The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1900-11-16
THE SYMPTOM TUNNEL.
Progress Of the Work Upon a Bigger
Hole in Ground Than New York's.


Signor Musso had made an interest
ing visit to Iselle. two hours drive
from Demodossola, and gives de-
scription of the works on the Italian
side of the great Simplon tunnel All
along the splendid road up the Simplon
now stands quantity Of villa sand
cottages, either belonging to the fami-
lies of the superintendent of the
works or to Italian preprietors, who
| forseeing the immense future develop
ment of Iselle have securedl the best
sites. There are 2, 300 Italian work
men employed at this end of the tun-
mel, and the numerous inns and drink
ing shops bear signs with the names
of their native towns-Naples, Capus,
Gasta, and even Pompeii. These inns
are of wood, plastered outside to- keep
off the damp: every winter some are
destroyed by the snow and must be re-
built. A permission is necessary to see
the works, and visitor must sign a
declaration renouncing all claims for
compensation in case he is injured,
for there is constant danger Of acct
dents. There is a hospital at the
gates of the works, with q surgeon
always in attendance. There is also a
Catholic and protestant chapel. The
length of the tunnel will be 10, TO
meters The outlet at the Italian side
is 633 meters above sea level.
The works are being carried on with
feverish activity night and day, for
if not finished on the date fixed, the
18th day of May, 1904, each day of de-
lay will cost the contractor 8, 000f.
while on the other hand, they will gain
the same sum for every day the works
are finished sooner than that time.
Engineers and workingmen remain
in the depths of the tunnel for eight
hours at a time, amid the dropping of
water, the screeching of the perfor-
ators, the fumes of gas and lamps, for
electric lights have proved useless, as
they are extinguished at every explo-
sion in the mines. When the perfor-
aters have bored hole some three feet
deep, it is filled with dynamite and
fired. The explosions are very. dan
gerous, for, in spite of all precaution,
fragrants of rock may hurt the work
ingmen or the very ground may open
beneath their very feet. When all the
mines are laid a man is set to count
the explosions. so as to make sure that
all the mines have gone off. Till this
is ascertained, no workman returns TO
his post Still accidents sometimes
occur. Luckily, Signor Musso only
found few workmen in the hospital.
One had been deprived of a leg and
another was dangerously wounded in
the body by fragment of rock.
On the. Italian side the tunnel has
been made for 2, 500 meters, and this,
with what has been done on the Swiss
side, makes fourth part of the total
length. The work now proceeds at an
average of four or FIVE meters per day.
Few perforators work at the same
time-there being only room for two
or three. Every day 800 three-sided
steel points are consumed, which are
remade and resharpened, at special
workshop, where large number of
men do nothing else. When the per-
forators and mines have made hole
in the rocks, the men set to work with
pick and chisel, working in one hole
above the other; when both holes are
as wide as desired, the men come out,
and the thin partition between the
upper and lower holes is blasted, and
the work is completed thus far. By
this system there is no need of scaffold-
ing to support the roof, and many
kinds of accidents are eliminated
The contractors have built fine baths
and douches for the men, and large
building contains their change of
clothes-while there is also washing
and drying establishment. There is
a special bath house for the engineers
The wages of the workmen vary from
Of to 6f day. OF course they get
medical advice and assistance gratis.
A visit to this colossal enterprise fills
the spectator with admiration for the
human talent and courage that I'M
dertakes the struggle against the brute
force of nature, even at the cost of
great sacrifices of all kinds. The
London News