Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-06-19
THE CHANNEL TUNNEL.
- Visit to the Greatest Engineering
Work OF the World.
From the London Telegraph.

From the London Telegraph.
"A tall shaft, 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 or rather of q
Channel tunnel-for there are other schemes
sfoot to join London and the EXTREMIST point of
the continent of Europe In a continuous railway
Journey and without change of carriage. Sir
Edward Watkin airily calculates that the cost of
the enterprise in which he is Interested would
amount to 100000 sterling. and that the
tunnel would allow the passage of $50 trains
each way every day. at an average speed of
Iorty-nye miles an hour. So that the tunnel
oftwenty-twO miles i'm length might be tray
arsed In half hour-a speed be IL said
yery much higher than that kept 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-ex-
cepting here and there a somewhat wider square
opening, technically called q "turnOut'-we
found a couple OF trollies, fitted with seats on
either side. after the manner of the tram-carS' of
the military train familiar to hdbitueS of VIM
bledOn Camp. Running along the sides of the
troly, close to the ground was fOotbOard like
that attached to a railway carriage, and above
the seat was sem-circuar hood. lined with
red baize, sufficient to protect the head and
shoulders from dropping 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
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 journeylng to the face of the tunnel
and back again.
Rembrant or a Salvador Rosa might have
done pictorial justice to such scene. Under
foot for a great portion of the wav the ground
Is almost ankle deep In slush; and the STEWART
fellows who drag and push the trollies-trudg-
Ing manfully alOng-have enough to do to keep
their fOOthOld. The travellers, for the greater
length of time moving through dim twi-
light cannot well make out the features even
OF those who sit beside them. Now and again
the little electric lamps, set in rude inches of
the naked gray chalk, cast brilliant but fugi-
tive light on the passing train. Then for
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 eyer-recediD9. seemingly endless tunnel
shaped perspective. lit at long intervals as
with fiery eyes. Onward. and yet onward
to no sound save the splashing made by the tall
Workmen 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 time
level with the beach, and then down, quarter
OF mile deep, past loW-Water mark, under the
bed of the channel.
The bore has cut clean through the gray chalk
In circle as round and true as the inside of q
wedding ring. So thoroughly, indeed, Is the
instrument adapted to the work and to the ma
teral that In dry places it is possible to see the
chsel-marks made couple of years ago. At
Intervals along the route, where it is feared the
water might come through, the sides and roof
have been paced with lead or clay. and held up
with solid iron bands apparently about eighteen
inches wide. Sometimes, in the fltful flashes Of
light, the eye rests upon falling red rivuets,
like streams of blood, pouring down the damp
walls. Ever and anon there are faults in the
clayey chalk not yet remeded. So we go on
and on, moments seeming as minutes, until the
electric lamps cease altogether and the long,
awful cave Is envelopedin darkness that would
be impenetrable but for the glimmer of few
talOw-candles stuck into the bare wall Of the
cutting Even mile and more from the mouth
OF the shaft 1t is not difficult to breathe for the
same machine which works the bore pumps
drives continuous supply Of fresh air into the
seyen-fOot pipe, which at present forms no more
than the nucleus Of a tunnel. At distance Of
$500 yards from the plymouth we come upon
the simple and wonderful piece of machinery
which can pierce through the bed of the sea
with extraordinary celebrity and at cost
cheaper than Is required for the making Of an
ordinary tunnel under a hill. By permission Of
The president OF the board Oftrade, the engineer
10 allowed to make a couple of turns In order to
show our party the method of its working.
Presently we remount our not too comfortable
carriage and pass STOPPING once more along the
1earsome narrow way; pass by spaces Of hOr
ribe shadows and glimpses of welcome light.
And finally we are swung up through the shaft
Into the outer air, where the glad sunshine
catches the tall cliffs face and battles the sml-
Ing and yet unbetrayed channel In an atmos-
phere Of golden glory.