, 1881-11-13
Greatest Tunnel in the World-9 1-3
Miles under the Alps.
Account of Its Observation-Disclosures,
Dynamite, and Danger. =
Two Hundred lien Killed and Many
l. Hundreds Wounded.
How Americans Would Have Improved on
Clumsy, Expensive German Methods.
BY AN ENGLISH ENGINEER.
Fr.1,<fo%s 711,%e fsrf

tended with as severe physical exertl0n as
ever went through in the same space of time;
| six hours in All atmosphere rapidly alter
hating between the heat of I'll oven and the
clamlny chill Of wet morning i'll late Octo-
ber. besides being tliclSly ilnpregnated with
the smell of exploded dynamite and the greasy,
s;ckening smoke frohl innumcrablc oil
| lamps OF the most primitive construction; i'll
addition, l,o slight percentageof Of tlangerfroM
being crushed by passing trains or single
trucks loaded with building material OF
| debris, knocked III the head BY the pick Of
some vigorous workman. unseen and unsee-
! ing, III the gloom, or Drained by a stone from
| tile archel roof, looseneu by ali explosion Of
| dynamite III the hoor below--sllch are the
necessary experiences to be gone through by
| any individual desiring Of obtaining Il thor
ougll knowledge of the present condition Of
| this most 81 s;lntic enterprise.
\ glance at the map of Central Europe will
| SHOW .,
| THE IMPORTANCE OF TIE LINE OF RAILWAY
| upon which this enormously long tunnel is
| situate; territory lying i'll the heart of tho
| Continent. and containing the most delight
| full scenery III the civilized world, is, for a
distance, north and south, of 100 miles The
tween Lucerne and Alitan) and 500 miles east
line of railway. Nothing but tile, until re
Gently believed, illpossibility of working
such long subterranean passages has delayed
till tile present time the construction Of rail-
ways so urgently needed for the conveyance
of the thousands Of visitors who annually
flock to the summer resorts of grand a1ltl
beautiful Switzerland. The main line will
start from Lucerne aud Zurich, the former
French and Alsatian lines, while the latter
takes that coming from Germany via Lake
Constance and SelratThausen. The two forks
unite at Zug, and, proceeding from there via
Tie Rhisi. Goltan, Brnnnen,, Flllclen,
GGschenen-Airolo (the great tunneD, Faflo
to Bellinzona, divide again at tile latter sta
tion. for the Lake Of Conlu and llila1; also to
Lucarao aud the Lake Alaggiore to Aroma and
Milan. The distance from Lucerneto Lucarno
will be about clgiltymiies. From Fluelen, 1T
the southern end of Lake Luccrne, the line
climbs the valleys through which the waters
Of tile Reuss thunder down to the lake. On
the southern side IF tho st. Gotllard group
of mountains the railway, after emerging
from the great tunnel at Airo1o, dcsccnds
the valley Of tie Tlcino. through sQIle ex-
cee,insly wild Eorges, to the Italian lakes
llels. precipices, dizzy bridges, and enormous
embankIlclts on tile whole line, but the
chief interest centres III i,
THE GREAT TUNNEL OF ST. Gor1I!AnD.
On arriving III the Alpine Village of
GUsclenell, the traveller who has visited the
western frontier districts Of America wilt he
struck with tile resemblance Of this place to
the settlements i'll the Western Willis which
are just beginning to assume the garb Of
civilization. Regularly built store-hol1ses
and hotels ara surrounded BY wooden
slAanties Of simple, unplancd board COLI
struction, with the Interiors fitted with
rough tables, benches, ana sleeping hunks
for the accommodation OF the work1nen i'll
the Swiss end Of tic tunnel. The engineers
Office Of the tunnel division is Il small,
barren-lc1iiing r0on, i'll which I found
Monsieur Zo|lingcr Tin charge Of this portion
Of the line), who not only readily accedcd to
my request 10 visit the tunnel, but yolun-
teeretl to take l,le with hin, OIL his tour OF ill
spectlOn, Which lie repeats four times per
week. At - p: III. was shown lnto y t.rilny
room containing !! beucl, rough was.!sitand,
clothing was hanging This was the dress
iuy-rOuin,'' where NECESSARY preparations are
made before entering the yaWnin@ mouth of
the tunncl. had put OH my long war boots,
cred myself capitaliy equipped fur any
] Prise, II. Zoiiinser directed II iae M to
doff my waterproof u.s. well as MY coat, felt
rough garb, and then needed his spcctaclcs
10 even family distinguish him from any
ordinary s:nayvy." With Il greasy cap and
Well-ole.l and tarrcd blue linen blouse I
mounted the little locomotive which was to
transport our train to the point where the
conlprcssett-air locomotive would relieve it.
AS we scrambled into the corners Of tile
dirty machine ! could not help contrasting
II. Lnllinyer'S equipment and means of max
i,i;;.t, inE bis rounds OF Inspection with those
AN AMERICAN ENGINEER
would have sported in like circumstances.
Tie latter would have Invented Il natty ttress,
suitable for the work, yet readily alslil!-
guishable from the workin=nen's E.rb; then
lie would have. had light steel ha1ttl-car,
with cushioned Seats for three persons, and
cranks for two men to work the machine be-
him. him. This car could be easily lifted off
aud Oil the track when trains were enconn-
tered, :nd the engineer would have made his
tenth tile physical wear and tear Of the st.
Gott,artl member OF the fraternity.
Entering the tunnel. l SAW that narrow
gage temporary track was laid on the floor
the surface was not yet cleared AMI ballasteti.
Our train Of sidc-tumpin:., four-wlleel |
trucks, was loaded with cut stone for the !
yaulted roof, and with worKlnen going in to
Italians, and was informed that FRENCH
men and Germans haSl been found nliilt for |
lows. and Looked capable of enduring
anything: There are siX chances
but only. half OF Il shift is relieved at |
ii time, the men remaining OIL duty eight !
hours ut a stretch. Every mall carried |