Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1871-01-20

year lofU, tne practlcai cOulpictioH VI 'hO
Mont Cents tunnel, is a timely reminder
of the truth we are too apt to forget-that
the worlds labor and thought are not ST.
fenced by the shock Of war and the clash OF
armies. Millions may be engaged in con-
fict, but the people are hundreds OF mill
ions and the success of this, the most re-
markable engineering enterprise ever un-
dertaken, will lead to results far more inn
portant, as affecting the masses Of the peo-
pie, now and hereafter, than all the battles
which have been fought in Europe during
the past half century.
The work of piercing the Alps, and open
ing an easier and safer means of commu-
nication between France and Italy than
that afforded by Napoleon's perilous road
over the mountains, or the still more per-
ilous railway which follows its tortuous
course, is one of the most difficult ever un-
dertaken and has been fourteen years in
progress. Its length, from Bardoneche,
where the ground was broken on the Ital-
ian side, to Fourneau, on the French side,
| is fourteen thousand yards, or nearly eight
I nIiiesf Srfistly speaking, n Goes not pierce
| Mont Ger $, but is bored through Col de
| Frejus, Grand Vallon and Col de la Roue,
three lower peaks of the Savoy Alps. I'm
der the circumstances it was impossible TO
sink shafts, as in ordinary tunnels, and it
was doubted by many accomplished and
experienced engineers whether the COM
| pletion of the work would he found possi-
sible on this account, since 1t was thought
men would not be able to breathe, much
| lpqg N yprlx
obviate this difficulty, an ingenious ma
chine was devised by NM. Gratonno and
Somnlelier, the eminent French engineers
engaged in the work, which, operated by
means of compressed air, not only kept
the drills constantly at work, but supplied
abundant ventilation to the tunnel. One
of these machines, of $50 horse power, was
| set in operation at each end of the bore.
The atmospheric compression was effected
by means of water power, and for fourteen
years these machines have steadily cut
passage through the heart of the mountain.
Each drill, which had a stroke equal to
two hundred and fifty pounds weight, made
two hundred revolutions per minute. In
commo rock the average progress was
nine feet per day, but through the white
| quartz, almost as hard as diamond, which
constitutes the vertebr@ of the mountain,
| the average progress did not exceed sixteen
inches daily. 1t is said that while working
through this quartz the workmen needed
no lights, as the interior of the tunnel was
brilliantly illuminated by the shower of
sparks which followed each blow of the
drills. As preparation for blasting,
about ninety holes, each three feet in depth
and three inches in diameter, were drilled
and charged with powder. The machine
was then withdrawn and the blast fired.
bringing down the surface of the rock to
the depth of several feet, and leaving vast
piles of debris to be removed by rail. So
hard was the rock in many places that
the drills often needed to be replaced every
few minutes. The tunnel when fully com
pleted will have a double track through
ont. epd is cost will reach total of $780,,
O0o, do frdhcs.
This magnificent material enterprise was
originally undertaken by the Italian gov
ernment which for many years prosecuted
the work alone. The French government
subsequently lent helping hand, and not
even the war has checked for moment
the progress of the work toward success
full completion. But while we give full
credit to the energy and enterprise of the
two nations under whose auspices a pas
sage has been opened through the Alps, it
is proper to state that, without the use of
compressed air for the double purpose of
driving the drills and ventilating the bore,
the successful completion of the work
would have been indefinitely delayed, if
not rendered wholly impossible. This
new motive power, which is at once effect
i've and economical, promises to become II
valuable addition, not merely to the appli-
ances of modern engineering science, but
to the progress of all forms of productive
and manufacturing industry. The new
principle so successfully applied by VI NJ.
Gratonne and Sommeller, and, we believe.
by the engineers engaged on the Hoosac
tunnel, can be made as useful in operating
looms and spindles as in driving drills, and
it is proposed to bring this motive power
into general use in several manufacturing
cities in this State in a very ingenious man
ner. The experiment will first be tried in
Rochester, where, by means of water pow
r r,atmospheric air will be compressed in
to reservoirs, where it will be conducted
in pipes, like gas or water, to machine
shops, factories and other establishments
at distance from the reservoirs. If the
plan succeeds at Rochester, an attempt is
to be made 10 utilize the water power OF
Niagara for the compression of enough air
to run all the manufactures in Buffalo, to
which city it will be conducted through
large iron pipes and distributed wherever
needed. 1t is estimated that saving oi
ninety-five per cent can be effected by the
substitution OF compressed air for steam as
"a motive power, when the former is sup
piled TO several consumers from com
mon reservoir. The pressure of air need
ed is said to be equal to seven atmospheres
BY its use many of the dangers incident tC
the use of steam would be avoided, tho
I management of engines greatly simplified
and many lives saved that are nov annual
ly lost through the carlessness or incompe
tence of those entrusted with the supervis
ion and care of steam boilers. AR can b,
condensed for use in seaboard cities as wei
as elsewhere, since the rise and fall of til,
tide furnishes abundant natural waite
| Po"Si W. shiH PhA pooti hih Aht VA
: pertinent succeed at Rochester 1t will prob
ably be attempted in this city. Thus thu
nations to whom the world is indebted TO
the great achievement of tunneling tn
Alps, are doubly our creditors for valuable
contributions to the progress of civiliza
tion, greater and more permanent thai
= any that ever resulted from merely militia
D nv success.-The Iron A1e.
u u CHEPTRR OF SRCRRT LEIS-
\ TORr.
y Tho Washington Patriot of the 2sth ult
.l..N 10, l.