Omaha daily bee., 1897-06-27
TUNNEL UNDER THE THAMES
Largest %subaqueous Highway Ever Built
Under a River.
MANY ENGINEERING PROBLEMS SOLVED
How the Ever-Pressing Volume of
Water Wns Kept Out of the Why
The Great Shield that
Dug the Trench.

I Varius attempts, some successful and some
not, have been made to connect by tunnels
under the river Thames the great and grow
Ding populations of the largest city IN the
world. All of them, however, even the tun-
nels for the underground railroads-those
built and now building-and the sam may be
said of those in the United States and other
countries. are smaller than the Blackwell,
the one just opened. Therefore, 1t will be
of interest to describe it, for it has many
interesting features. 1t is a record of sue
cessful contest, under the ground and under
the water, with the great forces of nature,
which always resist any effort of man to
turn them aside from their usual course.
While there are several bridges and tun-
nels above and in the vicinity Of London
bridge, the demand for a crossing Of the
river below that point was so great that the
Tower bridge, a great structure with two
leaves opening up to let the ships through,
was opened in recent years at a cost Of
81, 900, 900, to accommodate the street traffic
and to relieve London bridge, but so rapid
was the increase Of the traffic that no SEN
sible dimunition has been noticed over Lon
don bridge, so that at some point about six
miles below this bridge 1t became absolutely
necessary for the accommodation of about
100 600 people equal to the population OF
New York and greater than that of Chicago,
who live east of the bridge, TO build either a
bridge or a tunnel. The former was hardly
practicable in the midst OF all the docks
aud that immense shipping which makes
London the greatest port in the world. 1t
was decided, therefore, to build by the eX-
penditure Of another 81 ,0O0, 900 a great under
river tunnel to provide for this traffic. Near
the location OF this tunnel, at Greenwich
and Woolwich, there had been already pro-
vided by the county council OF London a
free ferry TO accommodate the isolated
parts of London north OF the Thames, This
ferry, inadequate as il is for this Immense
traffic, carries 100000 passengers each year
and about $40, 900 vehicles. 1t serves certain
districts quite well, but certain other dis
tricts cannot conveniently use It.. So the
Blackwell tunnel was built,
LIGHT, AIRY AND COMFORTABLE.
This great hole. burrowed under the river,
which is nearly a quarter of a mile wide,
and through all sorts Of troublesome ma
terlals, is not a dark and forbidding place,
but pleasant TO ride or walk In and light
enough TO read the London Times anywhere
In; In fact. this was one of the requirements
OF the Contract; and it is also in every way
wholesome and sweet. 1t is safe to say that
such an underground transit way in New
York City, or in any of our large cities, with
electric cars passing through il, would be SO
entirely different from what the ordinary
citizen expects TO see that he would travel
Sn IL In preference to elevated or surface cars.
The subway now being built in Boston is the
closest approach to this tunnel in regard to
light and comfort, unless II may be the beau
tiful underground transit way at Buda Pesth
Hungary. Glistening white tile rejecting
hundreds Of electric lights. and easy grades
like the easiest going up TO the city bridges,
a comfortable roadway OF Belgian blocks, the
level spaces of the tunnel proper smoothly
paved with asphaltum; and with a sidewalk
Tor foot passengers on either side, This ie
the tunnel which the bountiful provision OF
a great city and the skill of it's engineers
and contractors have given to this part Of
London.
Now let us see how this Blackwell tun'
mel was built, state some OF the difficulties