The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-07-30

INTENDED TO CONNECT ENGLAND
AND FRANCE.

SA4C
mel What the French Company Has
Done - Work at a Standstill IA
Scheme for a Viaduct-Othe Great
Engineering Works Recalled.
From the Ne,o YORK. World.
PARIS July lG.-rhe recent debates IN
the house Of commons relative to the pro
ject Of tunnelling the channel have been
watched with great interest by the French
people. More than ever the English wish
their country TO remain an island, more
than ever do they fear an invasion from the
French coast, should the tunnel be pierced.
In vain did Mr. Gladstone recall to tho
memory Of his compatriots' tho fact that
for ten centuries France had been invaded
many more times by England than Eng land
by France--the members of parlia-
ment, by vote of 30j against
100, rejected the bill. Is the que5-
tion definitely buried! No, for n French
company exists in spite of non-auth0riza-
ton by the English parliament. As Sir
Edward Watkin said Mt Westminster palace,
the FronCh company, known by the name
of Submarine ra road company" has
already spent 2,OOO00O francs This com
pany has for president NJ Leon Say, for
vice president NJ. RaOul Duval, men who
devote their energies to the success of the
scheme. The pro ieCt of connecting Dover
with Calais by submarine railway is not
now. Thirty years ago Queen Victoria and
Prince Albert hoped that tunnel would
unite EnglaGd and France
French engineers at that time began the
work and Immediately the results were
satisfactory. Examination of strata under
the channel proved the existence of ii bed
of Rouen chalk, deep enough to offer sure
guarantee against intlltratiOns. Through
this it was found that perfectly dry gal
lery could be perforated. The work Of
digging near Calais was accomplished at
the rate of thirty metres in twenty-four
hours Never mad a similar operation sue
ceedcd 80 well At the Simplon only five
or SIX metres were finished each day. II
was natural that the company thought the
way prepared for ultimate success, and the
French parliament passed law by which
the company had permission to use the
tunnel for transportation of passengers and
merchandise during ninety yearS-tOat
is, one-half of the tunnel ten miles-would
belong to the French company, one-half TO
the English company.
In the beginning public opinion in Eng
land favored the enterprise, and two rival
companies were formed to study on the
English coast what had been already proven
in France. The same stratum of Rouen
chalk was found, and the rival companies
became one in order to make success more
certain.
Then came fear. At banquet of the
Horse Guards Lord Wolseley spoke of the
dangers for British safety, in military
point of view, were there a tunnel under
the channel This speech wasechoed every
where in England, and there was veri-
table panic. Not long after the English
company was forbidden to continue its
work and affairs remained in Stdtu quo.
However, the company was not diScour-
aged Every effort was made To win the
consent of the authorities, and at last bill,
was brought before the house of commons
result, a temporary defeat.
The French are gratified that there are
at present l65 voices in the British parla-
ment that favor this scheme, but they are
obliged to wait in patience until their neigh
bors shall have regained their senses. Or
perhaps 1t would be we'll to follow the ad-
vice of NJ. de lIesSeps: Il received no aAIthor-
ization to work on the Suez canal, but the
day it was finished the concession was
granted. Make your tunnel, aud when it
Shall be finished the British parliament will
authorize you to begin the work While
waiting for the completion of the II
nell there is another project for
crossing the Channel-by means of
bridge from Ambleteuse on
the French coast to FOlkestone. Admiral
CLIQUE, the great French naval commander,
who lends his name to the scheme said to
me: "The bridge will betwenty-two miles
in length, with bends at two points in mid
channel, near the rocks Colbert and Varne
On the French side of the channel the depth
of water is about $50 feet deep, but between
the French and English coasts the depth
VaripS from IN To M feet The StrnCt1Ira is
not to be a suspension bridge but viaduct,
built of stone and iron. The piers will be
30xl50 feet, and will riss so feet above the
sea level. From pier to pier will he dis
lance of 500 to 600 yards, and the weight of
the iron works will be about 25 900
tons | am responsible for a new feature
in bridge construction: We do not build
half the span from one pier until it meets
the other half, but we have a hole span
made of iron on shore Then on pleasant
day this entire span will be carried on air
tight pontoon cases, placed on n parallel
line with the piers, and rs the water enters
the pontoon cases, they sinking, bring the
span to its proper level OF course tho
bridge will be high enough for the greatest
ships TO pass underneath and the same pre-
cautions will be taken rs at the Suez canal,
SO that there may be no collision with the
piers The bridge will be 30 feet wide,
riages, four railway lines, guard houses,
electric lights alarm bells, etc.
1.-The only great difficulty will be placing
the piers in deep water, but in Australia
piers have bee sunk al $50 feet, why not
between England AMI France The Chan.
mel bridge and railway company is already
formed, and able engineers and contractors
engaged for the construction Of this link be-
tween England and France The admiral
seems very hopeful, hut he may rest assured
that the English viii fight against a bridge
as long as against a tunnel. To calm their
fears because bridge would take away
great defense, the admiral says: AT each
end wa shall place a swivel bridge, and Mt
the first signal the swivel bridge can be
swung open and all communication between
the two countries will cease
SO great is the excitement about an i'm
proved means of transit between tho two
countries, Capt. Jovis, the aeronaut, says
that after he has crossed the Atlantic i'm a
balloon he shall establish balloon service
between England and France service far
superior TO that of either tunnel or bridge.
BARONESS ALTHEN SALVADOR
THE FREE WHISKY PLANK