections Of the nsuseating sick
ness suffered in passing from Dover to Ca
lais. and uiee uersa.
About four years since the practicability
of constructing such a tunnel was mootedi,
Emperor. An International Committee,
composed of eminent engineers of both
France and England, was formed, who
made q favorable report to Napoleon on the
subject. Subsequently the plans received
the Endorsement Of the eminent English en-
gineers, J. Hawkshaw, J. Brunless and w.
Low, and also Talbot, Chevalier and Gou-
mould. of France. The French ministry,
viewing the matter as an international ques-
cabinet, as to the contributions that each
nation should make to the undertaking.
The matter was discussed in the papers, and
the only obstacle raised vas the difficulty
Of keeping up a proper system OF ventila-
ton.
The Franco-German war came, and in
definitely postponed the matter; but the
Theirs government have again revived 1t.
The opening Of the Mont Gents tunnel has
dispelled all the theories as to imperfect
ventilation, and nov nothing remains but
mates place the cost ut fifty millions of del
lars, and one argument used In Its favor is,
that 1t forms part Of the project which is to
place England in direct railroad eommuni-
cation with Its indian possessions. In an-
swer to the apprehension that there is dan
ger from q rush Of sea water In such q tun-
mel. the reply is made that the coal mines
of Cumberland and Northumberland run for
great distances under the sea. and these, with
their galleries, are many lines the distance
between Dover and Calais.
The modern plan Of tunneling under wa
ter, as successfully tested in a subway under
the Thames. that Of constructing the tunnel
of wrought iron tubing, has been mentioned
In this connection as better and cheaper than
brick. The cuttings through the chalky
stratum which Is knewn to exist between
England and France will be mere child's
play as compared with the rocky material
which has been carved through at Mont
Gents, and 1t is calculated that the work will
univ nrcfrnv fopr Caorc In construction II
will not be surprising to find the project
taken in hand by European capitalists, so
strong Is the tendency everywhere apparent
to bring the ends of the earth together, IN
spite of mountains. oceans and seas.
SOUTHERN LIGHTs.-We have heard of
the northern lights, or aurora bOrealis, but
we ere not in the habit of rejecting that the
same phenomenon Is to be seen In the
southern hemisphere, where it lis called the
southern light. In order to establish a re-
lation between the magnetic disturbances in
the north aud south, and to prove that there
is q perfect coincidence and Simultaneous
ness In the auroral light Of the two hemis-
pheres, Professor Heis. OF Munster, has en-
tered into n correspondence with the direc-
tors Of observatories at various stations in
Australia and the East, and has been able
TO collec. much Interesting and novel infor-
nation, which may serve as data In che So
luton Of the question Of the probable orig.
in of this class Of phenomena.
From records /, pit in 1870, itsppears that
the aurora of the Sth of January was OBJ
served st the same time In Oxford, Liver
pool and Melbourne. Magnetic disturbances
were noted, on the 4th of January, in Mel
bourne. Rome and various stations IN France
and England. The southern light Of Feb
ruary LIST. In Melbourne. was the northern
hight, at the same time, in Paris, London,
kOnigsberg, Stockholm, and other European
cities. March shows several instances Of
similar coincidence In mngnetical and aurc-
raj phenomena. Some months were cx-
ceedingly rich In simultaneous suroras, and
there was not n month In which c0incldent
observations were not made. 1t adds very
much to the grandeur Of these phenomena
to know that they are visible at nearly the
same moment entirely around the globe, and
as soon rs we have a long series Of observa-
lions. we shall be better able to give n ra-
tional explanation Of their probable origin.
-.Scisatiic AmericaH.