, 1875-01-17
THE ALPINE TUNNELS.

The construction OF the hit Gents Tunnel Waa
encouraged by Cavour. the great statesman Of
Piedmont, whls he WAS resurrecting Italy from
beneath the h:el OF foreigners aud priests. The
first shorelfnlof earth e1cavated from tho Al
pine Tunnel, cow 10 commodiously connecting
france and Italy, occurred in August, 1857, m
der bis or1ar and in his presence as i'll that alao
OF Victor EmAcuel and his sou-in-law Prince
Napoleon, assembled At Modena il, honor Of the
event. At thu day the proposed tunneling
through the borels Of the gigantic Alps was
looked upon aa little short Of chluarical Dy tho
public Dat Csveur and tho eEE:-4eers had the
faith to more npurtana, and aeaordingly thcY
went to work then and there to .aoEe the lit:
Cents cut Of thoi: waJ. Although Piedmont had
but little cash tospare from her huge political
undertaking, yethar ambitious statesman man.
aged to furnisn TIE money, and the engineers
ware gifted with sufficient brains 70 invent the
necessary machinery to cut aod blast through
rock ut unheatd OF depths bslow tho service.
and leading festare in the accomplishment Of
this stupendoua pieca OF ''iutotnal improve
ment~" Cavour died in 1861, four years after its
commencement tut the tunnel vent on and On
the last of December, 1870. after thirteen years
Of perseverng toll, the last Bhovelful Of earth
MAS thrown out Of it, enabling current OF air
to pass straight through and under mass Of
superlylpK mountain too deep to admit OF shafts.
1t was = mles in length. mostly cnt through solid
rock, sud, uDon receiving the finishing toacnas.
nao cost aonut 9zooVo,ovo' - susse1p T "ao aae
anIte'J 70 nssnsa 80, 1a-d! h11t
s1.cI.5 o,,t ,rd tn-nsd; overntnn
Italian shoulders. Nhile Uavour lived, be watch
ed over 1t with inteuse interest, and Whenever
meeting the Chief Engineers in ttle streets at
1u.u ae "as .1'sa.do soso ~ a,;ta me, buca -,
lWhen will thst hole be .lnshed:) On the 18th
Of September, 1871, the tunnel was formally
opened to public tr4vel, and, IN honor OF its
IT, dahr. n;ed m st fha R,rdon-
tus auu ~ ~ s;sn aon~.1o
'5 s,,s,,t,au.1r daaE.d tant wsrn sn7,a5 nvar
~ ahu e.nP'uuuH45 5s"H ss;d.4 ha,narr r.n.c
tue pile' ~ au1 %nto 1 .";,;.t.rs daonti.s'
spsecaEs' "nG a;;sn. ~ .oidiars sed ufh sach
rs snsroet;c hnildera
9nno1 mn 10 ~ ~. - ~ ~ aI1,t sfn1l-raS hu
- nua ~ 80 20 ~. noI.ans dons
10 1;t1 ", ~ s"e nsj n.n;n1 tn trsfc .os IT,,
dnnbla.traeIed' ] @ i snendialy ventilated. aud aaa
.nnma@.oa .;.st .u9uct a.te1s o. d,n ria n.sasna ~
snhd;.s ssouhha 4r.xa1o-, J w. arar th.t ronte h.
te an arta,r 1.aa avar siacs heen a.sT
a,,5 3,,ss--,rnta3 hv anow M aval,nch -
auu a. - IT,, d..s - tis M sIeds .rd T.1l
-s,us4 ~ s0 vhsn d.s sn d,v. wars often tcst in
1awaI Mnen oa5s aau u1ys ma3I ..n NAV ~ -.
I .h. n ue Ell ta roii+;c.I nonsorn.ncos
70 tuo nauo ~ i1 p I1sIg n1n.sr
y, y, Era,aa 80 - Fn~,.nd n hastcH b,s tasE Of
~ ~ J ~u0 S.."I.; - - ran;nx1,t. hv
rrooses ~ r,oda,n;g;nv # HaR t,nnel has
piuo.ss " sao a1ts,t asrvsd tat n,,rnose
alreaa1 70 !a.ge eA.e:.s 'Gt's1 'A"1 pN44 eo"o'
Ana y o12 e1n.ne ~ nG.,o ~ A.
to1a snotnGi 4a,1 4nu ~ lsrcsr scsie
Hal neah spgsnet ' tanu o,nt M s1oner hsd
su9 - ~ Ma.s ~ tr1,nr,I, Ett s arT,v
M ~ te1aIneu ~ nen - tttu - XII. T ,,-.
.nan Mat 81 Ttf.rS nonnsct,nr Germ.n1
unoer monns o.. eotnaIa' st Itsiu Tha an
via sna1s = 'ersory u PIT WIZ th:!r r,,n. and
snesis 1eM H.n ~ .11n ab,at,o,' ~ -
suoIa1t1oo tuam a,lousn snaa .nd I,a,r ,rh;eb
LIE y, tt,s ~ .nnronr;-
1mmea4atelJ akucuoneo sne es"si ~. 1a1 n,hnrd
atso money 1or toen e1eoanoo. ~ uE 1o9o 70 15 ;a
1unIet "As e1nuelcsa ~. =, -n ..sts1n 40
nov nelns conseteo . anuSt d 10 10 ~ c!n;s r.
tnas mnicn eas1 70 'ae "osu W. 10 4 ao-,-,1a.sd in
W. 9Gaa oe e., nles lons aua oo % - .1a noat
i?2z ~ WI 1esei. 30 70 sas, I shota Ilr,i,,a