The daily morning journal and courier., 1898-05-16
BRIDGING THE ENGLISH CHAN
 MEL.
Project for Running Trains on A Sub
 Merged Trestle.


 Project for Running Trains on A sub-
 Merged Trestle.
 The annual meeting of the already rather old Channel Bridge Company recently took place in Paris, under the presidency of Comte de Chaudordy. The scheme which is now in favor with his rather unfortunate company is incontestably original The minutes of the recent meeting contain the fol- lowing explanations: 'M. 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 the Channel consists In roll ing on bridge, submerged to the depth of fifteen metres below low water mark, an immense platform emerging above the water. It is to be propelled by electricity, and capable of carrying four railway trains. 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, and steam off it when the platform reaches the opposite coast. It 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 Compagnie de Fives-Lille, whose high reputation is a guarantee for success That study has shown the practicabil- ity, the facility of execution and the relative economy of that method of transit by rail between France and England. This scheme has the advan- tage over it's predecessors of being very simple, and of possessing absolute safety both during it's execution and in its working. That solution has also the advantage of escaping the principal international objections raised against the project of the bridge above the water. No obstacle to navigation would be created by it, and the insular situation of England would remain intact.
 "This new work could be completed in five years. The total cost would not exceed 350,o00, ,000 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 three million tons of merchandise and two million passengers, which would produce an annual income of over 60,000,000 francs, or net income of 5O,000,00O francs. Considering the facility of brilliantly Illuminating the platforms with electricity, they could also travel at night. The great English company, the Thames Iron Works and Ship-building Company Gimited), is in accord with the French Compagnie de Fives-Lille for the principal iron working firms and companies of the two countries into a vast international consortium, which, with the present Channel Bridge Company, will de- mand the concession and secure the execution of the work"
 M. Thevenet le Bours communication was applauded by the meeting The platform on which it is proposed that the trains should stand while being conveyed across the Channel would be 150 metres long and about 15 metres broad. It would be supported by five iron pillars on each side. These pillars, braced together in pairs by iron girders, and supported by iron stays would rest on the submerged platform