Evening journal., 1898-05-27
BRIDGING THE ENGMsH CHAN


The annual meeting Of the already
RATHER old Channel Bridge Company
recently took place in Paris, under tlhe
presadency OF Comte de ChaudOrdy.
The scheme which is now in favor with
This rather unfortunate company is in
contestably original. The minutes of
the recent meeung contain the follow
! ing explanations; IN. Thevenet le
Boul, chief engineer Of the Points ct
Chaussees, member of the Technical
Committee OF the company, explained
THAT THE new method proposed for
crossing uhe channel consists in rolling
on a bridge, submerged to the depth Of
fifteen metres below how water mark, am
immense platform emerging above the
water. It is to be propelled by cleo
tucity, and capable of carrying four
railway trains. The rails ON the plat-
form join the rails on land at the de-
pautUre and arrival, so THAT the trains
| will simply steam on to the platform,
and steam of IL Wihen the platform
| reaches the opposite coast. IL Is the
lampMficatiOn on a vast scale, of the lit
tie platform wihioh is used to convey
foot passengers between st. MalO and
st. Servan.
"The new project has just formed the
elabject Of careful study by the Com
pagnie de Fives-Lille, whose high repu-
UatiOn is a guarantee for success. That
study has shown the practicabillty, the
facilGty OF execution and the relative
economy Of THAT method Of tranEit by
rail between France and England Dhis
scheme has the advantage over it's pre-
deCessors Of being very simple, and Of
possessing absolute safety both during
it's execution and in it's working. That
solution has also the advantage OF es-
icaping the principal international OBJ
. I jections raised against the project OF
uhe bridge above The walter. No OBJ
stacle 10 navigation would be created
lby IT, and the insular situation OF Eng-
I land would remain intact.
This new work could be completed
in FIVE years. The total cost would
not exceed $50. 900, 900 francs, or three
, times less than the bridge above the
water. Three rolling PLATFORMS, work
ing simultaneously, and only during
the day would suffice for a traffic OF
1900 600 tons of merchandise and q
600 600 paEecngeIs,w which would produce
an annual income Of over 6O,OOO,OO0
fIancs, CT a mot income of 80, 600, 00C
FRAMES. Considering the facility of bnil-
| lianitly Illuminating the platforms with
; eloctncity, they could also travel al
might The great English company, thf
Thames Iron Works and Ship Building
Company, Limited, is in accord with
tho French Compagne De FiVes-Iflk
: | for the grouping around this project
: of the principal iron working firms intC
, a vast international cOnsortium, which
/ with the present Channel Bridge Com
, pany. will demand the concession anJ
. secure the execution of the work"
NJ. Thevenet le Boups communlca
tiOn was applauded unanimously bl
] the meeting. The PLATFORM on whidl
9 il Is proposed that the trains shouls
stand while being conveyed acrOss ths
S channel would be $50 metres long an5
D 10 metres broad 10 would be suppOrtel
. by five iron pillars on each side G'hes'
. lplMars, bIaced together in pairs by irol
I girders, and supported by iron stays
would rest on a submerged platform
provided with wheels rolling on rail-
fixed en- the bridge. This submerge'
. platform would be uhirty metres wide
SO that tine pi,lars supporting the plat
form above the water would INCLINE
{ inward, since THAT upward platform
@ would be only about fifteen metre
l. wide The motive power, which IL !
proposed should ibo electricity, wOul'
lee generated by steam engines ans
dynamOs installed on the upper plat
e form, and transmitted directly and sep
q aralcly 70 each of the fifteen pairs O
4, wheels with which the submerged psat
= form is to be rovided-London stand
a ara.