The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-05-19
THE ALPINE TUNNELS.
New One to supersede the Simplon
and Mont Cents.
From the Paris Messenger.

From the Paris Messenger.
All visitors to Italy. passing through
Switzerland, have seen with wonder
and delight the St. Gothard railway,
which extends from Lucerne to Chi
assO. TraVersing, as it does. the Alps
in it's passage and embracing nearly
100 tunnels. of which that at the sum-
NIT is nine and a half miles in length,
it has justly been considered one of the
greatest engineering feats in the world.
AS it forms the direct line of communi-
cation between Italy and Germany, its
traffic has not only grown to very large
proportions, hut the return TO the
shareholders is equally large and sat
isfactory. The other great tunnel
through the Alps, which was con-
structed a an earlier date, is the Mont
Gents. This tunnel, at an altitude of
4 2i7 feet above the sea, is nearly eight
miles in length, and was also, in its
day, considered a marvellous undertake
ing; but, unfortunately, although most
solidly constructed and capable of
carrying a large traffic, it is. owing to
the war of tariffs existing between
France and Italy, but little used,
But now a third tunnel-that under
it's construction has already COM
menccd This railway will form the
most direct communication between
Bcrne. Lausanne and Geneva to DOmO
d'Assola, Milan, and the north of Italy,
and it has the great advantage of be-
ing on "A low level. While the altitude
of the St. GOthard is 3,7S9 feet above
the sea, and that of the Mont Gents is
/ 4 no f,s, ,,,1, %
In otter words, the heavy traffic will
pass through the Alps at a lower level,
| by some 1,477 feet, than i'm the case Of
| the St GOthard. Another great ad-
vantage it viii possess is that the ap-
proaCh on the Swiss side win be of the
simplest character. The Jura- -Simplon
railway has its terminus at BTeg in
! the Rhone valley, and the tunnel
! mouth will he on the present level Of
| and at a short distance from, the end
Of the existing sidings of BrieG station
! The length of the tunnel will be twelve
| and a half miles, the Italian end being
at Iselle. The maximum gradient will
| be / i'm l40, and the work will consist of
! two parallel tunnels-eaCh for one pair
| of rails--at a distance apart of about
| fifty feet.
! MS lulllltl mas pttll llbLlOStu lOI
| some years, but it was for a long time
/ considered impraCtiCable. The great
! advance, within the last fow wears. of
! engineering science has, however con-
WINGED thinking men not only that it
/ is feasible, but that it will possess very
| considerable advantages over the other
! tunnels, The profitable results of the
| ST. Gothard no doubt stimulated its
promoters to proceed, and the great
| railway company of Switzerland--the
Jura -SimplOn company-has taken the
matter in hand. Many and great were
the objections raised by it's opponents,
and the Swiss government wisely de-
cided that, before committing them
selves in any way to its execution, they
| would obtain the opinions of a COM
mission of experts uS tunnel construc-
tion and ventilation. They had already
the reports of their own able and ex-
perienced engineers, but they decided
to seek advice from sources which
would be absolutely disinterestsd and