The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1872-05-25
Tunneling the Straits of Dover.

on the 18th Of January company was
registered in London under the title of
The Channel Tunnel, for making a trial
shaft and driving driftway on the English
side of the Straits of Dover. This is the
Inauguration Of an attempt to carry out
the much talked-of tunnel to connect the
=" fast anchored isle with France 1t is
expected that one of two lines will be chos
en-. NJ. de Gamond, a French engineer,
favors a route from Cape Point, near Folk
estone, in England, to a spot little east
ward of Cape Grisnez in France, while
Mr.. Low, an English engineer, advocates a
line from half mile west of South-Fore-
land TO point four miles west Of Calais.
1t is presumable that the expense will be
the great obstacle to encounter, as the mere
question of the practicability Of tunnelling
under the Dover Straits has been abund-
antly demonstrated in several Of the min
ing districts on the English coast.
At Whitebaven, the workings" extend
for three miles under the sea, in a direct
line, and are connected by branch tunnels
Some Of these are situated from eighty to
two hundred yards below the bed of the
sea, but many are at a much less depth.
Biologists are almost uniformly agreed
that the channel Of the Dover Straits was
formed by the simple washing away Of an
lsthmus, and therefore, that there will be
no dislocation Of strata to be encountered.
The cuttings will be through gray chalk,
except at the English end of the line pro-
posed by NJ. de Gamond, where the forma-
ton Is green sand. 1t is calculated that
two tunneling machines, working without
intermission night and day, one from each
end of the projected tunnel, would COM
plete driftway-or experimental tunnel
seven feet III diameter, In q single year.
ANY estimate of the cost of the tunnel
must be to a certain extent conjecturA /;
but it is thought that it could be completed
in five years, and for five million pounds
Calculations based on the revenue derived
from the present modes of transit to the
Continent, and the extra traffic that would
arise from the improved means of travel,
show that, at a very moderate estimate, the
revenue would be ESQ, 900 per annum.
This project to tunnel twenty-five miles
under the ocean is a most stupendous I'M
dertaking, and, as the London Times says,
Though the arguments, facts, and con-
| lectures of the advocates of the work have
much plsulhility, at the same time there
hangs over the project an element Of ex-
treme uncertainty, which only actnAl trial
can dispel" Two millions sterling are re-
quired for the experimental driftways,
which is not large amount when the mag
nitude of the work and the rich reward to
follow success are taken into consideration.
w. p. SCHELL the nominee of the Labor
Party of Pennsylvania for Governor, Is an
ex-speaker of the Pennsylvania House of
Representatives, and has always been .
Democrat. He was one of the delegates
to the Columbus convention from Pennsyl-
vaniA- The Labor Tribune, of Philadel-
phiA sums up the contest in that State as
follows:
''There are three contingencies or events
which may bear upon the future fortunes
of our ticket. First, if every Labor Re
former in the State votes the ticket. Sec
ond, if the majority of the party, in the
heat of canvass, 60 over to their old party
= contingency most improbable. Third,
if the Reading convention indorses the
ticket"
In the first event we should take 30 many
votes from the Democrats az to insure the
election Of Harttranft, az more than hall
our party is composed of Democrats. In
the second event, on which obtained in the
late election. in Connecticut, Hsrttranft
would be elected a. Jewet was i'm that
State. This contingency we have no reason
TO think win happen, as our men win not
feel very friendly toward the Democrats Il
they do not indorse the ticket. In the
third event there can be no question but
our ticket would be elected by large ma
jority."