Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-09-22
ENGLISH CHANNEL TUNNEL.
Optimistic Opinion as to It's Feasible
ity-Probable Benefits to Commerce.

| ity-Probable BENEFITS to Commerce.
| Paris Cor in the London Times.
| The forthcoming number of the Revue
Politfque ct Parlementaire will contain an
article of special interest on the channel
tunnel This article assumes Importance,
since 1t embodies the views not OF "a senti.
mentalist. but of practical man ana
competent authority. NJ. Albert Sartiauxs
the author, is chief engineer OF the North
ern railway. When, therefore. he arrives
at the following optimistic opinion, the au-
| thority attaching to his name is bound to
give his views far-reaching echo.
s.It may be said" he writes, that there
is no longer any possible doubt as to the
technical success Of the undertaking. or as
| to its economic utility. or as to the adj
vantages it will offer to trade and industry.
or as to the way In which 1t will contribute
to the development of those friendly rela-
lions necessary for the maintenance OF the
European balance OF power, and thereby
of the peace of the world" After retracin8
the history of the tunnel projects and point
ing out the grave inconvenience OF the
other schemes proposed NJ Sartiaux points
out that the disappearance of all grounds
of reciprocal distrust between the two coun.
tries has reminded men OF progress, and
that there exists already scheme care
fully worked out, which was adopted by
both governments more than twenty years
ago.
possible of the tunnel as means OF In
vasion, and argues that such objections are
utterly chimerical. Moreover. II would be
quite feasible to construct the tunnel so
that it should be possible for the British
fleet to destroy it. All that is necessary
would be to allow the tunnel to pierce the
cliffs at such angle that the continual
ton of the line should necessarily bring
it out on horseshoe viaduct exposed as
target to British vessels. But the utlllza-
ton of the tunnel in war time, should Eng
land be engaged in continental war
! against any other power than France.
| would be an important element in British
success since it would partially relieve the
| feet of one of its main taskS-namely tne
protection of British trade.
With reference to England's geographical
| isolation and the familiar legend as to Eng
| ishmen's fondness for travel, M Sartiaux
publishes statistics which will be q
much more than Englishmen. One
/ million two hundred thousand English
men come annually to the continent
which makes one trip per thirty
| inhabitants whereas that small portion OF
| the French population which is dependent
| on the Northern railway, representing, with
Paris and its suburbs, ten or twelve mil
| lions of inhabitants at the most, exchanges
with northern Germany and Belgium more
| than 100000 travellers, three times more
| than the whole OF England with the entire
continent" The statistics of trade are Of
the same nature, and this state of things.
which NJ. Sartiaux believes to be full OF
risks for England, is entirely due. he con-
tends, to the insufficient facilities of COM
munication With the tunnel London and
Paris would be only five hours apart, and
traffic would be tripled within few years.
M. Sartiaux examines In detail the techni-
cal question of the construction of the tun-
mel, which would pass through the layer OF
cenomanian chalk and be composed-of two
| separate galleries. each with it's line. These
pages concern only specialists. Within five
years after the completion of the prepara-
| tory works. he says, the tunnel could be
| finished.