New-York tribune., 1907-01-06
THE CHAINED TUSNFI.

Matthews scheme Of more than q century ago
1T was III 1902 that he proposed to Napoleon
bonaparte the construction of a carriage road
, tunnel under the English Channels again re.
Vived, with twentieth century qualifications and
again bill has been introduced into the British
I Parliament for the sanctoning Of it. Since
Matthews time the general project has had some
strong support and some prominent advocates,
among the latter such engineers as Brunei
stephenson and Locke, such a statesman as
| Gladstone. and such f1nanciers as the Roth
schilds.s Indeed. little more than thirty wears
years ago the scheme was actually sanctioned
by the British and French governments, and the
work was begun. More than mile of the tun-
mel was opened at the French end and about
half that distance at the English end, and those
openings have we believe, been kept in perfect
trim, so that work could be instantly resumed
upon them If proper authorization were secured
The British end of the proposed tunnel is at
what is called Shakespeare's Cliff (from the
mention of it n Lear, near Dover, and the
French end ls ! shCIj distance southwest of
calais. The plan is to make three tubes through
the chalk and mari. one Of them for drainage
purposes only, a little more than twenty miles
long The chalk and mari are easy to cut and
arc impervious to water, so that unless some
"lault' were discovered the work would be
rapid ard comparatively inexpensive The esti-
a cost of SS0OO0OO0.
The promised advantages of tie scheme. or
some Of them, are obvious It would save half
an hour or more in time of travel between Enc
land and the Continent, would do awav with
the changing from train to boat and from boat
TO train again and would save passengers from
seasickness There is no doubt that II would
thus considerably increase travel and social In
tercourse between the islands and the Continent
to the gain of both in various respects. Also It
would materially Increase the business and the
profits of the railroads connecting with il at
each end. There are those who further argue
that in case of war 1t might prove of great
profit to England In furnishing channel
through which food supplies could be brought
into that country if the command of the sea
were lost. Theoretically that Is true enougb
Practically we fancy few strategists will take
II seriously into account. Great Britain's in
ability to command the Strait of Dover Is nor
within range Of reasonable reckoning On the
other hand. II Is conceivable that many DeoDe
would prefer to brave the terrors of seasickness
rather than those of twenty miles Of tunnel rid
ing under the sea. dependent upon artificial
ventilation, and with a haunting ina agnation Of
what some always possible accident might mean
That the tunnel road would ever be used for the
bulk Of heavy freight or for anything more than
passengers mails and some light and perIshable
merchandise, is not to be supposed. But even
with such limitations of its patronage 1t might
easily prove paying enterprise
1t is probably not upon such grounds however
but upon those pertaining to the national Sc
curity and defence that the question of sane
uoning the construction Of the tunnel is 10 be
decided 1t will not escape instant reflection
that the moment such a tunnel was CONSTRUCTED
the insularity of Great Britain would be i'm
paired The land connection with the Continent
would be slight and easily destroyed but still
IL would be connection. and that fact Is not
likely TO be acceptable 60 those who are accus-
toned to cry God bless the narrow seas,
would they were whole Atlantic broadv, No
less an authority than Lord Wolseley, who is
certainly not an cid fashioned Tory SQUIRE led