The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1878-10-03

the rails, or to the novel machine on
which we we're riding. As we rushed
by dripping walls, and saw here and
there ghoul-like figures with dim lamps
hiding behind rocks or in deep inches,
I involuntarily recalled what our con-
ductor had said Of glimpse of the
bowels Of hell.
1t was impossible to speak and be
heard. might as we'll have addressed
myself to the granite walls of the tunnel
as to have attempted word to either of
my companions. Suddenly our locomo-
tive gave one extra, unearthly yell, and
stopped. We alighted, got our lamps
burning, and with little motion on our
own feet soon felt ourselves again. The
engine sped back, screaming and rat
tling like the voices Of Millions
damned.
We now started forward in the tunnel
on foot, and, as we recovered our
breath, had abundant time to look about,
though there seemed something fatally
wrong with the perspective of the pic
ture of which we formed part.
The air was so thick lights could not
be seen twenty yards ahead OF us, and
we all walked close together for fear OF
being lost or tumbling into some sub
terranean hole.
Far ahead of us we heard the dynamite
explosions, sounding like heavy mortars
in the midst of battle. In some places
where we were walking the water was
nearly foot deep, and again 1t came
through crevasses above our heads like
April showers. Our conductor tells us
that on the Airolo side of the tunnel the
waters have sometimes come in at the
rate of 1000 gallons per minute, and in
such torrents as to even upset the work.
men and carry away the tools. Again,
an occasional spring would burst out in
stream as thick as a mans arm, while
the track for the drills was frequently
laid in rushing water two feet deep.
This water comes from springs in the
mountains about us, and from eternal
snow-felds lying in the sunshine thou
sands of feet above our heads.
1t is very impressive to reflect that, as
we stand here IN the dim light Of the
tunnel, far above us are lofty mountains
and fields of snow, tumbling avalanche'
and roaring torrents. Almost above us
are the peaks of st. Gothard, reaching
above the clouds; and there, too, is the
rapid, roaring river Reuss, with its
leaping waterfalls, and the Devils
Bridge, where French and Austrian
soldiers met in deadly conflict. Up
there, too, are the bright sunshine and
the cold snow of winter, and the dill
gences and sleiges filled with freezing
passengers, while we are melting under
eighty degrees Fahrenheit of heat, and
the italian workmen are almost naked.
There, too, above our heads, in the
glistening glaciers, are the first rip
plings of the baby Rhine. Behind us
are the cold Hills OF Switzerland. In
front of us, and Just outside those gran
ite rocks, is sunny Italy. How strangely
we feel
Our conductor stops us to name the
strata of rock through which we are
walking. The first 1000 feet at the
Goeschenen end had been through dark
gray granite or granitic gneiss; then fol-
lowed 1000 feet of schistous gneiss,
lying in vertical lodges; then 500 feet OF
crystalline limestone, with here and
there a streak of black serpentine, fol
lowed by 5000 feet of micaceous schists,
and some 10000 feet of gneiss rich in
mica. This is followed again by 5000
feet of schistous gneiss with threads and
Jumps of quartz, and nearly 10000 feet
of mica schst, ending on the italian side
with some 1000 feet more of mica schis
mixed with gneiss and rich veins o
quartz. Such were the calculations
made by the geologists from the noun
tains above the tunnel, and the boring
so far has proved these observations tt
be pretty nearly correct. But little
gold, silver, or other precious ore ha'
been met with, and even stone coal hal
failed to put in an appearance, much al
it would be welcomed by the Swiss, who
have scarcely pound of coal in thel
whole Alpine country.
The tunnel has about the same dimen
: sions, except in length, as the Noun
, Gents tunnel; that is, it is, in rounC
numbers, twenty-four feet in width a
sleepers, twenty-six feet wide at spring
, ing of arch, and nineteen feet high be
: tween sleepers and center of arch. 1
5 starts into the mountain at a point 8, 63
feet above the sea, and comes out a
Airolo, on the Italian side, 3,757 fee
} above the sea-level.
| On the north axis the tunnel ascend
one foot in every 172 feet, or about IA
8 feet in travering the distance of "a, 46
8 feet. 1t then follows a summit or leve
y line for the next sol feet, when it dc
Q scends to Airolo, 24,279 feet farther, G
: a gradient of one in 1000. The highet
: point in the tunnel, hence, is 142 fee
a above the entrance at the north end, an
twenty-four feet only above the outlet {
: the south. These gradients are for th
!, purpose of permitting the water to pat
!, off through channel of masonry CT
y between the two tracks of rails towar
IS either end.
IS Almost the entire tunnel is bein
y arched and lined with solid masonr,
n eighteen to thirty inches in thickness
and that, too, in places where the graz
k ite and serpentine blocks seem to I'll
o ordinary observer the perfection
IS solidity.