Wyandot County Republican. [volume] (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1869-1903, 1871-01-05

though that is a misnomer, the hole
passing at respectable distance from
that mountain. and going under tie
Grand Vallon, peak eleven thou
sand feet high. The French end is
near Modane and,the Italian end at
Rardonneche, few miles west Of
Susa The distance petween those
two points by the road over the
mountains is about fourteen miles,
but through the tunnel it will be
but about seven miles and half the
tunnel being miles 81 furlongs.
The Italian end is 434 feet higher
than the mouth at NJ Modane-the
highest point being in the middle,
whence the fall towards Modane is l
in 455, and towards Cardonneche /
in 1000, or enough to carry off the
water. The difference in elevation
is expected to play an all important
part in the ventilation of the tunnel,
for which no provision could be
made by vertical shafts, owing TO
the great height of the mountain
above. The south or italian nd
being higher and more exposed to
the sun, will, it is supposed, cause a
constant current Of air from the
north to the south. The tunnel is
liz inches higher to Bardonneche
than at Modane, the dimensions at
the latter point being 25 feet 81 inch
es wide at the base; 26 feet inches
high, the arch being nearly semi cir
cular. TIE entire tunnel is lined
with stone masonry, except at the
Bardonneche end, where the arch is
of brickwork.
The tunnel was commenced in
1857, when it lay wholly in Sardin-
ian territory. and was undertaken
by the SaEdinian Government. When
by the cession of Savoy the Modane
mouth came into French territory
the work was made the joint under
taking of the French aud Italian
Governments, on conditions en-
braced in the treaty of cession. 1t
was agreed that France should pay
a sum equivalent to six and q La f
million dollars to the Italian Gov
ernment on the completion of the
work, government retaining control
ofthe work until completed, and
that addition France should pay to
Italy stipulated premium for each
year by which term of twenty
five years, counting from 1862, is
redaced.
Then begun, the work was done
by land in the ordinary manner, but
so slow and toilsome was the task
that its completion seemed reserved
for another generation, if accom-
plishel at all. In 1861 the engineers,
Meassrs. Sommeiller, Grandis, and
Grattoni introduced at the Italian
end, and in 1868 on the French side,
a new boring instrument, perfected
by NJ. Sommeiller. The machine,
which weighs about six hundred
pounds, bores hole l I inch diam
eter and three feet deep in twenty
minutes, or six times as asst as two
miners could do the sam work by
the ordinary methods. Eleven of
those machines are p aced on NOV
able support so constructed as to
enable them to work at almost any
angle. Three or for large holer are
bored in the centre of the heading,
or face of the rock, and round these
other holes of the ordinary size,
eighty in all. The large holes are
not fired, being solely for the rur,
pose of weakeninw the rock. The
other are then fired in succession,
and in detachments, beginning with
those nearest the centre, and work
ing outgards. The machines are
worked with compressed air acting
directly on piston in a cylinder,
which is compressed outside
by water wower acting Oh the hy-
draulic ram principle, and also by an
air pnmp. After compressure to a
density of fiveatmospheric pres
it is conveyed to the workings hy
pipe Il inches in diameter, and
when spent in the borers escapes in
to th tunnel and so ventilates it.
These machines are only used in
the advanced headings, the enlarge
ment of the tunnel to the full size,
the mason work and the other work
being done in the ordinary manel
by manual labor.
The agreement between the two
government contemplates the COM
pletion of the tunnel in 1887. The
stimulus Of the premium offered by
French government SO hasteaed the
work that it was hoped it would bt
completed in 1872. 1t is now prob.
able that carly in 1871 trains will be
running between France and Ital,
directly through the bowels of the
Alps.