The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1883-06-28
The Channel Tunnel.

A tall shaft, a steam engine, an air
locomotive and a couple of wooden
shanties mark the spot destined, it may
be, to abut upon the English mouth of
the channel tunnel-for there are other
schemes afoot to join London and the
EXTREMIST point of the Continent of
Europe in a continuous railway journey
and without change of carriages. Sir
Edward Watkins airily calculates that
the cost of the enterprise in which he is
interested would amount to $4,000, 600,
and that the tunnel would allow the
passage of $50 trains each way every
day at an average speed of forty-five
miles an hour. So that the tunnel of
twenty-five miles in length might be
traversed in half an hour-a speed, be
it said, very much higher than that
kept up in the long%esttunnels of the St.
Gotthard between Switzerland and
Italy. At the bottom of the shaft, at
the mouth of the boring, no more than
seven feet in diameter from end to end
excepting here and there a somewhat
wider square opening, technically called
a ''turn-out'-we found a couple of
t~rollies, fitted with seats on either side,
after the manner of the tram-cars of
the military train familiar to habitues
of Wimbledon Camp. Running along
the sides of the trolly close to the
ground was a footboard like that at
tached to railway carriage, and above
the seat was a semi-circular hood lined
with red baize sufficient to protect the
head and shoulders from dripping wet
or particles of falling debris, but not
wide enough to save the legs and feet.
By reason of the space taken up in the
lower arc of the circle, so as to make a
level floor along which the rails were
laid, it was necessary that we should sit
with knees drawn up and heads bent
during the whole time occupied in jour-
neying to the face of the tunnel and
back again.
A Rembrandt or g. Salvador Rosa
might have done pictorial justice to
| such a scene. Under foot for a great
portion of the way the ground is al
most ankle deep in slush; and the stall
wart fellows who drag and push the
Notwithstanding manfully along
have enough to do to keep their foot
hold. The travellers, for the greater
length of time, moving through a dim
twilight, cannot well make out the fea-
lures even of those who sit beside them.
| Now and then the little electric lamps,
set in rude inches of the naked gray
chalk, cast a brilliant but fugitive light
on the passing train. Then, for a
while, all is again but darkness visible.
There are shadows above and beneath,
and all around. Looking backward or
forward, through the deepening gloom,
the traveller sees an ev~er-receding,
seemingly funnel-shaped perspective,
lit at long intervals as with fiery eyes,
Onward and o~nward-to no sound save
the splashing made by the tall work
men tramping through mud, and the
drip, drip of the water upon the hood
above our heads-we are dragged and
pushed beneath the single and the
sand of the shore for a time level with
the beach, and then down a quarter OF
a mile deep, past low-water mark, un-
der the bed of the channel.
The bore has cut clean through the
gray chalk in a circle as round and
true as the inside of a wedding-ring. Sc
thoroughly indeed, is the instrument
adapted to the work and to the mate
rial thatin dry places it is possible to
see the chisel-marks made a couple Of
years ago. At intervals along the
route, where it is feared the water
might come through. the sides and roof
have been packed with lead or clay and
held up with solidiron bands. apparent
ly about eighteen inches wide. Some
times, in the fitful flashes of light, the
eye rests upon falling red rivulets, like
streams of blood, pouring down thu
damp walls. Ever land anon there art
faults" in the clayey chalk not ye
remedied. So we go on and u mo
ments seeming as hours, until the cleo
trio lamps cease altogether, and tn
long, awful cave is enveloped in a dark
ness which would be impenetrable bu
for the glimmer of a few tallow candle
stuck into the bare walls of the cutting
Even a mile and more fsom the moutl
of the shaft it is not difficult to breathe
for the same machine which works tn,
bore-pumps drives a continuous suppl,
of fresh air into the seven-foot pip
which at present forms no more thai
the nucleus of a tunnel. At a distanc
of $500 yards from the plymouth W
come upon the simple and wonderful
piece of machinery which al pierre
through the bed of the sea with extra
ordinary celebrity and at a cost cheape
than is required for the making of Al
ordinary tunnel under a hill. By pei
mission of the President of the Boar
of Trade the engineers allowed tomak
a couple of turns in order to show GU
party the method of its working. Pres
emily we remount our not toe comfort
able carriage and pass, STOPPING, ono
more along the fearsome narrow way
pass by spaces of horrible shadows an
glimpses of welcome light. And FINAL
we are flung up through the shaft int
j, the outer air, where the glad sunshin
} catches the tall cliffs face and battle
, the smiling and yet unbetrayed channe
, in an atmosphere of golden glory
, T.,Jo., ToIo,rnaob