The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1880-03-06
STINT GOTIixRD.
III" Largo In tho World History and DO.
Scripti"n OF tho Work--A Magnificent I'm
dcrtnltlng.

III" h"rEo Ill mo W0rlN- History and DO
scripti"n OF tho Work--A Magnificent I'm
dertnlting.
A cable dispatch from Bcrnc informs
us that "thc work Of piercing Mount
st. Gothard was completed Yesterday
(Sunday) morning tho 29th, ut nine
o'clock, amid great rejoicing" The
northern entrance Of the tunnel is stu.
"ted near the small village Of Goesch-
rncn, IN tho canton of Uri, in the Ger
man speaking part Of Switzerland.
The southern entrance is near the vii
lagc of Airolo, in the Italian speaking
canton otTcssin 1t is tho largest tun-
ncl in the world, and exceeds that OF
the Mont Cents, the IIoosac and the
Sutro. The total length Of the Mont
Cents Is 40,0S4 feet, or 7.6 miles: the
llooSac, 25,0l0 feet. or ia miles; the
Sutro, 2O,370 feet, or 1884 miles while
the st. Gothard measures $4,000 feet =,
or Ola miles
The war between mankind and the
mountains has bccn gradual one.
First there were footpaths, then militia
ry "nd post roads, then diligcnccs ma
king rapid time through all the princi-
pal dctilcs. Now the locomotive and
the underground way will render all
these things ofthc past.
In ancient times only two important
passes were known, those of Mont Gc-
nevre in the Cottian Alps and the little
st. Bernard, which was that which
Hannibal used in 2lS D. G.. AS these
became inadequate the Romans souuh;
new ones, but strange to say never dis
covered that of St. Gothara. which in
modern times has become so impor-
tant. Nor did they use those of the
Simplon or Mont Ctnis, which latter
in the Middle Ages became the fash
ionabic military way. The Alpine
mountains seldom vanish in points,
but slope on both sides so as to form
broad ridges at their SUBMITS. They
are thus easily crossed in many places,
and such are called "Cols," "Forks''
or "Passcs." Ofthcsc the highest is
Mount Ccrrin, which rises To the alti-
tudc of 900 feet, but which is not
available for vehicles. The Great st.
bernard has attained celebrity through
its hoSpice and its breed Of dogs; the
great military road Of Napoleon makes
the Simplon famous, as a view of Mont
Blanc does the Col do Balme. The
Furca, the Bcrnarlino, tho Splugcn.
tho Bcrnina, and many others arc also
we'll known, bnt in modern times none
is moro trcQuentcd or of more impor-
tance than that over the mountain
which is now pierced to admit tho pas
sage ofa railroad.
MONT ST. GCTIIARr.
Proceeding in . direction from west
to east the splendid St. Gothard road
crosses the pass al the immense height
OF more than eight thousand feet above
the sea level. The pass is second in jmpor-
tance only to that ofthc Simplon, and
Is at present perhaps the principal
channel for the stream of sight-secrs
that annually flows from tho north into
ltalv, inundating her fair plains, me-
andering and babbling around the
bases Of her ruins and lOzily and noisi-
~ trickling through her churches and
picture galleries anu the deserted halls
of her palaces. In 1874 it is on record
that $4,000 tourists availed themselves
of this means of reaching the land of
the olive and vine, while but $4,000
crossed tho Simplon and Splugen pas.
SOS. Tho vast mass Of rock and ice,
towering to height Of 10000 feet
which bears tho name Of St. Gothanl,
Is situated in a central and command.
ing position. 1t may be said to con.
stitute tho heart Of tho Alps. Ills near
the southern boundary Of tho canton OF
ou, midway between the lovely and
historic Lakc Of Luoerno on the north
aud tho no loss far-famed wators of the
Lugano and Como on tho Italian side
| MONT GEMS AND ST. GoTHARp.
For several years tho Victor En-.
manuel Railway, by means Of the
Mont Gems excavation, has placed
Italy and France in direct communi,
cation. That great work extends be.
twcou q point near Modane In France
TO q point near BalJaonnechc iii Iia,iaS
y TERRITORY. 1t runs undcr the Col Sc