The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1878-11-08
TIE eo1gARD TUNNEL.
THE GREATEST ENGINEERING PROJECT OF
THE CENTURY.
Harper's Weekly.

Harper's Weekly.
The building of the Mont Gents turne
through the Savoy Alps to France, and th,
Brenner road to Austria, have made it ab
solutely necessary for Germany and Switz
erland to choose between losing the trave
and commerce of the South and building q
mountain railroad and series of tunnels
that shall eclipse anything of the kind in
the world. The world knows how they
have chosen. In 1881 Italy, Germany and
Switzerland voted large subventions for
the building of a road, to be commenced at
once, running from the Lake of Lucerne, in
Switzerland, to Lake Maggiore in Italy, a
distance of 108 miles, Twenty-one per
cent, or nearly 100, 900 feet of all this dis
tence, was to be tunneled through noun
tains of granite. The total length of the
main tunnel, which enters the Alps at
Goeschenen in Switzerland and emerges at
Airolo in Italy, is 1896 feet. A number
of the smaller tunnels, bringing the road
up to the proper level in the Alps, exceed
1000 feet. On the Lake of Lucerne, too,
there will be important tunnels and gall
leries cut alongside of or under
THE CELEBRATED AxENsTRAssE,
High above the waters of the lake. at the
time the international treaty for this great
undertaking was signed it was believed
that the work could be done for the sum of
197,000,000 francs. A company was Or
ganized with "a, ,000,0 900 francs of stock, in
e20 shares, and 100000 francs of mort
gage bonds. Italy presented the underta-
king with $4,000, 900 francs. Germany and
Switzerland each gave 20,0o0 francs. The
work, however, was not more than fairly
under way when it was discovered, to the
astonishment of everybody, that an awful
mistake had been made in estimating the
cost, and that, instead of 1877, 900, 900 francs
2S9, 100000 would be required to complete
the word as at first proposed-a blunder in
estimates of 102,00O,000 francs This
blundering calculation threatened all sorts
of bad results. The stock of tie company
ran down to a minimum, and hundreds of
families were nearly ruined by the col |
lapse. The bonds shared in the crash, and |
prise feared that the money which had been
SO lavishly given was buried under the
forever. 1t became serious
question whether the work would have to
be completely abandoned. There certainly
was no choice, except to lose all that had
been done or to add many millions more to
the subvention.
THE TIMES WERE HARD,
crises were imminent everywhere,
ind war was raging on the continent. Ev-
,rybody was discouraged. Some of the
title cantons of Switzerland, which would
'eceive the most benefit from the compile
ion of the tunnel, refused to lift hand or
% spend another dollar. In the face of
ii opposition, however, the money has, at
his writing, been almost raised. The
hree countries parties to the treaty. have
.dded largely to their subsidies, and the
eading Swiss railways and cities have each !
aasted astes sums proportioned to the advantages
act, mas u0V0E StODpSos Ao coheAe@eo ASh
his enormous work is the most interesting.
t was granted to Mr.. Louis Favre, OF
Geneva. By it's terms M. Favre promises
o deliver the works Of the tunnel, com
,leted, by the 1stof October, 1890. For
ach day that the work may be done before
hat time the company agrees to pay him
1000. On the other hand, however, the
contractor is bound to pay handsomely for
IL delays. For every single day in arrear
# contract he forfelts $1,000. If delay
continues six months the forfeit is So, 900
,er day; and should he be one year III ar
ear with his work he surrenders the con-
ract and forfeits $1,0Oo,00 which he, and
his friends for him, have deposited with
me company as security. On January l,
.S77, the headings, or a sort OF advanced
,allery eight feet square, pushed forward
It the top of the tunnel, were half way in.
Whether the gigantic work Can really be
completed within the time specified, is
yrave question for M. Fauvre. Opinions
liffer, and even engineers can do little mors
han guess.