Waterbury Democrat., 1900-11-14
TUNNELING THE ALPS.

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 Signor Musso has made an interest ing visit to 1selle, two hours drive from Domodossola, and gives q de scription of the works of the Italian side of the great Sinplon tunnel. All along the splendid road tip the Simplon now stand d quantity of villas and cot tages, either belonging to the families of superintendents of the works. or to Italian proprietors, who. foreseelng the immense future development of 1sel1e, have secured the best sites. are 2300 Italian workmen employed at this end of the tunnel, and the nu- merous inns and drinking shops bear signs with the names of their native tOwnS-NapleS, Capua, Gaeta, and even Pompeii. These inns are of wood, plastered outside to keep offthe damp; every winter some are destroyed by the snow, and must be rebuilt. A per mission is necessary to see the works, and the visitor must sign declaration renouncing all claim for compensation in case he is injured, for there is con stant danger oof accfdents.~ There is hospital at the gate of the works with a surgeon always in attendance. There are also a Catholic and q Protestant chapel The length of the tunnel will be 19,T70 meters. The outlet at the Italian side is G33 meters above sea level.
 The works are being carried on with fevcrish activity. night and day, for if not finished in the date fixed. the 18th of May. 1904, each day of delay will cost the contractors 5000 francs, while on the other hand they will gain the same sum for every day if the works are finished sooner than that date.
 nfriT TDI npt- m Nn,o rnT the depths of the tunnel for eight hours at q stretch, 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 of the mines. When the perfOr atOrs have bored hole some three feet deep it is filled with dynamite and fired. These explosions are very dan gerous. for. in spite of all precautions. fragments of rocks may hurt the work man or the very ground may open be- meath his feet. When all the mines are laid, a man is set to count the ex plOsions. so as to make sure that all the mines have gone off. Till this is ascertained no workman may return to his post Still accidents sometimes occur. Luckily. Signor Musso only found few WOrkmen in the hospital. One had been deprived of his leg, and another was dangerously wounded in the body by fragment of rock.
 On the Italian side the tunnel has been made for 2.S00 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 to five meters per day. Few perfOratOrs work at the same time. there being only room for two or three. Every day 500 three sided steel points are consumed, which are remade. or resharDened. at spe- cial workshop, where q large number of men do nothing else. When the perforators and mines have made q large 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 complete thus far. By this system there is no need of scatfOlding to support the roof. and many kinds of accidents are elinl- mated.
 The contractors have built fine baths and touches for the workmen, and a large building contains their changes of clothes. while there is also a wash ing and drying establishment. There is special bath house for the engi- neers The wages of the workmen vary from three francs to six francs a day. Of course they get medical ad- vjcn and assistance Gratis.-LondOn News.