The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1907-03-12
UNDER THE ENGLISH CHANNEL
Many Odd Plans That Have Been
Proposed-Scheme That Seems
Feasible.

1dSIu lOF I'LL cuIeIlt0 COIululc UoOWOoA
England and France was about as
great as it is today, Douglas Jerrold
said: "Tut! The best .thingI know
between France and England is the
seal!' And there are many who are
still Of the same opinion, says London
.Tit-Bits, and who regard the propos-
ed channel tunnel, the fate of which
parliament will soon determine, with
disapproval and even with dismay.
But this project for linking Eng
land with France has always had its
doughty champions, and among them
Queen Victoria, who long years ago
said to the Prince Consort: "You
may tell the French engineer that if
he can accomplish the tunnel [ will
bless him in my own name, rs we'll as
in the names of all the ladies Of Eng
land.'
1t is now more than century since
the problem Of bridging over or bur-
rowing under the English channel was
first seriously attacked by engineers; !;
and many and marvellous arc the
schemes that have since been devised.
In 1902 M. Matthew, a great French
engineer, conceived wonderful idea
Of a submarine road, through which
coaches could be driven from England
to France. The tunnel was to be
lighted by oil lamps and to be vcnti-
lated by a series of shafts rising high
above the surface Of the water. But
the scheme was hopelcssly impractical
BILE; for, apart from the grave danger
from one or more Of these shafts be-
ing destroyed by the waves, line Of
closely placed shafts drawn across
the channel would prove a serious OBJ
stacle and menace to navigation.
Equally impossible were the bridges
designed much later, = model Of le
Of which was to be seen at ,hc Paris
exhibition seventeen years ago. This
bridge, which was to link Folkcston
with Cape Gris-ncz, was to be sup
ported by 120 piles, to weigh 1,000,-
600 tons, to cost over 34,000,000 and
to take ten years to construct. But
apart from the enormous cost Of this
structure, which doomed il 10 finan-
cial failure, its piles, which would
have involved so much danger and
difficulty to vessels passing up and
down the channel, constituted an in
supcrablc objection to the bridge
scheme.
Another project doomed to failure
was that Of two English engineers
who proposed to construct 4 tube
railway on The bed Of The channel
between Dover and Gris-ncz. The
tube. which was to be thirteen feet in
diameter and only four inches thick,
was to he laid in ten foot lengths Sc
cured to the bottom by screw piles,
and through this submerged tunnel
the trains were to be propelled by
compressed air. More ambitious. but
equally ineffective, was the plan Of
M. Unstanirrr. French engineer.
who proposed to lay two parallel
tubes on the sea, bed. connected at
intervals by transverse tubes, and
with Il station half way across on the
Varnc bank.
Among many other visionary pro-
jects WAS one of Il submerged bridge,
on which Il platform carrying Il train
was to run across the channel, and
another for Il submarine boat to run
l.. la h,li
Tbirty-"nc years ago the present
channel funnel scheme came into be-
ing with the formation of the $50
ciete Franchise du Tunnel Sous-mar-
in,' and with the approval Of both
the English and French governments
work was commenced on both sides
of the channel. III France capital
Of $4,000 was subscribed. a vertical
shaft was sunk near tho village Of
Sangatte, about b0lf dozen miles
from Calais, and the tunnel was c0in-
menced, which was successfully driv-
Ell about mile under the sea. On
the English side beginning was made
with three separate tunnels--one of
half mile from Abbot's Cliff, an
other from the Dover side of Shake
speare's Cliff and the third ANA long
= est seven foot tunnel extending for
2,0l5 yards from the shaft 100 feet
deep sunk near the west end Of
Shakespeare Cliff.
Unfortunately the project excited
alarm III the military authorities,
who feared invasion. A joint commit