The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1883-06-08
In the Channel Tunnel

A tall shat, a steam engine, an air loco
motive and couple of wooden shanties
mark the spot destined, it may be, to abut
upon the English mouth of the Channel
tunnel, or rather ola channel tunnel-for
there are other schemes aioot to join Lon.
don and the EXTREMIST point of the CONT
nent OF Europe in continuous railway
journey and without change of carriages.
Sir Edward Watkin airily calculates that
the cost of the enterprise in which he is
interested would amount to three mil
lions sterling, and that the tupnel
would allow the passage Of $50 trains
each day every way, 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 1t said, very much higher
than that ept up in the longest tunnels of
the st. Gothard, 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-except-
& here and there a somewhat wider
square opening, technically called "turn.
out'-we found couple OF trollies, fitted
with seats on either side, after the manner
of the tram cars of the military train famil.
lar to habitues Of Wimbledon camp. Run.
ming 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 semi-circular hood, lined with
red baize, sufficient to protect the head and
| shoulders from dripping wet or particles oil
| falling debris, but not wide enough Ia
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
10 journeying to the face Of the tunnel and
back again.
A Rembrandt or q Salvador Rosa might
have done pictorial justice to such scene
Under foot for a great portion of the way
the ground is almost ankle-deep in slush;
and the stalwart fellows who drag and push
the trollies-trudging maniully along-hays
enough to do to Keep their foothold. The
travellers, for the greater length of time
moving through dim twilight, cannot well
make ont the features even OF those who
sit beside them. Now and again the little
electric lamps, set in rude inches of the max.
ed gray chalk cast brilliant but fugitive
light on the passing train. Then, fol
awhile, 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 over.receding seemingly endless
funnel'shaded perspective, lit at long inter.
walls as with fiery eyes. Onward, and yet
onward-to no sound save the spashing
made by the tall workmen trampinp
through mud, and the drip. drip OF the
water upon the hood above our heads-we
are dragged and pushed beneath the shin,
gle and the sand OF the shore for a time
level with the beach, and then down, q
quarter of mile deep. past low.watel
mark. under the bed of the channel,
The bore has out clean through the gray
chalk In circle as round and true as ths
inside Of q wedding.ring. So thoroughly
indeed, is the instrument adapted TO III,
work and TO the material that In dr.,
places II Is possible to see IN,
chisel marks made couple Of year