New-York tribune., 1906-12-05
THROUGH THE SIMPL0N.
Journey in tho Longest Tunnel in the
World.

World.
As the tourist season now beginning is certain to
witness an enormous flow Of traffic through the
Simpon tunnel. the part Of travellers bound
either for the Milan exhibition or for the ex-
quisite region of Lake Magiore. which the new
Italian approach line from Aroma to Domo DOS
sofa opens up. and again on the part of those
desirous merely of experiencing a trip through
the longest tunnel in the world. some notes about
the journey and the rail service inaugurated on
June ! may prove of interest
Strictly speaking, the traveller does not begin TO
realize that he is traversing a new international
thoroughfare until he has left Lausanne For
merly even the charms Of the scenery could not
wholly compensate for the glare heat and tedium
of the journey up the Rhone valley. But with half
an hour knocked off the old schedule between
Lausanne and Brig, and with only four halts In
the ninety mile run. things are very diferent
This. the Swiss approach TO the mammoth bore.
has already been furnished with double line
for half of the distance and relaid with steel
sleepers The gradients and curves are severe
makes makes light OF Doth. anu tne train may be relied led
1t not generally realized that electric traction
OF Iselle at the Italian portal. But only the
direct trains, in contradistnction to the through
make no st stop between Brig Gan and D9mo % D0ss0a
the type Of locomotive power The electric locomo-
tves somewhat resemble those formerly used on
larger (weighng sixty-two tOns and more power
oda fu beng G capable In fact Of hauling maximun
hour, while the current is taken from an overhead
of by shoe making contact with a live" rail
The passage OF the tunnel is far more pleasantly
to to the absence of spoke and fumes Moreover. IN
observe the entrance to the tunnel and to realize
better the immensity of the superintendent noun
window for @ the poles II from Which the feed wires
are suspended are placed very close 70 the track
inside the tunnel the wires anchored to the
root. The sparkling of the bow collector gives the
guiding star. while in the tunnel it creates a
gh0stly blue haze ahead
entttGus and the entrance to the parallel shaft
as second tunne-is hidden from view. On the
side. and contained in an Imposing ornamental
granite facade, inscribed with the dates 1S9S-19o6
nysteriously deseends and seals the entrance, II
and the drop s cu4an ben
down (and it remains down until each train has
extremity are delivering fresh air into the parallel
naft an ana at the same time exhausting the foul air
ways ways running against purifying draft which al
The time occupied by passenger trains in negoti-
ating the great tunnel, whose exact length is
the direction in which they are travelling and the
neg is By Se eeo6 fa
VIZ, eighteen minutes. and the longest by the
twenty-five to twenty. eight minutes The northern @
half Of the tunnel lo000 yards in length, has an
water whereas the southern half. 11Oo0 yards long.
Of the ate1 the Journey nH In es
to dsch h Pilot engine @ has ssp M sf the
engineered approach line from Domo Dossoia
are merely journeying through the tunnel luncheon
Brig The practice is annoying. as 1t hinders trav
elers from drinking IN the grandeur OF the scenery
gorges of Condo while it is impossible to eat in
comfort when the train is climbing up the south
]
Every window must be closed in the dining car
indeed it often attains $ degrees iai Fahrenheit
ike he fa p bean 4R the Of wh IND
windows are enyeloped in an opaque mist. One
light burns dimy Now one realizes that the train
IS IN tiny drain hole, with the ma$sf of Monte
ha5 during &c r iSa the awful Weight Of the
crumpe up the most solid iron instructions which
the hot cold torrents which poured Htie out Of
lated everything which came in their way. Is
6 ps sure OF It's f so or are gen Of
upon the n9rtals who dare thus TO journey through
In the sgffocating, Turkish bathllke atmosphere.
in the snbdued light perspiring walters dump food
4 reverberating roar and the fashing Of green
signal lamps notifies that the train has at last
place, on the summit windows 90 are 'iTsstny hastiy
tre:Ling drafts, untainted by smoke circulate
/ through the car.
the incline toward the northern exit Steam beng bemg
shut off, glmpses of the unllned walls of the tun-
mel the openings Of the transverse galleries that
/ communicate with the parallel shaft every two
hundred Yards, and the electric signals at frequent
/ intervals obtained. Finally the train emerges
/ into DAYLIGHT, and for some few seconds the eyes
/ are dazzled by the sunshine and foaming glacier
water Of the Rhone. which races the train into
! Brig station
The approaches to the Simplon tunnel cannot COM
pare with those of the St Gothard for scenic sper
! dor. neither do they attain to the degree OF
engineering magnitude. This is due the fact that
the Smplon tunnel IS the lowest OF the Alpine
! perforations Nevertheless, the line from Isele 10
! DOmO DOssOla Is a skilful and thrilling piece OF
work. Eleven miles long, II, descends LIS feet 10
the latter important junction, crossing and recross-
Ing the mountain torrents on bold bridges. punging
into six tunnels. with aggregate length of S057
yards, and frequently ncased in stone snow
! latter; which IS nearly two miles long makes
! tween Its portals is 967 feet.
| As might be expected. the trains contain a large
number of passengers who are merely doing the
! tunnel. Many make combined rail and road trip
OF II. and pick up the train at either Brig. Iselle
! Narg0 Preglia or Domo d. Ossola But gone forever
are the twenty diligences per day which formerly
! piled on the celebrated SimpIon road No public
! vehicle patroniZeS the pass save a two horse
postal currcle. which does not carry passengers
! London Mail.