The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1882-01-18
3awaiialt 6azette.
Esr MoDUs IN REBUs.
JANUARY Is. 1854.
The St. Gothard Tunnel.


Six hours in the bowels of the earth, at
tended with as severe physical exertion as 1
ever went through in the same space of time:
six hours in an atmosphere rapidly alternating
between the heat of an oven and the clammy
chill Of wet morning in late October, beside
being thickly imIregnated with the smell of
exploded dynamite and the greasy, sickcning
smoke from innumerable oil lamps of the most
primitive construction; in addition, no slight
percentage of dangt from being crushed by
passing trains or single trucks loaded with
building material or debris, knocked in the
head by the pick of some vigorous workman,
unseen and unsseing, in the gloom, or Drained
by stone from the arched roof, loosened by
an explosion Of dynamite in the floor below
such are the necessary experiences to be
gone through by any individual DESTROYS of
obtaining thorough knowledge of the present
condition of this most gigantic enterprise
On arriving at the Alpine village of Cos
chenen, the traveller who has visited the
western frontier district Of America, will be
struck with the resemblance of this place TO
the settlements in the western wilds which are
Just beginning TO assume the garb Of civiliza-
ton. Regularly built stone houses and hotels
are surrounded by wooden shanties, of simple,
unplaned board construction with the interiors
fitted with rough tables, benches and sleeping
hunks for the accommodation OF the workmen
in the Swiss end of the tunnel The engineers
Office OF the tunnel division is a small barren
looking room. in which l found Monsieur FOL
linger, in charge of this portion Of the line,
who not only readily acceded TO my request to
visit the tunnel, but-vOlunteered TO take me
with him on his tour Of inspection, which he
repeats four times per week. AT p. NJ, L
was shown into grimy room containing a
bench, rough washstand, and grating, behind
which stock of dingy clothing was hanging
This was the q" dressiug room" where neces-
sary preparations are made before entering the
yawning mouth OF the tunnel. l had put on
my long war-boots, and with waterproof
coat considered myself capitally equipped for
any subterranean exploration. To my sur
prise, NJ. Zollinger directed me to doff my
waterproof as well as my coat, felt hat and
tie. NJ. Zollinger himself donned rough garb,
and then needed his spectacles TO even family
distinguish him from any ordinary "navvy."
With greasy cap and well oiled and tarred
blue linen blouse, | mounted the little loco
motive which was TO transport our train to the
point where the compassionate locomotive
would relieve II. AS we scrambled into the
corners OF the dirty machine, could not help
contrasting M.Zolinger's equipment and means
of making his rounds ot inspection with those
Which an American engineer would have
sported in like circumstances. The latter
would have invented natty dress suitable for
the work, yet readily distinguishable from the
workman's garb; then he would have had a
light steel hand-car with cushioned seats for
three persons, and cranks for two men TO work
the machine behind him. This car could be
easily lifted on and off the track when trains
were encountered, and the engineer would
make his rounds in quarter the time and
with one tenth the physical wear and tear Of
the 81. Goihard member OF the fraternity.
The tunnel is perfectly straight from end to
end, and the engineers met each other so &C.
curately that their center lines were within q
hands breadth's of an exact coincidence. As
the headings approached each other, the ex-
plosions of dynamine were distinctly audible
through nearly 400 meters Il 1926 feet of in
teryening rock The total length is fifteen
kilomcters (nine and third miles). The
grade ascends uniformly from Goschenen to
the summit Of the tunnel, which is l,l54
meters above the level, and forty-ive
meters Q4S1s feet above Goschenen; while it
is only nine meters above the mouth at Airolo
The ascent from Goschenen TO tie summit is
$50 per cent while the descent TO AirUlo is
LIS per cent. The summit of the tunnel is
800 meters (990 feet) below the surface at
Andermatt, and 1000 meters $500 feet) be-
meath the peak of Kastlehorn, of the ST.
Gothard group. This tunnel summit is l,l5i
meters, the Mont Gents tunnel summit is 1888
meters, and the Pacific Railway summit is
2,5l3 meters above the sea level There are
no air shafts in the st. Gothard Tunnel, the
two entrances being the only openings When
the mechanical operations cease inside, and
the many existing distractions to free pas
sage Of air, such as scaffoldings, heaps of
debris and unfinished parts near the center, are
done away with, there will be nothing uu-
pleasant in the passage through this trench.
dous tunnel, which is 2.700 meters Zone and
iye-eigtths miles) longer than that through
Mont Gents.
The engineers assert that the tunnel will be
ready for traffic by the LIST of January, 1882,
although the whole line from LuceIne to Biasca
will not be opened until next July. Although
this great enterprise is successfully approach
completion, and that is the best evidence of
good management, there is room for some i'm
provement in what may be called the nicetes
Of construction. The means of access to the
tunnel could be advantageously improved.
There is too much delay in getting the shifts
of the men TO their work, much valuable time
being lost at the points where they have TO
change trains. Another thing struck ne as
being desirable. There was a certain absence |
OF clearing up in the completed portions of tn e
tunnel, and this, of course, necessitates need |
less expense IN sending gangs of men TO places |
where there should be nothing to do. Thee
is nothing TO prevent the ballasting being |
finished wherever the tunnel is completed, and |
the temporary track, transferred to this i'm
proved surface, would be much safer, and
fewer accidents, with consequent loss of life !
and money, would occur. There is also an
absence of scientific methods Of lighting the |
great passage. Money would have been saved
by more general system of illumination In
fact the general impression made upon for
cign professional mind is that of main
strength and awkwardness to greater ex-
tent than one would expect to find in this
highly inventive and suggestive age There
is no doubt in my rind that large majority
of the cases of injury TO the employees has
been due to the absence of general system of
lighting the tunnel, and those of more scien-
iific details embraced in my phra sc Of the
" niceties of construction. Cor. London
Times.