The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1875-04-10

! HawkShaw is the cngineer-in. chief, and Tho
Southeastern Il London and the Chatham x
Dover railroad companies are largely inter
ested in the enterprise, as they well may be
while Mr.. Brunon, the well known engineer
has advanced new bOrer which will do ever
better than the one used IN the mount Cent:
Tunnel. On the French side, N. Lcsseps
constructor OF the Suez canal, is ardently en-
gagged in the course of the Strait Tunnel, and
has recommended it in an address delivered
before the Academy of Science. Indeed, the
Frenchmcn are more entetees on this matter
than the English, believing they would be
the greatest gamers by the achievement. The
two preliminary companies will now pro
coed to survey the road they mean TO travel
They already know, of coarse, the sounding
of the strait between the Bay of st. Margaret
near Dover, and Sangatte, near CALAIS, a dis
lance OF about thirtylwo miles. Ihes sound
ings vary from about eighty to $50 feet. But
the nature of the formation under the chan
mel at depth of 200 to 800 feet is not known;
and this must be ascertained. If the hard
pan of the bottom is chalk, like the lorna
ton of the land on the sides, the projectors
will have solid encouragement to proceed. III,
on the contrary, the bed OF the strait should
be of sand and alluvial earth to depth OF
300 feet or more, they would scarcely attempt
to make tunnel over thirty miles long
through such dangerous medium. This is
the uncertainty; and to solve the matter will
be the first duty of the companies. To that
end each will sink its own shaft on its own
shore to depth of 900 or 400 feet. sufficient
to show whether or not the land stratum of
chalk extends downward on each side beneath
the channel of the strait. Should 1t be found
to do so on both sides it would naturally be
concluded that the chalk is IN the middle also,
TO furnish solid roof for the excavation, and
not such sandy roofas broke so disasirously
into the works of the Thames Tunnel. For
this purpose the companies are sinking their
respective shafts and galleries dessai, or trial
galleries 1t is estimated that the cost OF the
tunnel would be 100,00O,000 francs, or about
f5,000,000 sterling, and that The work could
be completed in three years. The French
are highly interested in the project, since
they lie in the track Of great railway such
as will yet connect England with the Euphra-
les and Hlndoostan. The English are eau.
tjously inquirlng about the ventilation OF
such q tunnel. But it IS considered that the
Brasseys, Lesseps and other
men of science who advocate the scheme
would not dc so if sufficient current OF air
could not be maintained in the passage AT
any rate this subject will be investigated by
the two preliminary companies.
A talk about tunnels (in esse or posse cannot
well conclude without some allusion to an
other which would enable New Jersey to "cast
out her shoe,' scripturally speaking, over
the profitable island of Manhattan, and be
an achievement to throw into the shade its
diminutlve precursor of the Thames. The
company proposing to construct thispassage
about mile long, from Fifteenth street in
Jersey City to Christopher street IN New
York, has got Its sanction under a general
railway law of the sister State, and lie pros
pectus and plan have been made known to
the public Meantime, as an injunction has
stopped the work in Nmine, there 10 as yet no
real progress to report. But the Hndson Tun-
mel will be great fact some day, and that
no very distant one. In few years New
York viii have its rival wonders of engineer
ing skill to exhibit-her gigantic bridge of
the East River above and her tunnel of the
Hudson below; two art achievements which
will be somewhat in keeping with the natural
grandeur of our harbor, and give the city a
metropolitan dignity worthy Of It's wealth
and inevitable eXpansion.-N. Y. Tsmes.