The record-union., 1897-06-07
GREATEST TUNNEL.
To Connect Scotland and Ireland Be-
meath the Sea.
1t Will Burrow Under the Irish Sea
and Save Time and
Money.

The British Government now has un-
der consideration a plan for the great
est submarine tunnel which the mind
of man ever conceived. 1t provides for
a passageway, to be lighted by electric
ity, beneath the Irish Sea- or the North
Channel, as it is called, from point in
Scotland just north of Point Patrick
to point in Ireland just west of Car
| rickfergus and several miles north of
| the arm stretching up to Belfast, which
| IS known as Belfast Lake. The total
estimated cost is $50, 100000 and the
plan which the Government is consider
ing is that submitted by a syndicate,
which agrees to bind itself to bring the
project to successful accomplishment.
Englishmen are supposed to be ex-
ceedingly wary of anything that SavorS
of the illogical, but the ideas of the syn
dictate which proposes to build this tun-
mel are anything but chimerical. 1t is
argued that the traffic which would
surely seize upon this avenue of COM
merce between the islands that consti-
tute Great Britain would be more than
sufficient to pay a handsome rate of
interest upon the investment-not less
| than . per cent. This would require
a net profit of 81, 100000 a year, and
when one considers those figures in
comparison with the returns from the
| freight and passenger traffic between
England and Ireland it is easy TO see
where the syndicate finds basis for its
belief. 1t is also stated that the syn
| dictate has asked for a Government
guarantee, or subsidy, but this state
| ment has not been verified.
This is not the first suggestion of
subaqueous connection between the di-
vided portions of Britain. The previous
plan contemplated a tunnel beneath
what is called st. Georges Channel, this
being the southern entrance to the Irish
Sea. The project was carefully consid-
cred, for the Unsuitable commercial eye
| of Great Britain never overlooks any
| thing. Marine engineers who were
questioned concerning the matter were
emphatic in their statements that any
such idea was impracticable because
of the exceptionally stormy nature and
powerful currents of st. Georges Chan
| mel. For this reason the first suggeS-
| ton has been held in allegiance until
! the fate of the second one shall be de-
cided. 1t may now, however, be said
to be practically dead, as the plan
which the Government is considering
seems entirely feasible.
| The quickest way to get from Eng
land to Ireland at the present time is
| from Holyhead to Dublin, a distance
| of sixty-four miles. The direct route
| by sea from London to Liverpool is 1873
miles. From Cork, which is practically
| Queenstown, to Liverpool, it is 2S3
miles. On a basis of miles the land
and tunnel route, according to the pro-
posed plan would be somewhat longer
than the more direct water route of to-
day. Considering the fact that no
storms would be met with and that
stress of weather would at no time in
terpere with traffic, this apparent draw
back disappears. Not only that, but it
is far easier to ship goods by rail than
by water. The saving of time in load
| ing and unloading is tremendous.
Again, there could be a regularity in
the shipment of freight. no matter
what the amount might be, which is not
at present enjoyed and never can be
| by water route.
The members of the syndicate who
are willing to discuss the matter say
that they have reason to believe the
passenger traffic would be a very con-
| siderable item in the profits. With
reasonable railroad fares and an all
land passage, it is declared the travel
between England and Ireland would
| be at least fifty per cent. greater than
it is at present. The Irish Sea is at no
| time a gentle body of water, and one
is almost as certain of violent attack
of seasickness as when crossing from
| Dover to Calais.
The railroad lines of England and
| Scotland run direct to Point Patrick,
| or at least some of them do, therefore
the only railroad building that would
| be necessary would be the extension of
such lines as do not at present reach
| the terminus of the proposed tunnel.
| Passengers from London would of ne
| cesSity have to traverse almost the en-
| tire length of England and ride over a
bit of the southeastern portion of Scot
! land, but that is not such a long jour
ney.
Emerging from the tunnel in Ireland
a short distance north and esat of Car
rickfergus, to which town they would
proceed by rail, passengers could jour-
| ney down to Belfast, to Armagh, Dun
dalk and Dublin, or, if preferring to go
west or north, could travel to London
derry, Donegal or in any other direc-
ton in which the railroads that gridron
the Emerald Isle would carry them.
/! Such a tunnel would undoubtedly give
a tremendous impetus to railroad build
ing in Ireland, and this would mean the
| infusion of a commercial spirit which
is at present sadly lacking Inasmuch
as close commercial ties generally be-
come sinews of friendship the advo-
Gates of the tunnel declare that their
plan is we'll worthy Of patriotic sup
port, as a possible key to the solution
of the Irish problem
The statement made in the beginning
| of this article that the tunnel is the
largest conception of the sort in the
history of the world, is shown by COM
parison with the great tunnels COM
pleted or in prospect The tunnel be-
tween Dover and Calais, or England
undertaking so far as the building of
the tunnel is concerned, than has been
accomplished half dozen times. Be-
sides that, the Dover Calais tunnel is
in statu quo. In 1861 some two thou
sand feet of experimental borings were
made through the chalk and mari. be-
ginning at Folkestone, but that is about
all that has been accomplished
England has her tunnels under the
Mersey, the Severn and the Thames.
the second being the greatest of the
three, but the building thereof was as
child's play compared to this. These
tunnels and the one in the United