The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1881-07-05
TRAVELLING UNDER THE SEA.
The English Channel Tunnel and the
Advantages 10 be Gained by II,
London Telegraph.


Advantages 10 be Gained by IL.
London Telegraph.
Considerirg the general vsgueness which
prevails in the public mind on this important
subject the statement by Sir Edward Wat.
kin, p NJ, at an sdjourn,d meeting OF tae
shareholders Of the Southeastern railway,
respecting the results of the preliminary
works and the actual prospect Of the chan.
mel tunnel, must be regarded not only as
deeply interesting, but rs distinctly ress-
suripg. Sir Edward told his audience that
the question rs it stands at present may be
regarded under two heada. The first was to
know whether it was practicable to bore
through stratum beneath the channel which
was imperviou, to water. che second prob
lem is 10 discover whether BY the employ
ment of improved mschiDery the estimated
time Of construction eau be shortened. TIE
experiments already inside are Us follows
Two shafts have been sunk on tho English
side of the cbas nei--one ut Ab0otts cliff and
the other At the Shakespeare cliff From
the first shaft. gallery, between eight aud
nine hundred yards 10 length and with
diameter of seven f9et, had been driven by ma.
chinery. In the course Ut the week last past,
and with machinery no. yet perfected, the
gallery had been extended by sixty seven
yards of lneal distance; and, by Sir Edwards
showing If that were The max mum progress
every week, it would amount 70 about two
miles Of excavation in every year. OF course,
when the tunnel WAS commenced it would be
worked a. from the French aud the Engish
extremelles; aCd rs tEe distance, practically
spesklug ia only twenty miles, not more than
five years would DO required to mplete an
experimental gallery, with a diameter of sew.
en- feet, under the entire breadth Of the chsr I,
mel, at given spot. AS regards the works
at Shskespesres Cliff, shaft had been sunk
there to the depth of one hundred and fifty
seven feet. The engineers had u lso bored :,
from the bottom Of this shaft TO further
depth OF one hundred ard five feet No
trace of water had been found in the stratum
of old gray chalk. Near the surface, indeed
. small quantity of water had been net with: :
but this WAS ~ contingency which must slwny 8
be expected. Thus much Sir Edward Watkin
was enabled to Announce rs to the rate of
speed ri which the works could be carried
on, and the impermeab'lity of the strata to
leakage from water. Ga the other side nf
the channel two shafts have been sunk BY
the French com9any, aud results precisely
similar to those obt4ined on the Epglsh
shore had been ascertained BY our neighbors
1t had been further arranged between The
French and English compsuies that they
should drive through heading to the length
OF one milo on either side. When these two
Tn:a I'd "a =.
can be completed within six months-one-
tenth OF the whole question will, in Sir Ed
wards opinion, have been dealt with. After
this 1t would be only necessary for the
French and English companies to conclude
hnal treaty; and the engineers setting TO
work at either end to complete the remains
ing eighteen miles, would finally meet under
the middle of the channel, just as the French
and Italian engineers met under the middle
OF Mont Gents. With the driving
through of the experimental gal
lery the question of the channel tunnels
feasibility would be practically settled but
until such feasibility has been fully and
practically proven, neither the British nor
the foreign investor will DO asked to embark
capital in ths undertaking. 1t would be
premature to consider how the enterprise is
10 Dc developed rs financial scheme ANY
amount of capital-a gigantic amount If
necessary-would be forthcoming il the
prac.icability Of the tunnel we're brought to
demonstration, and the Southeastern Rail-
way company, who have borLe all the risk
Of the preliminary experiments, would
achieve the triumph of supplying long,
missing link in system of railway commu-
nication Which would reach from the north
of Scotland to Brindisi, to Csdiz, and to
Odessa
The advantages arising from the abroga-
ton ct the short but miserable sea passage
from Dover to CALAIS would be almost in
calculstly beneficial. The old dileencs
journey over Mont Cents was full enough of
discomfort. md the cars on the Fell railway,
albeit much swifter we're scar ely on agree.
ao!e mode Of conveyance. Sill the ALPINE
passes laboricusly clambered up and piod-
oed down by lengthy trains of mules drag.
Slng eum6rou. caravans full of travellers, tho
aust, she flies, tho snow in winter, the i'll
supplied and extoriionate po.,ing,houses,
9id not deter English tourists from visi,itg
itsy. II may. on the other hand, b. jus,if
soiy assumed that "the silver streak" so
oear 70 poetry and to patriot, m, every year
Practically prevents thousands Of English