American citizen., 1875-03-27
Tunnels.

passage, of j. 800 yards, being at Hud
| dersfield. The longest in France, on the
St. Quentin Canal, has length of over
| $4,000 yards. But the English distanced
all competition in that line when they
built the Thames Tunnel. The idea of
this originated in 1898, when Mr. Ralph
| Dodd proposed to make a way under the
| river between Gravesend and Essex. In
| 1904 MIR. Trevethick made trial on the
present site of the tunnel. He made a
| passage five feet high and three feet
wide, and this he had carried nearly
across to Wrapping when the river broke
in and spoiled the experiment, throwing
such quantity of cold water on the
project that the English became disgust
ed and would have no more of it. They
felt uncomfortable just then, knowing
that the united fleets of France and
Spain were ready to try conclusions with
Lord Nelson in the chops of the channel.
But in 1896 thepassage between Rother-
hithe and Mapping (abOut a quarter of
mile across) was again attempted,
under the guidance of Mr.. Brunei. In
1927 the water burst in, in spite of the
caution with which the shield was ad-
vanced, and the labor was suspended
for a time. In 1928 like accident oc-
CURED, and six men were drowned.
After this the work ceased for
1885, and continued till the pas
sage was completed 1t lies sixteen
feet below the bed of the river, and is
l 200 feet long between the shafts on
either bank-that is, something about
quarter of mile. 1t has two arched
ways, each sixteen and half feet high
by fourteen feet wide, with wall be-
tween them. 1t cost about f5OO, 900, and
was never remunerative, being only used
by pedestrians, who paid the toll of II
penny, and furnished just enough to keep
it in repair. In 1865 it was sold to the
London Railway Company for 100000,
and is used as connection between
their roads running on the northern and
southern sides of the Thames. The tun-
mel was in fact a failure, and in time to
come a better one will no doubt be built
near that locality-one that will allow
the passage of heavy trains or wagons
In 1869 another tunnel was carried under
the Thames at Tower Hill, and com
pleted in a year at the cost of $50, 600
This allows the travel of omnibuses
Another Ia land tunneD has been made
in Arthur street, and another from Pop
lar to Greenwich. Along with these Lon
don has dug three and half miles OF
tunneling for its great subterranean rail
way, and will probably dig great many
more. So that, if it cannot boast of its
catacOmbs, like so many other great
cities, it seems bent on making up the
subterranean deficiency in another and
more utilitarian way.
Fourteen years after the opening of
the Thames Tunnel the Governments
of France and Sardinia encouraged the
far grander enterprise of passage
through the Alps under the height of
Grand Vallon near Mont Gents. The
idea of this was afloat in 1871 when
Joseph Medail of Bardonneche the Ital-
ian end of the tunneD, proposed to pierce
Mont Frejus. In 1867 it was decided
that the way should run under the Val
Ion, from Modane, on the upper side, to
BardOnneche, on the Italian-a subter-
ranean distance of seven miles and a
half. Count Cavour warmly patronized
the undertaking, and the cutting of the
sod at MOdane in the above year, was
witnessed by King Victor Emmanuel and
Prince Napoleon. As the height of the
Grand VallOn did not permit any inter-
mediate shaft-sinking, the labor was be
gun and carried on from the two ends to-
ward the center. The work of boring
was done in the old way, by hand, till
1861, when the engineers-Sommeiller
Grandis and Grattoni-devised a piece
of machinery set in motion by CON-
pressed air, acting with force of five at
HlOSpucIeS plStOu III d Cy l.
With this half dozen bOrers were driv-
en- simultaneously against the rock and
the advance was ten times as fast as be
fore. In 1866 half of the distance had
been excavated and in 1870 the workmen,
meeting at last, shook hands through an
opening in the tunnel. In 1871 the way
was opened for travel after the labor OF
fourteen years. This great achievement
men to hope for the removal
nj nj lni af hs.
present time another railway tunnel is
making its way under the heavy mass of
Mont St. Gothard.
In our own country the necessities of
travel and trade have originated Il great
many tunnels, the most remarkable of
which is the passage through mica slate
and quartz rock under the Hoosac
Mountain, eighteen feet high and four
teen feet wide, and about "a 600 feet or
four and half miles, long. But the
greatest tunnel idea of modern times, or
any other times, is the proposed passage
under the strait between Dover and
Calais, which will, or would, have the eff
feet of renewing more Intimately and
far more profitably the ancient inter-
course between France and England-an
for ages of mutual jealousy
and war, leading the people on either
side to look on those on the other as :" nat
ural enemies"-to use the very British
of that especial Briton, Charles
james Fox. But nature has no part in
the antipathies which grow up between
near neighbors. and Napoleon was wise
enough to understand his geography. In
1902 he encouraged the plan of NJ.
Mathieu to unite the two countries by a
tunnel, or something like floating
bridge, after the manner of the
odtsma, or floating cause
way, built once upon time
by King Xerxes across the Hell
lespont. The idea was rather a wild
one for that time, but Napoleon, who
had no hatred of the English, favored it,
taking occasion to say that England and
France united could be masters of the
world-a "NapoleSnic idea" which sub
sequently influenced the policy of his
nephew, Napoleon III. But the fierce
wars came instead of the viaduct In
more peaceful times, over fifty years ago,
NM Tessie de Mottray and Franchot sug-
gested the laying Ofa huge cast iron tube
in sections along the bed of the strait be
tween the French and English coasts
Another proprietor, NJ. Payerne, pro
posed scheme of vast moles from each
side, and IA long bridge of solid masonry
in the middle, strong enough to cope
with the elements of that stormy
channel The Englishmen, Winton, Col
burn, Chambers, Cowan, Page and
others, were rather in favor of Mottray's
plan of laying down the huge tubes of
cast-irOn, while many others contended
for the long bridge, with enormous piers
and openings at invervals for the pas
sage of ships.
For many years this great idea has
been agitating the minds of English and
French spectators and engineers, and at