Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1905-03-09
Longest Tunnel In the World.

Accomplishment OF the great eust-
neering feat was celebrated in fitting
manner by the ringing OF bells and
the firing of guns throughout SSitE
erland.
Work on the Simplon tunnel, which
is over thirteen miles long, was begun
two years ago. Straight through the
heart OF the Alps mountains the pas
sagewsy has been bored. Work was
begun at both ends of the tunnel stimuli
taneously and a remarkable pant of the
feat is that when the two working
parties met there was barely foot s
deviation.
The work has been a most difficult
one, owing to the fact that the bore
passed through some OF the highest
mountains OF the Alps Owing 10
this fact the heat in the bore some
times becams unbearabl-, the ther.
mometer in the spots where the diggers
were at work sometimes registering
over 800 degrees.
This necessltated the arranging OF
some contrlvsnce for getting fresh,
cooling air to the workmen and as n
result ten engineers are lu charge
of the work of experimenting on a
scheme by which the outside air was
famed in through the long bore,
and the temperature was reduced
until in few places was It higher
than 90 or 95 degree'.
The men tor some peculiar reason
have been entirely free from the Ill
nesses which ordinarily oyertake those
working so far underground, and to
this fact is due the speed with which
the great work was accomplished
The tunnel, which begins at Briga,
Switzerland, and ends at Isela, Italy,
has brought to the fore in its con-
struction some of the finest engineer
ing plans extant. The tunnel FROM
Irelle to the very heart Of the noun
tain through which it passes, has n
rather steep up grade to allow for a
thorough drsir age, and keep the bore
in good sanitary condition. There
is another grade from the center to
Brigue.
When the extreme heat was en-
countered during the progress OF the
work, in addition to the tanning
scheme, another equally ingenious
scheme was bit upon. This was to
carry water, ice cold, from the Rhone
GLACIER, not far distant, and spray
the walls of the bore. At first iron
pipes we're used, but these beca me hot
and took away considerable OF the
benefit that it was hoped would be
derived. The iron pipes, ten miles
of pipe in all, were then taken out
and wooden pipes, nonconductors oi
heat, were put in aud the problem was
solved.
The great SimplOn tunnel derives
its name from the celebrated Simplon
Pass built by Napoleon iu l8Ol-l806.
This pass, which is 40 miles long,
is composed Of magnificent grades,
small tunnels snb bridges, and is to-
day used ss a stage road for passing
over the mountains. The pass is from
25 to 80 feet broad and AZ miles long.
1t is carried across Gil bridges,
over galleries cut Of solid rock and
through great tunnels.
The scheme for the Simplon tunnel
was put forward in 1881 by the Jura-
Slmplon Railway and was the culmi-
nation of years Of planning to have a
railway near the Slmplon road pass
The plan consisted broadly Of fpierc-
ing the Alps between Brigs, which il
situated in the Rhone Valley, and
Irelle, on the Italian side, from which
village the railway descends to the
southern terminus at Domod Assols,
distance Of about IL miles.
From Bnga the line, running gen.
tly up the valley, enters the tunnul on
curve to the right, Of $50 feet ra.
dius. At distance Of l53 yards from
the entrance the straight section Of
the tunnel commences and extends l21
miles. The line then curves to th'
left with a radius Of 1911 before
emergeing. Commencing at the north
ern entrance, a gradient Of IN SOC
miles for length Of 81 miles to a lev
el length of $50 yards in the center
and then a gradient Of l in LAB de-
scends to the Italian side.
Il will be q double tunnel; that u
there will eventually be two parallel
tubes. each carrying one line Of rail
way. These centers will be dfty feet
apart. The tunnel, whose boring hA'
Just been completed, is known ss No