The San Francisco call., 1905-06-13
RAILROAD MAY
Tunnel THE BAY
Talk of a Bore From Arm at
San Pablo to Point Near
Benicia to Shorten Line
AUTHORITY CONSULTED
Sir Weetman Pearson, Noted
Engineer Of Great Britain,
Interrogated ON Project
Special Dispatch to The Call.

| NEW YORK, June Fit is understood
that when Sir Weetman Pearson. the
great English contractor. was in this
country recently en- route home from
Mexico he was consulted in casual way
by Central Pacific officials concerning the
feasibility of tunneiing an arm OF san
Pablo Bay to point at or near Benicla,
Cal, in order to obviate the necessity OF
ferrying trains across this bay on boats.
No definite conclusion was reached, the
conversation being merely incidental to
the discussion Of other business matters.
Not having seen San Pablo Bay, Sir
Weetman Pearson could not give an opin-
ion offhand, and, of course. in the ab-
sence of reports Of Southern Pacihc or
his own engineers could make no authori-
tatiye statement as to the feasibility or
the work or give a rough estimate OF us
cost.
The Southern Pacific officials. however,
realize that the popular and increasing
requirement of greater speed will neces-
state the tunnel sooner or later, In addl-
ton to a ferry or bridge at that point.
The Central Pacific has for long time
had under consideration the plan 10
bridge the narrowest point of the bay.
Pearson's firm is now engaged in boring
tunnels under East River, from New YORK
TO Long Island, for the Pennsylvania
L
concern of this kind in existence and at
the present time has works aggregatlng
$50. 900. 600 under way in various parts OF
the world. This firm built the LONDON
subway also the Blackwell tunnel under
the Thames River at London. This tun-
mel is one and quarter miles long, the
roadway sixteen feet wide and the tube
twenty-seven feet in diameter
Although the East River tunnel is prac-
oh X.
Pearson does not consider it as difncuit
as the Thames River bore through
treacherous sand and gravel. which gave
way several times and almost flooded the
tunnel. In order to prevent Its scollapse
under the weight of forty feet OF water
at high tide the men worked In snort
shifts in an atmospheric pressure Oh
twenty pounds to the square 1nch- Inc
bore was made by an immense steel snleio
in the face of which the workmen oper-
ated. This is also being used under the
East River. The shield is driven forward
by means of hydraulic rams, while the
bore is kept clear of water encroachment
by means of compressed air. Engineers
some time ago pronounced the 1eat OF
boring under the Thames River an I'M
possible one, but the tunnel was com
pleted and was formally opened by Prince
Edward, now King of England.
Sir w Gelmdn 1cdISOn NDdAOh~1 - -
member of Parliament. He has recently
returned from Mexico, where he has at
various times undertaken and completed
great public works for the Mexican Gov
ernment, including the vast Mexican val
ley drainage canal, costing $15,OOO,OOO and
the Tehuantepec Railroad. which hopes to
compete with the Panama line. Presi-
dent Diaz considers the Tehuantepec
work. with its bridges over deep chasms,
its tunnels under great mountains and
the Atlantic and Pacific terminals and
deep sea harbor works, as wonderful en-
gineering feats.
Sir Weetman Pearson expressed great
admiration for the enterprise of Ameri-
can railroads Although his firm has been
accustomed to handle big contracts, the
enormous outlays of money being made
for improvements by some of the rail-
roads in the United States, notably the
Pennsylvania Railroad, he says, would be
enough to stagger the imagination of the
average English or continental railroad
company He considers the Pennsylvania
model of perfect railroad equipment.
Pearson's work for the Pennsylvania
will be completed within three to five
years. He has returned to London, but
expects soon again to visit this country,
at which time he may make trip to
California.