The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-05-29
PLAN ron CROSSING CHANNEL
France and England May he Connected
with = Rolling Bridge.

| WIN q Rolling bridge.
The annual meeting OF the already
rather old ham Bridge company re-
Gently took place in Paris, under the
presidency OF the Comte de Chaudordy.
The scheme which Is now In favor with
this rather unfortunate company Is in
contestably original. Thevenet lie Boul,
chief engineer of the Points ct Chaus-
sees. member Of the technical commit
tee OF the company. explained that the
new method proposed for crossing the
channel consists in rolling on a bridge
submerged to the depth of Is meters
below low-water mark, an immense
platform emerging above the water. 1t
rs to be propelled by electricity and ca
pable OF carrying four railway rains.
The rails on the platform join the rails
on land at the departure and arrival, so
that the trains will simply steam on to
the platform n steam OF 1t when the
platform reaches the opposite coast.
1t Is the application, on a vast scale.
OF the little platform which Is used to
convey foot passengers between st. Malo
and st. Servan. The new project has
Just formed the subject Of careful study
by the Compaignie de Fives-L Lille, whose
high reputation Is a guarantee for sue
cess. study has shown the prac-
ticability. the facility OF execution and
he relative economy OF that method of
III W tail oNlWCCu TIdutt dud
England. This scheme has the advan-
tage over its predecessors OF being very
simple and Of possessing absolute safety
both during Its execution and In its
working. That solution has also the add
vantage Of escaping the principal inter-
national objections raised against the
project Of the bridge above the water.
No obstacle to navigation woul be Gre
ated by II. and the insular situation of
England would ramain intact This paW
work could be completed in Ave years.
The total cost would not exceed $50, 000,-
francs, or three times less a the
bridge above the water. Three rolling
platforms, working simultaneously and
only during the day.. would suffice for a
traffic of 5000. 900 tons of merchandise
and 1000. 900 passengers which would
produce an annual income of over Co.
100000 francs, or a net income OF 50,-
000. 900 francs. Considering the facility
OF brilliantly Illuminating the platforms
with electricity they could also travel
al night.
The great English company. the
Thames Iron Works and Shipbuilding
company. Limited. is In accord with the
Compagnie de Fives-Lille. for
the grouping round this project OF the
principal iron-working firms and compa-
MES OF the two countries into a vast in
ternational consortium, which, with the
present Channel Bridge company. Will
the concession and secure the
of the work. The platform
on which Il Is proposed that the trains
;hould stand while being conveyed across
the channel would be $50 meters long
and about Is meters broad. IL would be
supported by FIVE iron pillars on each
side. These pillars. braced together in
pairs by iron girders and supported by
ron stays. would rest on a submerged
platform provided with wheels rolling
rails fixed on the bridge. This sub
platform would be 30 meters
wide, so that the pillars supporting the
platform above the water would incline
since that upper platform would
be only about Is meters wild The mo-
tive power. which IL Is proposed should
be electricity. o he generated by
steam engines and dynamos Installed
the upper platform. and transmitted
and separately to each of the
Is pairs Of wheels with which the sub
platform is to be provided
Standard. /