The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1882-12-29
History and Cost Of 4 Tsnnel.

The recent opening of the st. Gothard
Railway through the Alps has moved
Consul Byers. of Zurich, to write .
sketch of the great tunnel. The pass of
that name is over the highest mountain
chain in Europe. The New York Times
condenses from Mr.. Byers' article the
following interesting facts:
The old post road, commenced in
1920, 1000 feet above the sea in places,
was 1871 feet wide; it crossed gorges,
chung dizzily to mountain sides. and was
rooted over where most threatened by
avalanches. When the first railway was
opened, in 1876. from Baden to Zurich,
it was proposed to ask concessions to
enable the company to attack one Of the
high passes, and in 1868 q union or So
ciety for the purpose was effected, upon
the basis of an estimated cost OF e37,-
| 400. 900. In December, 1871, the st.
Gothard Railway Company was organ
lied, S6,80O.0O0 stock and Sf3, SOC, 900
of bonds were issued, q contract was
made calling for completion in eight
years. with forfeit of 81 900 for each
additional day and . bonus Of 81 600 for
each day gained upon the contract time.
Work began in the summer of 1872, and
it was soon discovered that the estimates
were wrong. and that S57, 500. 900 would
be needed to carry out the plan; crisis
followed, and the enterprise seems to
have been saved only by what had al
ready been invested in it, leaving no way
out but to push ahead. The railway
proper extends 113 miles from Immensee,
in Switzerland, to Chiasso, in Italy.
and more than one-fifth of the whole
line is in tunnels-fifty-si in num-
Der; many of these are not straight,
but actually spiral, accomplishing heavy
accents in short distances, and there are
also many lofty viaducts, bridges and
complicated galleries. The total length
of tunneling is 90 miles. The main or
great tunnel is st miles long. although
others. exceeding 5000 feet might be
thought noticeable elsewhere. The
great tunnel is rs feet wide and 10 high.
The modern boring machines were
worked by air compressed by large tur-
bine wheels driven by the rapid River
Reuss. The air was carried from the
compressors outside to the borers within
the tunnel in iron pipes of six inches
diameter, and the escaping air served
an indispensable purpose in ventilation;
$500, 900 feet of compressed air were
daily thus delivered and set free. rush.
ing back and out Of the tunnel the bad
natural gases. with those set free BY the
dynamite and thrown off from animals
and workmen. Fifty drills were worked;
the usual daily advance of q feet, work.
| ing from both ends, and the whole eX-
cavation was lined as fast as made with
circular tnbe of masonry. Is to 80
inches thick. The workmen were
principally Italians. who worked eight
hours day. receiving 60 cents to 81. 20
per day (mostly the former). boarding
themselves. and living chiefly on meal
porridge; yet most of them are reported
to have saved and sent home to their
families part of this pittance. The
tunnel cost 80 of their lives, and wounds
were inflicted upon 877. The final
actual cost of the tunnel and railway.
exclusive of rolling stock. is now re-
ported at something over $40, 0OO, 900.