New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-03-22

zerland; so the s-Gothard Tunnel project
was brought forward as IN affair OF high lntei-
national importance. If a commercial nigh
way had alone been sought, tie Splugeh
offered better route; but the railway
on the Swiss side OF that pass runs
down the Valley of the Upper Rhine along
the border Of Austrian territory, ana couio
easily be seized by Austria IN the event OF q
war. The Smplon might also have been tun-
nelled at less expense, but The outlet ON the
north would be into the Valley OF the Rhone'
which becomes French stream after 1t leaves
the Lake of Geneva. SO the most difficult oil
the practicable passes was chosen and the
determination to pierce the St. Gothard
reached by the German and Italian Govern
mcnts From the northern entrance to tho
tunnel the railroad runs down 20 Fluellen ana
thence to Luzorne and Zurich, where there are
connections by way of Constance ana Base
with the whole system Of German railways
The work was begun in 1872 with subyen-
ton of 2O.O0O.OO0 francs from Germany
10000. 900 from Switzerland and s0'OcO'oOO
from Italy, and by next September when the
eight years specified in the contract expire IL
viii be ready for the passage OF trains.
The immediate political importance OF the
tunnel is much diminished by the newly ce-
mented friendship between Germany and Aus
tria. which makes the contingency that Bismarck
sought to provide against remote one, and
postpones indefinitely Italy's dream OF obtain
ing the Trcntino by the aid Of German intiu-
ence or German arms. IN the present sit'li-
ton of the game Of European diplomacy the
ten lency Of King Humbert's Government Is
more to look toward Paris than toward Berlin
for friendship. The game changes 80 otteh'
howe,eI-the partners Of to-day are so iIaoie
to become the antagonists OF tO-morrow-that
the old plan Of a Gcrman-ltallan alliance, made
effective by the st. Goihard Tunnel, may yet
he realized At al events, the tunnel Is open
and is ready to play It's part IN the diplomacy
of ,be Continent. The fact that Germany and
italy have at last secured direct ran commu-
nic,tion between their territories, and arc no
longer obliged to avail themselves either OF
the French road under Mont Gems or OF The
Austrian road over the Br,nner Pass, is one
Of 10 small consequence to thc politics Of
Europe.
OF the commercial importance OF the new
route an idea can bc formed from the act
that the twenty-slX millions of people lhhahl'ihg
Italy and the two and half millions inhahilng
Switzerland now communicate with each other
only by wagon roads over the Alps, while The
traffic between Germany and Italy must make
q wide de'our 70 the east or the west. The
St. Gothald line will undoubtedly give power
ful impulse to the reciprocal trade Of the
three countries most closely interested IN It's
cons .uction twill also compete with the Mont
Gents route for the traffic between Italy and
Holland, Belgium and England. Perhaps the
tunnel may not pay interest on the vast sum II
has cost; perhaps the subsidies given by the
three Governments which supported the undef-
taking must be treated as lost capital, aS some
Of the German papers begin to aWrchend but
in any ease the value Of the work to the COM
merce and civilization Of Europe viii lie
almost incaiculahe.
It's completion within the time specified IN
advance shows how accurate the science OF
engineering has become. When Captain Fad,
said. the other day, that the only limit to the
possibilities of the engineers profession lay
almost wholly IN tie cost OF the works he
proposes to execute, he was not guilty of
boasting. The ~. Cot ard tunnel is the latest,
and. perhaps, the most conspicuous evidence
Of the truth of this claim. With time and
money, nothing within the field Of his art Is
iopo,.iblo to the modern engineer. When the
constructor of the Mont Gems tunnel offered to
pierce Mount St GothaId in eleven years,
Louis Fayre said he would do ii III eight and
for fifteen millions Of francs less than the bid
of his rival. Seven months before the eight
wears are completed the two openings axe con-
pectcd in the centre of the mountain. Thr-
teen wears had been consumed III boring the
Mont Cents tunnel, although its length is
only eight miles, while that Of the ST..
Gothard tunnel is nine and a half. The dit
ference in time mainly represents the progress
made in the science and machinery of tunnel
construction, but some allowance must be
made for the remarkable energy of the Gen
eva engineer. When FavIe began operations
at St. Gothard he was lively, companion
able man OF JOYOUS temperament, with jet black
hair and beard The unforeseen difficulties Of
the work, the unlock cdfor hardness of the rock
In the mountain and the financial embarrass-
mcnts OF the undertaking, soon whitencd his
hair and changed him into an absorbed and
care-worn man, The tunnel was his cxecu-
TONER. He met his death within ITS gloomy
depths. Fate denied him the triumph Of wit
Messing the success of his work. His work
men wanted to cut for him tomb in the
heart Of the mountain, and thus give him a
monument mightier than the Pyramids of
the PharaOhs, but their request was denied 10y
Favres relatives.