The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-12-09
THE TRAGEDY OF
A BIG TUNNEL
THE SYMPTOM THE EIGHTH WON.
= DER OF THE WORLD. 81"
Threatening Disaster in Boiling Spring
Struck by Drillers-Intense Heat
Stops Work-story of Six Years
Struggle in the Heart of the Noun
,talnS.

Geneva, Dec. 9-The great Simplon
tunnel, the eighth wonder of the world,
is nearly-but not: quite-completed.
The gigantic tube, twenty kilometers,
Or just twelve and a half miles, long,
has been pierced and bored and blasted
almost thru the rocky heart of, the
mighty: Alps. MI, r ~ VI. r e.
Almost-but not quite; Thereby
hangs a tragedy. The work, 50 nearly
owing to the sudden tapping Of a spring
Of boiling water which all efforts to
counterfeit are proving unavailing. The
pumps are unable to cope. with the
flow, and even if the engineers can
overcome this difficulty it is feared that
in the very center of the mountain is
great and insqrmountable molten
But the engineers have not yet given
up hope, tho the outlook is gloomy in
the extreme, and Italy and Switzer-
| land are faced with the prospect of
seeing six years labor and millions Of
francs expenditure absolutely wasted.
The dangers and difficulties Of the
Simplon have been stupendous, and
many lives have. been lost since the
the outset was declared by more than
one expert to be an impossible task.
Accidents of all kinds have happened
to delay the progress Of the work.
Many Lives Lost.
The geologists' forecast Of the rock
to be traversed often proved faulty
and, instead Of running steadily thru
vertical strata, at times the tunnel en-.
tered almost horizontal formations OF
crumbling, dangerous stone, which
greatly impeded the excavating. Or
more than one occasion Of this kind at
in vain. Great timbers and large trunks
Of trees were crushed by the falling
shifting rocks as if they had been pa
per, and day after day parties Of mer
engaged in trying to make the supports
solid were crushed and buried under
the debris. It was not until a heavy
appropriated casing, supported BY
mighty iron pillars, was specially man
:, in it's place, that the work was able tt
continue.
Sometimes, when all seemed satisfac
tory and the work :. was . progressing
smoothly and we'll, without any warning
a. portion Of the tunnel collapsed ant
fell in, killing, manning or imprisonins
gangs of workmen, running the machin
cry, and bringing the operations to ;
standstill for the time being.
On many occasions vast underground
lakes have been unexpectedly tapped
and broken in upon, and in few mo
ments the flooded workings have be
come a scene Of terror and destruction
A seething, ever increasing torrent O
sometimes cold, but more often Of al
most boiling water, has swept all be
fore it, dashing the terrified workme1
like corks against the rocks, drownin
and Gripping many. ,.
The intense heat in the tunnel ha
from the commencement been a sourc
Of discomfort and even danger, and tn
sudden rises Of temperature have NOR
than once completely overcome Who'll
gangs Of workmen, who have been res
cued and removed to the mouth of tn
great shaft in fainting, half-suffoca1
ing condition. -.
Six Years Struggle.
Commenced at the end of 1898, til
vast work has been steadily pursued
despite stupendous obstacles, for 81
years, and what has been achieved
lnainly due to the perfection Of moder
mining machinery, and notably to tt
wonderful Brandt borers, which hav
been exclusively used.
The rapidity with which the Simple
has been constructed may be bette
judged by comparing the time take
in excavating the etwon great Alpi1
tunnels-the ST.. Gothard and the MOI
Gents. When the Mont Gents tunn
(71h miles) was commenced in 1876
the engineers expected to take twen1
years to complete their task. Rock pc
forators had not then been invente
land the work waste be done by manu-