New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-08-18
THE SYMPTOM TUNNEL COMPLETED.

The GIMELOA ILANEL COAf A-D'
A few days ago the first construction train
through the new Slmplon tunnel marked the
practical completion of one of the greatest eng-
neering feats in modern times. This makes the
fourth time the Alps have been pierced. the
tunnels, in the order OF length, being the
Mont Cents, 80 yards short Of 3 miles; tie Arl
berg miles and 404 yards; the st Gothard,
o miles and 56f yards, and the latest and
longest of them ALL the mammoth bore OF the
Simplon i miles and 456 yards in length
Active work on the Simplon was begun in Au-
gust 1893, the enterprise being joint one be
tween the Swiss and Italian governments, and
the contract calling for the completion OF the
tunnel by May 15 1904. Work was begun on
both sides OF the mountain, and the engineers
calculated so we'll that when the miners from
Switzerland, on the descending grade. met those
from Italy, on the ascending grade, the behring's
disclosed an error Of only few feet, to remedy
which slight curve in the line was made neces-
sary While this result seems wonderful enough
to those unfamiliar with engineering, the engi-
neers themselves expected divergence Of only
q few inches, and hence are not boastlng over
the result. satisfactory as it Is While the pass
ing through of a construction train marks the
end OF the miners work, the tunnel itself will
probably not De ready for traffic for many
months yet, nearly all the approaches are still
TO DC Dulll anu IlTsI I3llllodu OF AIhluE Ut
tween the valley of the Rhone and that of the
Diveria may not pass through till next summer.
The road runs due north and south from
Brigne, on the Swiss frontier, to Isele, on the
Italian, and may be described as the string OF
the bow of which Napoleons great road over
the Simplon, built in 1S01-o5, constitutes the
arc. The latter. from Brigne to Dome dossola
is forty-one miles ia length, reaches an alt-
tude of $3.50 feet, and as an engineering feat is
a worthy monument of the conqueror who
willed that there should be no more Alps. The
route the tunnel takes lies northeast of the
Simpion road, and could have been made much
shorter by beginning at higher altitude This
however, would have involved steep approaches
and experience with the three other Alpine tun-
nels has demonstrated that the cost of haulage
up steep gradients nullifies the initial advan-
taSe of the shorter tunnel This Is not the only
point In which the engineers learned from pre-
vious experience In tunnelling the Alps. with the
result that the longest and greatest Of Alpine
tunnels was finished in much shorter time, con
sidering its length than any of the three other
roads through the mountains, While the strata
through which the road was driven consisted
principally of gneiss and schist, the Brandt
hydraulic rotating drill, the most perfect in
strument ever devised for tunneling through
hard rocks more than met every expectation
The power was supplied by the Rhone and the
Diveria, and, while this result was not contem-
plated when the road was begun IT is exceed
ingly probable that these rivers will vet furnish
the electric power for the running of the trains
Various unexpected difficulties were met in the
prosecution OF the work, such as the gushing
forth of torrents Of hot water owing TO the great
depth below the surface The depth OF the axis
averages 3,140 feet and In one place 1t reaches
the great depth Of 1000 feet. Yet by means
of of pIppiD1 watt cd tam,
perature of III degrees Fahrenheit was cooled
to maximum OF " degrees while the use of
great fans exhausted impure air and at the
same time supplied fresh air for the miners
The sanitary and scientific triumphs in the
digging Of the simplon will furnish data and ex-
perienee that ought TO be OF great advantage TO
Uncle Sam In the big job before him-a lob
even greater than twelve miles under the Alps
the digging OF the Panama Canal
AS To the advantages Of the new Simplon fun
mel, they are many In the first place. II comes
opportuheiy at time OF rapprochemept be-
tween Italy and France and will bring bacl TO
tue iattef much of the traffic lost to ii by the
opening Oh the st Gothard. CORRESPONDENCE.
German railway interests will suffer. but as
compensation Genoa will now probably in
crease at the expense of it's old rival, Narcotics
In SWISS imports. A considerable saving of dis
lance VIII also be effected between the Strait
or Dover ehd the Adrlatic, and the new route
VIII propapiy be chosen for mail between Calais
and brlnd1si Traffic charges will also nroh.
ably be reduced on intercontinental tro ftio -.