The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1875-02-19
A Huge Enterprise.
TunnelIng the English Channel from
Dover to Calais

TunnelIng the English Channel from
Dover to Calais
For so many years have we been &C
customed to discussions of the FEAST
hility OF connecting England end
scheme has come to be regarded
as one OF those things destined to linger
permanently in the limbo otgood in.
tenhons. As long ago as 1888 French
engineer--M. Thome de Gamond--began
to agitate the subject, and spend time
a d money in investigating the strata
through which the tunnel must pass
and in 1867 he exhibited plans and
models showing how he proposed con-
struoting it. B efore this, IN 1865, an
Englshman. Sir John Hawkshaw, had
enlisted in the work by sinking bor1ngs
on both the French and English coasts,
and examining the entire bed of the
channel between those points by means
of speci, Il contrive1 apparatus. At
last, in 1872, the Channel Tunnel COM
pany was incorporated, with the gentle
men allowed Tamed, and Mr.. James
Brunlees as it, engineers. Finally,
when the Lord Mayor OF London visited
Paris at the opening of the new opera
house few weeks ago, he had an inter
view OF the subject with the French
minister Of public works. and it trans.
pired that the French and English gov
ernments had come to an arrangement
for commencing preliminary opera
tions.
The points selected for the termini of
the tunnel are st. Margaret's Bay, a
depression in the chalk cliffs four miles
east of Dover, and spot near Calais,
On this line it is believed continuous
stratum of homogeneous chalk, 500 feet
thick, runs from shore to shore under a
depth of water nowhere more than $50
feet. Throu8h this layer the tunnel is
to be run at least 200 feet below the bed
of the channel. The chalk, where solid,
has been proved to be impermeable by
water; so that nothing could interfere
with the work Of boring except the oc-
currence Of assures in the stratum 200
feet deep or mere, and it is believed
that If such fissures ever existed they
have been flied up ages ago by the
wash of the sea. Work is to be COM
menced at both ends with a newly
mounted auger-like machine, which de
posts its debris upon an endless belt
that carries it away to the rear. The
anger bores dliitway seven feet in d.
ameter, and advances through the chalk
at the rate of a yard to yard and
quarter per hour 50 that it is COM
puted this preliminary opening may be
made within four years for So, 000, 900,
though experienced contractors do not
hesitate to reduce both amounts by one
half. The completion of the work for
the passage of railway trains will re
quire, it is thought, an additional four
years and $20,O00,0O0. At present there
are Immediately to be sunk the shafts
$50 feet deep on either coast, from which
driftiugs are TO be run Outward at a
downward inclination of one foot in
eighty.
1t seems TO be as umed that the pro-
posed submarine railroad must prove
financial success. The number of per-
sons crossing the channel in 1869 be-
tween four potts On either side was
800, 900, and since then it has greatly
increased. Most of those, it is thought,
would prefer to travel underground,
though at higher cost, than to incur
the horrors of the channel passage,
even with all the mitipations promised
by tie Bessemer and Castalla steamers.
The problem of ventilation is expected
TO present no great difficulties, and Sc
clrity will be as absolute as on the
land. A great increase, both in passen-
ger travel and freighFs, is confidently
looked for. -PhitGdeLohiG North Amer
lean.