New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-09-11
THE BRITISH ASSOCIATION.

YrcTrpp FOR WoRKINGMEN-THE CHURCHES
AMIcABLE.
tyRox TuE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF THE rRIBuNkl
BRISTOL, Aug. 30.-We took things rather easily
ON Saturday. The sections did not all meet, nor
were ali those that did meet very full Some excur-
sions of an unofficial kind had been arranged SCI
ence liking its haf-holday at tho end of the week
not less than the clerks in the shops. The most in
teresting discussion of the morning occurred i'll the
Geological Section, ON the Channel Tunnel. This
started with paper in French by Prof. H6bert who
has theory about anticlinal ridges in the north OF
France Of a kind discouraging for the construc-
zion of the Tunnel, should it happen to
prove true. Nature. thinks Prof. HILBERT. is guilty
at times of caprces and whms and does her work in
an illogical, or perhaps should say, un-geologcal
way From the ridges folds of irregular forma-
ii, n he has discovered shore. Prof. Hebert be-
leves there are others in the channel BIOLOGISTS
have assumed the existence OF continuous beds OF
chalk beneath the water. Prof. Hehcrt says these
are broken into at intervals by bis folds of chlortc
msrl 60 that an engineer boring his way along
might come unexpectedly on mari instead of chalk
with difficult or oven dangerous results to him and
to the Tunnel.
This brought out Sir John Hawkshaw. who is not
merely President of the Association but Chief Engi-
peer of the Tunnel and from him we got some
news of what is going on. He was not aiarme" by
Prof. H6berts antclinal ridges OF ciloritIc mari.
In o general way, he thought. the Frenchmans
theory might be true, might not 1t thd not much
matter. Tho theory covered q wide range OF
ground; the Tunnel was going through very mar
row belt of IT. and in that belt he did not believe
the state of things described by Prof H6bcrt existed
II struck me that Sir John, practcal-mndeu
man that he is, spoke with slight Ia
yor of contempt of NJ. H6berts theory
whether because it was theory OF De-
cause it was Frenchman who invented it, ! can
not say. Against the theory he set up experiments.
Investigations into the channel bed have now been
carried ON some years. They began with geological
leyeng and measurements; map was constructed
Allowing nfclentially what ought, from She char
a,ter of the outcrop on land on either side OF the
channel bed to be the substance OF the bed ltSei1
The map indicated that tunnel could he carried all
the way through chalk on line from st. Margarets
Bay to Sangatte. To verify this bOrings were
begun Al st. Margaret's Bay they bored quito
through the chalk and at Slngatte nearly through;
stopping only because at GOO feet the hole Tell IN
But it did not fall in till it had gone deep enough to
SHOW oil that was wanted that there was chalk
and plenty of it each side the channel. There
remained the question what was to be fonnd be-
tween the two ends An apparatus was contrved
for boring into the very bottom of the channel it
III,
prisng and gratifying results The previous gooogi-
cal ,nauiry was verified in most striking way
Where the geological maps showed chalk, chalk was
brought up and where the maps showed 0utcrop OF
the lower beds, portions of those beds were found
and brought up; and therefore, SO far as that OK
animation could guide them. there was no gait
below the green sand near the line of the channel
He felt oerahly well assured that from st. Marga-
refs Bay >angatts the bottom of the channel was
Of chalk and that there outer p there OF gait
or green sand. Were Hebert's theory correct, that
H. building the tunnel u circuitous / ne must be
followed. Sir John would say at once the tunnel
could not lie built. The tunnel must be carried
straight across or not at all.
II is plain Sir John Hawkshaw has come to be
ieve in hi, tnnnol strongly. He has fixed where ii
Is 70 60 and lie already speaks Of the ocean above
II with fine srorn. Th> greatest depth Of the water
over The tunnel line is only $50 feet" mere fish
pon t." We qute expected to hear Sir John say II
could re baled out The tunnel will be carried go
feet below the bottom. If he ca nc across beds OF
something beside cha,k, he shouid not greatly care
"Smal le.kagcs" would not interfere with the
work. 1t is certain to be years before the work OF
which our lr,sden, speaks SO Jauntlly can be larry
begun I'll many more years before II can, III ,he
most favorable circumstances, ba completed; ana Si
John Hawk haw is "a.
the thing is feasible, but Mr. Topley mentioned the
possibi ity of "fauts." 10 thought they would
certainly be found, but not that they wou,d do
harm unless they proved actual assures big enough
10 le, ia the Atlantic; most uncomfortable sug-
gostion. However, he was all with HawsShaw IA
believing tho bore coull dc e. A>f FIR the depth
of tIe clnne if 81. Paurs CItiedr Il were drolpc
the deepest point between Calais and Dover IL
would bc half Ous of water. Incn the matter OF
ven alton was tOIched on and ST John Hawa-
shaw gave us most aisfactory OIl that also.
VIII, the tunnel came 10 be constructed the great
difficulty would be to get in ami out Of it, There
nonid he vast number of workmen and an
enormous amount Of building material to be carried
Ia ani ont + Iere would be drif, way tunnel, and
in or Ter to facilitate the and the material going
In and ont il would be desirable to put each side
of TIE tunnel a pneum liz tubs: in fact. such tubes
would he almost essential for the mere constitution
OF the tunnel. When tae tunnel was finished he
would suggest that those tubes remain All that
was ncce >Saiy wOuld 10 10 make aportures on one
side OF toe tunnel, and by pumping the air which
flowed in at each end of the tubes into the tunnel
the ventilation wOuld DO practically easy and not
very expensive. lie had oeen silent to ibis point
because eugneers were generally silent about works
until thoy were executed. When The work was ac-
complisAel lie way in which if executed would
be patent to everybody. NJ. HILBERT made haste TO
"a v be fully believed in Sir John Hawkshsw's en-
ginesring, but he could not give up his theory.
What FrencLman ever c0uldf
The other papers and discussion Of Saturday need
not ietain us long III the AnthropolOgical Depart
ment there was plenty Of chronological discussion /;
Interesting enough but trle barren breeze
spru8g up for a moment over a remark quoted from
Sif Francis Head about the abcngiles Of the South
Sea Islands. Sir Francis rather sharply remarked
thai it was desired TO cxtirpate abongnes slowly
war should be made upon them; If rapi lily, peace
u mil .l,.t,. lint M