National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-10-01
THE PROPOSED TUNNEL UNDER THE
NIAGARA.

NIAGARA.
Mr.. William Wallace, an engineer long in
terested in the proposed tunnel under the
Niagara river, has just completed prelimi-
nary survey, of which the following particulars
are given:
''On the American shore of the river, the
point Of departure now chosen by Mr. Wallace
for the proposed tunnel, is on the westerly side
of the Erie canal, midway between the canal
and the Niagara Falls branch of the New York
Central railroad, near the bridge over which
the latter crosses the canal, which is almost
under the heights of Fort Porter. The thor
ough-cut or open cut which is to give entrance
to the tunnel extends from that point straight
up between the canal and the Niagara Falls
road to point near the foot of Virginia street,
where it attains the surface, and the grade
sixty feet to the mile-is continued until a
sufficient elevation is attained for the crossing
of the canal, at the foot of Court street, -
reach the terrace.
"At its other extremity the proposed tunnel
strikes the Canadian shore and becomes open
to daylight near the spot where the old engine
house of the Buffalo and Lake Huron railroad
stood. Thence a Throughout curves north
ward to avoid the high ground and brings the
roadway of the tunnel to the surface in the
vicinity Of the Episcopal church at Fort Erie,
near which an advantageous junction can be
1.-THE length of the tunnel proper on the line
proposed would be only 1910 feet. The length
of the thOrOugh-cut on the American side would
be about 4 900 feet, and on the Canadian side
little over ,0C0 feet. In the tunnel proper, as
Stunning it to be so feet wide by 20 feet high,
the excavation would amount to 65,333 cubic
yards. In the thorOugh-cuts the excavation
would amount to 126, 39S cubic yards on the
American side, and 11S ,317 cubic yards on the
Canadian side. How much of the excavation
in the thOrough-cuts would be rock, and how
much earth, can only be ascertained by means
oftest-Pits.
''These quantities Will enable those who
have knowledge OF such work to form q notion
for themselves of the cost of the proposed I'M
dertaking. Mr.. Wallace makes no estimate,
because some of the elements of an accurate
calculation are wanting. But many people
whose Judgment is well-fOunded express the
opinion confidently that the proposed tunnel
ought to be built at a cost not much exceeding
a million of dollars. Mr.. Wallace, in his plan,
adopts grade of 90 feet to the mile each way
from the middle of the tunnel, and at the
deepest point of the river the roof of the tUn-
mel is about 16 feet below the riVer-bed."
THE FIRST ENGLISH SOYG.
The following old English poem is said to
have been the first English song ever set to
music. 1t was written about the year 1900,
and first discovered in one of the HarleiaW
manuscripts, now in the British Museum:
APPROACH OF SUMNER.
Sumer is ieOmen in
Lhude sing Cuccu:
GrOWeLh fed, and blOWeth med,
And springth the VIDE nu.
Sing cuccu.
Awe bleteth after lOmb,
LhOuth after calye Gu;
Bulluc sterteth, buckle Verteth;
Mur'e sing cuccu:
Cuccu, cuccu:
Vel singes thu euecu;
Ne sWik thOW naWer M.
Sing cuccu nu,
Sing cuccu.
The following is q literal modern prose
version: Summer is coming. Loudly sing the
cuckoo? Growth feed, and blOWeth need, and
springeth the wood now. Eve bleateth after
lamb, loweth COW after calf; bullock starteth,
buck verteth-i. G., harboreth among the ferns;
merrily sing cuckoo! Well singest thou, cuckoo.
Nor cease to sing now. Sing cuckoo, now
sing, euckoo!-LORdOn Musical World.