Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1884-10-30
ANsENGINEERING WONDER.
The Tunnel on the Arlberg Railway
Nearly Seven Miles Long.
Cor. London News.

Cor London News
The tunnels gate is imposing. Like
the whole of the tunnel, it is eight
meters broad and seven meters high,
and framed in light gray granite,
upon which is carved an Austrian
imperial eagle and the emperor's
name. For the first hundred meters
the tunnel forms a curve, but after
ward it purSues its course in one
straight line as far as Langen. ii is
best to take a seat at the right side of
the railway car, and then the window
may be opened and reflector lantern
will show all the peculiarities of the
interesting construction. We are at
first startled at the kissing noise made
by the train IN the narrow vault. The
smoke winds IN dark volumes along
the roofs of the cars, aud sink behind
the tram, suddenly shutting out the
light which had hitherto shown the
walls of the tunnel, or had been visi-
bic as a convex lentil. The engine
works with so much steam power
that II emitS large drops of condensed
steam and even ashes. Large white
figures mark the distance at every
twenty meters At a height OF two
meters runs the alar,a bell cable.
After fifty meters the walls begin to
be damp. AT every one hundred
meters there is a narrow niche for the
guard-the niche at three hundred
meters contains signal lantern
which can be managed oy means of
cable reaching from the stations at
either end of the tunnel AT every
kilometer, that is every one thousand
meters distance there is a niche
twice as deep as the signal light
inches, containing a signal bell, of
which the whole tunnel contains
eleven. There is marble slab com.
memorahug the emperor's first visit
to the tunnel Between the fifteenth
and sixteenth hundred meters, the
rain falling unihterruptedly from the
vault above is louder than the noise
OF the engine. The rain is caught in
pipes and conducted into a
canal under the tunnel, which has six
fountains of delicious water whose
cool rays reduced the temperature of
the tunnel to Is degrees Reaumur.
When the wind comes from the west
and the day is clear it is possible to
see the light of day on the western
side, called the 'Star of Langen," inn
mediately after the fourth Bilometer.
1t is indeed, hut small star viewed
at a distance of six thousand meters.
The highest point of the tunnel is now
reached, and the time for economizing
steam has come. Later on, when the
descent is rapid, the steam is used to
prevent the engine from going TO fast.
From the highest point the trains
rapidity increases IN an alarming
manner, and were il not for the never
falling vacuum brake, 1t would not be
safe to continue at this rate. At five
thousand meters a slab commem-
crates the day when the two halves Of
the tunnel met, and the ttin partition
that separated them was knocked
through in presence of several mem
bers of the government. Three kilo-
meters before Langen the walls are
again damp, and the water falling
from the roof of the vault il some
times so abundant that curiosity is re-
warded with shower bath. We now
begin to feel the magic influence OF
the light of day. The wall and The
ground beneath us catch it in stripes
and circles, and we are under the
mistaken impression that snow sur.
rounds us on all sides. AT last we
clearly see the round opening of the
tunnel gate, across which runs the
dark line of the AfIenz bridge. A
/ shrill sound of the whistle, and we
have finished our journey through a
tunnel measuring 10, 352 meters,
which we should take two hours to
walk through, and which the train
traversed in twenIy-four minutes.
We all drew a long breath, and felt
happy TO be on the surface of the
earth once more. As we view the
bright scene at Langen station, we
can not help plying the guards of
the tunnel, doomed to lead a life in a
place where no ray of the sun ever
penetrates, in gloom, and heat and
bad air Happilj nature herself
ventilates the tunnel, so that no
artificial ventilation is necessary.
] l. ne tIuDUEi WAS tOHnmGuttu III
November, 1880, and completed exact
ly three years afterwards, on the 18Th
Of November. 1888, when the thin
partition in the center was knocked
through, and the brave hands which
had toiled at so hard task met in a
hearty grasp. The tunnel-workers
were all dismissed long ago, and only
very few privileged ones witnessed
the opening Of the line of traffic which
their combined labor completed in an
asionishingly short space of time.
Even the dwellings which they in
habited and made merry with their
noisy southern fun, are beginning to
decay and fall asunder. AT the in
auguration banquet, however, their
labors were not forgotten, and those
who had lent their brains to the work
reminded the grateful guests Of the
| hands which had realized what must
to the traveller for many years To
come seem a dream.
Falling q Nile.