New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-01-08
8, FOREGROUND EUROPE.
ER OF THE TUNNELS THAT TRAV-
DAN.
5E LONDON. PARIS AND ROME
iATIoNs MADE UNSTABLE AND ANAR-
SITS PROVIDED WITH ASSISTANCE-vAST
Gil .'-
i.ABYRINTHs UNCiIARTED AND
UNKNOWN TO THE AU-
TIiORITiES

1ig the most remarkable features Of the
~ nth century, now rapidly drawing to q
as been a revival after more than thou
lars OF that disposition to burrow beneath
SA' rface OF the soil which seems as instinct
IN man as it is with the mole. the analogy
IN the two in this respect affOrdng food
lection to those who favor the doctrines oil
' ION in connection with the origin Of the
IN race. Give child Of tender years q
{ and a heap of Sand. and the first thing
'f be will proceed to do is TO tunnel and as
COWS I'D the fascination Of the under ground
~ 5 upon him TO such an extent that sooner
o. go over mountain or a river he will pre-
49, 20 pass beneath. while in number OF
. ;eadng cities of Europe the people, called
-. ITO choose between an aerial and subter-
" N means Of traffic and communication
49,, enthusiastically to announce themselves in
90, Of the latter.
,tattenton is drawn TO this at the present
lure, II is because Of the announcement in
liable dispatches to the effect that England's
paiament is about to be called upon to insti-
Al, measures for the purpose OF putting a
49, il not an absolute STOP to the process OF
x.,yeombing the foundations and subsoil oil
~. British metropolis. Moreover. an alarming
-as,ent has recently taken place at Paris
- the celebrated Restaurant Champeaux
-. ,se Place de la BOurse. where the princes OF
e,,ce are wont to foregather for their midday
,.a was wrecked the other day by an explo-
sc, Of terrific force which is ascribed TO the
.cc,yI,ulation of gases in the subterranean
n.ss.ges and tunnels which traverse the French
c,,i,al maze fashion, in every direction. Then
,cn ne works Of the new metropolitan or
r1a.eeround railroad beneath the crowded Rue
40 R,Yoli that skirts the Tuileries are encoun-
,ern. almost insuperabe difficulties. owing 10
o.. extraordinary number of vaulted galleries
,s. tier upon tier intersect the entire route OF
~. rejected railway, and which will require
m. most delicate handling in order TO avoid
a,,e'er 10 the huge buildings that line the Rue
A. piyou throughout the greater part or us
,.rrth. Finally, the anti-Anarchist conference
=, po,ne which has just brought It's sessions to
tor nipation. IS asserted TO have had under
,o,e;' GRAFTON the disposition which the Nihilists
-, Anarchists have shown OF late to avail
,,.rnselyes Of tunnelllngs and Of tunnels for the
npetration Of their outrages against the con-
uuted authorities and against society
IONDONs GRAVE PERIL
he peril that threatens London and that Is
sbut 70 lead TO statutory actions in Parliament
,.erious. But It is one by which Paris, Rome
am, a number Of other great cities Of the Old
vS,d are rnenaced IN the same way. One hun
I'D wears ago there was practically no under
r,und London. save along the rivers edge,
we're wine cellars centuries old extended for
neral miles. To-day there is almost as much
r and traffic beneath the surface Of the Brit
olO TUO nd three
ts OF underground railroads, with their un-
dl,round stations and shops, as well as other
hye conduits. tunnels. sewers and subways OF
cry description, honeycomb the subson Of
Ltdon TO the depth Of more than one hundred
h. and unless some check is offered to this
fon Of enterprise there is no knowing where it
vi end
Te results Of this tampering with the founda-
do, OF London are beginning to be felt, and
seyiying rise TO no end Of alarm. goodiy
pmon Of the metropolis appears threatened
Wit subsistence, and the gravest fears are en-
tefined for Westminster Abbey, St Paurs
CScdral and other historic State edifces. In
"a 10 one would be surprised to learn that
tht safety has become affected by the impru-
De- interference with their foundations. 1t was
OIL the other day that the London papers placed
n,cord an alarming subsistence in Hyde Park,
Wire the ground suddenly showed a rift sew
9 hundred feet in length. and a week later
1 sinking Of about a hundred yards Of the
rUway on one side Of Fleet-st.. while the police
rarts and the weekly returns Of the building
lnectors are said to furnish sensational read
n&xith regard TO the large number OF big edi-
ns IN the city. and mansions both great and
Hnal In the residential districts, that show
essked walls that lettering. or that are
a'tuany wrecked by the subsistence Of the
ground" .r'. ''
curious feature about the whole affair Is
nSr 10 spite OF all these borrowings no one
sSns to possess any definite knowledge as to