Waterbury evening Democrat., 1888-02-07
BRIDGING THE CHANNEL.
CHAT WITH A FRENCH EXAMINES
 TER OF MARINE.

Scheme for Building a Bridge Across 1 the British Channel-some of tho Ob-
 jections that are Urged. The "missing link" of railway communi- cation between France and England-pro- l vided always that England is willing-seems l to be on the eve of realization, not by means | of the channel as most people suppose, but l by means of viaduct, to which Vice-Admiral Cloue, formerly French minister of marine and member of the bureau of longitudes, lends the authority of his name.
 "What kind of a bridge we propose to builds' said the admiral. ''Well, not sus- pension bridge, as some bright genius sug- gested. The first nor'wester would blow it clear away from it's moorings. No. But solid viaduct, built up on stout piers from the bed of the sea, with 8 massive super structure.
 ''The starting point would be Ambleteuse, which has the advantage of small road stead on the French coast. The bridge is to form one continuous way, and to extend in a northerly direction as far as Folkestone. Its lengtha Thirty-fve kilometers. A slight bend will occur at two points, where reefs afford splendid opportunities for abutments and cantilevers. These reefs arc in mid- channel, and indicated on our naval maps as the rocks of Colbart and Varne.
 'As you see, we do not take the shortest, but the best and the shallowest route. The sea depths vary between fifty and twelve meters, the deepest water being on the French side of the channel. The piers are to be built of hard concrete and masonry, and to meas ure each about fifty meters long by thirty meters wide. They are to rise ten meters above the waves, esad to support lofty pier towers, on whose iron framework the super s,,%o two piers will be from 500 to GOO meters, an enormous span, since the superincumbent weight of the ironwork would amount at least to 25,O00 tons. I don't know," added the gallant admiral, with a smile, swhether you quite realize what such mass of iron may mean. At any rate, you may remain convinced that all the four winds of heaven combined may blow upon it in vain.
 NEW FEATURE.
 "Injure the piers, did you saya Oh, dear no. In this connection may instance new feature in the construction, which I have worked out myself. Instead of having re- course to the usual system of projecting or underhanging girders, and instead of grad ually constructing from the pier outward one ehaf of the span until it meets the other half midway, where both halves are con- 1 joined, I get whole span of ironwork manu- | factured on shore. This section of the super structure will then be transported in fair weather on four elevated, air-tight pontoon cases, each of which is able to support a weight of 10, 900 tons, and when brought into position, that is, when placed on a parallel line with the stone piers (whereon some kind of elastic body has been placed to deaden the shock and prevent injury to the masonry, water is allowed to flow into the pontoon cases, which, on slowly sinking, 1,.s,, t4f1> on line level with the dat surface Of the piers. Tho whole mass is then gradually raised as the iron pier towers arc built up l under it. es5ss.
 s'Tho bridge, then, will be thirty meters wide, and have four railway lines, beside a road for foot passengers. vehicles and in- spectors Boxes for guards and shunting lines will be established at stated distances. Each pier will be provided with powerful electric light, beside sirens and alarm bells for foggy weather.
 "The superstructure on the pier towers will, of course, rise to height sufficient to allow the tallest ships to ride under it at ease say between fifty and sixty meters Buoys like those used in the Suez canal will be placed at regular points to show the way at night to approaching ships, 50 that these may sail through the broad arches without danger of coliding with the piers.
 LARGEST IN THE WORLD.
 "There is nothing absolutely extraordinary in the construction of the new viaduct, unless it be it's length, which would make of it the largest in the world. When, however, bridges have been built two miles long, as they often have, there is no reason why one thirty-fve kilometers in length should not be con- structed. The only real difficulty, as regards the construction, consists in laying the foun- l lofin pF fha a,,io in, Tn parison with that the raising of the iron pier towers and superstructure will be easy work. As, however, such an engineering feat has been done already, there is also no reason why the thing should not be again accom- plished. In Australia piers have been sunk ffty-six meters, greater depth than any to be found on our way between Ambleteuse and Folkestone.
 ''There is, however, one vital point deserv- ing our best consideration. The proposal to construct viaduct between France and England raises question similar to that put forward against the boring of submarine tunnel It would pro tanto weaken the ex. isting defenses of Great Britain, and no con. alterations, however important, could justify the legislature, it is alleged, in making such a sacrifice. England, in q word, is unwilling to throw away or impair the one great mill. tary advantage she possesses over all her rivals.
 ''What the advocates of the present project ask the British nation to do is, in effect, te , bridge over the channel. For the present the weight of military opinion Is against the scheme. The fear of invasion IS upper most Yet there is one easy way of aIlay ing the scruples of the most timorous. Ali each end of the viaduct-as well on the Eng fish as on the French coast, for invasion in i. wolves -invasion-we intend establish ], ing swivel bridge. At the first signal o1 alarm, you have only to swing the swivc
 bridge open to interrupt all communication
 between the two countries. A gap then ex
 ists as effective as if no viaduct had evel
 been built. The advantage of such an ar rangement over submarine tunnel i obvious, as the tunnel, inter alia, if it coule
 be blocked in by water in three minutes, coule r not be pumped dry again for three months
 an operation as costly as that of boring .
 new tunnel. "-Paris Cor. New York Mai and Express.
 A reward of $75 for pet cat that has gone ] astray, or has been purloined, to help line Q circular fgr servank girls, intltcates thsy szt