Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1905-01-19
WISE MEN IN ERROR,
oEoLoGIsTs' MISTAKES RETARD
WORK ON SYMPTOM TUNNEL
Obstacles 10 Big Bore's Completion
Not Provided for in Plans
Enormous Expense
EntaiIed.


Swiss Engineers at Winterthur, Swttz-
Drland, the other day Of the difficulties
that are delaying the completion Of the
Eimplon tunnel year beyond the con-
tract time. He said that the predictions
Of the biologists were incorrect. and as
the estimates Of the cost of the tunnel
and the time 1t would take to dig itwere
partly based upon the geological profile
supplied to the engineers, the estimates
were also wrong, reports London pa
per.
THE views Of the geologists." said Mr..
eulzer, proved to be extremely incor-
rect. They told US, for example, that
from their examination of the dip and
strike Of the rock exposures they were
confident that we should find a strata
tilted to more or less perpendicular po-
dtion, which would be favorable for ex-
cavation.
But instead Of crossing the strata
IN a practically vertical position, we
found them almost or quite horizontal.
This increased the labor Of perforation
and required enormous sums OF money to
make the roof Of the tunnel secure. The
rock Yves not 30 solid or cohesive as It
would have been II the excavation had
penetrated vertical strata.
1.-THE biologists told US that we should
encounter little water on the southern,
or Italian, side Of the tunnel. The fact
was, however, that we met great streams
Of water. From August, 1900, to the
present time no.less than LOOP nters a
second have been pouring from the south
end.
THE biologists also told US that we
should probably find troublesome
streams at kilometer five on the north
side of the mountain. 1t was just here
the rock was perfectly dry.
1.-THE pressure on the roof Of the tun-
mel is much greater than It would have
been If the rock strata had been vertical.
In one stretch about half-mile long the
pressure was 80 great that no means we
had hitherto used wtre adequate.
Large tree trunks put N for sup
ports were broken. We finally intro
duced many steel pillars supporting a
steel vaulting with which we lined the
roof. The difficulty was overcome only
after six months Of dangerous work, In
which our average advance In digging
was only rs centimetsrs day instead Of
81 meters.
Neither had we been led to expect the
almost intolerable heat we encountered
We had been told that the maximum tenn
perature at the depth Of excavation
would probably be 107 degrees Fahren-
heit- This would be bad enough, but
not intolerable.
But suddenly we reached point in
the work whore the temperature arose
TO 131 degrees. Science Is unable TO ex-
plain the phenomenon.
1.-The refrigerating plant was made
adequate for this new difficulty and we
managed to maintain the temperature
at about II degrees. Then suddenly the
temperature fell TO its original level.
We are wholly unable to explain these
rapid and enormous changes In the tenn
perature.
We were not troubled with infiows OF
hot water until August, last year, when
10 ntsrs second at a temperature Of
11S degrees began to pour in on the
north side of the excavation. We
largely neutralized the effect by refrig-
Grafton, but the work was delayed for
time and the importing Of hot water had
demoralizing effect upon our work.
men.
These were the chief difficulties that
compelled the tunnel company to ask
for an extension Of the contract time
and an additional appropriation. The
work Is now proceeding in a satisfac-
tory manner.
THE first tunnel will be opened to
traffic on April 80, 1906, and the COM
pany, If necessary, will push the work
on Sundays and holidays to have every
thing ready ON that date"