The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1883-06-30
The Channel Tunnel.


locomotive and couple of wooden
shantles mark the spot destined, it NAV
De' 70 aout upon the English mouth of
the enamel tunnel-for there are other
schemes afoot to join London and the
extremest point of the Continent of
europe In a continuous railway journey
ana without change of carriages. Sir
EDWARD Watkins airily calculates that
the cost OF the enterprise in which he is
Interested would amount to E3, 200, 900,
ana That the tunnel would allow the
passage OF 250 trains each way every
Gay at an average speed of forty-fve
miles an hour. So that the tunnel of
twenty-five miles in length might be
traversed in half an hour-a speed, be
it sad, very much higher than that
KEEP, up in the longest tunnels of the st.
Gotthard between Switzerland and
Italy. AT the bottom of the shaft, at
the mouth of the boring, no more than
seven 1eet in diameter from end to end
excepting here and there a somewhat
WIDER square opening, technically called
turnout we found a couple of
trollles, lifted 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 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
he@iand shoulders from dripping wet
or particles of falling debris, but not
wide tnough to save the legs and feet.
by reSon of the space taken up in the
lower re of the circle, so as to make q
level tlpr along which the rails were
lad, 1t yas necessary that we should sit
with knes drawn up and heads bent
during tb whole time occupied in jour
neying t, the facesbf the tunnel and
back agai.
A Rembrandt or a Salvador Rosa
might hav, done pictorial Justice to
such seen. Under foot for great
portion of he way the ground is al
most ankle oep in slush; and the stall
wart fellows who drag and push the
trollies-truding manfully along
have enough b do to keep their foot
hold. The trvelers, for the greater
length of time, moving through dim
twilight, canno well make out the fea-
| lures even OF th,se who sit beside them
Now and then tie little electric lamps,
set in rude nichs of the naked gray
chalk, cast 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 ever-receding,
seemingly funnel-shaped perspective,
lit at long intervals as with fiery eyes,
Onward and onward-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 time level with
the beach, and then down a quarter OF
a mile deep, past low-water mark, I'M
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 wedding-ring. Sc
thoroughly indeed, is the instrument
! adapted 70 tho work and to the mate
rial that in dry places it is possible tt
| see the chisel-marks made a couple O.
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 solid iron 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 the
damp walls. Ever ssand anon there are
faults" in the clayey chalk not YET
remedied. So we 90 on and our mo-
ments seeming as hours, until the elec.
trio lamps cease altogether, and the
long, awful cave is enveloped in dark
ness which would be impenetrable but
for the glimmer of few tallow candles
stuck into the bare walls of the cutting
Even mile and more fsom the mouth
of the shaft it is not difficult to breathe,
for the same machine which works the
bore-pumps drives continuous supply
of fresh air into the seven-foot pipe
which at present forms no more thar
the nucleus of a tunnel. At distance
of 1900 yards from the plymouth We
come upon the simple and wonderful
piece of machinery which can pierce
through the bed of the sea with extra.
ordinary celebrity and at cost cheaper
than is required for the making of an
ordinary tunnel under hill. BY per.
mission of the President of the Board
of Trade the engineers allowed to make
couple of turns in order to show oul
party the method of its working. Pres
emily remount our not too comfort
able carriage and pass, STOPPING, once
more along the fearsome narrow way
pass by spaces of horrible shadows and
glimpses of welcome light. And finally
we are flung up through the shaft into
the outer air, where the glad sunshine
catches the tall cliffs face and battles
the smiling and yet unbetrayed channel
IN an atmosphere of golden glory.
London Telegraph.
A Boys Lofty Tumbling.