Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1890-07-24
Channel Bridge and Tunnel.

Channel Bridge and Tunnel,
/ have to-day seen NJ. Varilla. the
author of the bridge-tunnel scheme
of communication between France
and England, telegraphs the Paris
correspondent of the London Daily
News. NJ. Varilla singularly resem,
bles Napoleon; but, notwithstanding
his name and appearance, he does
not own to any Corsican blood. In
speaking of his plan, NJ. Varilla told
me that it had met with an excellent
reception at the ministry of public
works, and that NJ. Yves Guyot is
soon to submit it to the ministerial
council. | asked whether the sum o
100000 900 livres given in the papers
at the cost of the bridge-tunnel was
not under the mark. He informed
me that it was great deal above it.
The estimate is 100000 livres;
but 10000, 900 livres would certain.
ly not be exceeded. In reply to are
mark that it would be task ofex.
treme difficulty to make tunnel,
both ends of which would be sub.
merged, and both OF them half
mile from the shore, the engineer
stated that the technical difficulties
were by no means as great as they
might at first appear. NJ. Yarilla then
explained that his idea was to con.
stuct lift at the extremity of either
pier by which trains might be raised or
lowered. How was this to be done
without letting the water into the
tunnel? The idea was to construct
two square tubes Of iron, about 90
feet in height, 600 feet long, and 400
feet wide. These tubes would be
bailt on RATS Of special design, and
on a calm day towed out to the end
of each pier, where they would be let
down straight into the sea. Stones
would then be shot down from barges
round the four sides of the tubes, SO
as to form breakewaters round them,
and protect them from the action of
currents and storms. A peaceiullake
would thus be formed within the
tubes. "Just so" ] said, but how
could tunnel be made without hav-
ing it flooded? I'm this way" re-
piled Mr.. Varilla, "the iron tube
would rest on bed of sand, having
beneath it an absolute impervious
stratum through which the tunnel
would run. When the tubes and the
breakwaters round them are in po-
sition at the end of the piers, | bore
down by hammering with specially
constructed steam hammers. When
the marley chalk is reached there will
be a second and smaller tube let
down into the first, leaving sufficient
space to admit of n wall of concrete
being built between the two. The
water in the artificial lake will
then be pumped out. and the scoop
ing out through the impervious
stratum may Recommended down to
the level of the tunnel There will be
two great tubes of $50 or ITO feet
or more in height, by which trains
lifts said, will be of hitherto I'M
known power" "Not at ALL" was
the reply, sat the canal OF Fontinettes,
in the north of France, there are
elevators which raise d total weight
of 1000 tons. My elevators will
nee0 to bear only weight of about
200 tons. The general technical diff
ticulties in what concerns the pipers
will not be great. The force of the
tide and wind would not be greater
than mt the Forth bridge. The VIA
ducts between the coasts and the
lifts would he constructed on the can
till over system. In regard to the de-
fensive question, each country would
be absolute mistress of the viaduct
and the tube at her end OF the tun-
mel. Zone more question:: How
would Great Britain be able to pro-
tect herself from invasion?" "NOth-
ing easier. To begin with, she would
destroy the elevator or food the
tunnel. 1t would even be sufficient
to destroy a part of the viaduct at
her end. A gunboat, or a Krupp gun
commanding the elevator tube could
effectively block the passage without
definitely running the tunnel.' "And
where did you get your idea, NJ.
Varilla?" l asked, SIN thinking
out a plan for the Paris Metropoli-
tan railway, | was brought to think
that mixed systems lent themselves
best TO the solution ofgreat technical
and other difficulties. When reflect
ing upon the two opposite systems
for canal railway, it occurred to
me that the bridge systems would do
away with many OF the objections to
the tunnel scheme"