Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1914-08-08
PLANNING FOR
TUNNEL UNDER
ENGLISH CHANNEL

-
Paris. France. II has been said that
the 49, great engineering feat after the
completion Of tn Panama Canal would
~ 4 tunnel under the English channel.
This project. however. j. ~ no means
new. III appealed tu the imagination ~
he Emperor Napoleon himself. ~hn. fol
lowing the Peace 81 Amiers. said grand
iluquently 90 the British Prime Mimis-
ter. Fox: That tthc t%unnell is one Of
The big things Nc shall w. able a. accom-
pliSh together" At the time the ilca
appeared tn hc fantastic. III H. doubtful
II the science Of engineering waS Suli
GENTLY far advanced "a have overcome
the tremendous obstacles in the way. Blu
times have changed. There iS NOW mo-
question that The work could lc accom-
pliShctI on schedule time. I'm rvcr-in
rrea>ing passenger AMI freight traffic
renders il necessary. France Is eager -
a. her share. The opposition ~ Eng
li~h public opinion = The only difficulty
~tiil "a ~ swtpt aside
The French senate aud Chamber IF
Deputies has recently appointed 4 >pc
cial committee 10 confer with the Brit
.ish parliamentary committee on the tun
mel. The latter is under the presidency
uf Arthur Fell. Az ardent advocate. who
during the past few Years has done more
than any other individual ~ break down
the ~, ludiceS of his countrymrn. Eleven
mlnthS ago h. headed \ delegation that
ought 10 win over Mr.. ASquith. the
Prime Minister. Two recent develop
mcntS. declared Mr.. Fell on that occa
ion. already have nrgativch the tradi
tiunal splendid isolation Of England.
i.lr %acruplanr and the entente corIialr"
with France. When the late Lord Wa
srlet expressed the fear that an invading
army might make use ~ 4 Snhtcrrancan
route. the enemy h. had im mind was
France. I;ut France Is no longer I'M
enemy. The Channel now separates two
friendly nations that IN the event ot Il
European war would hc likely % fight
SHE bg side. The opportunity. further
m, ~. uf csmcniinn commercial relations
~ One that il IL almost criminal a. nf gIcct
Thr~c arguments impressed Mr.. Asunilh
w ca extent ~ rendering unlikely his
official opposition 10 the scheme.
N i matter ~ fact. ihe tunnel has
.nnc hcAnnl The stage ~ being = mere
project. The Submarine Railway Com
PAM - England and u French company
~ The same character have been IA exist
sntc Tor more than thirty Years. En-
%yin,cr> and lalrr,rS ia their cmIslnN
have been al work since $50. They have
~urni enormous sums in maxim. sound
in.. IN the channel. studying the .culog
zeal formation of either coast aud e.
iimatime 10 the last detail the expense
III ihc enterprise
The plans are read, The most favored
route in between points I'm the immediate
N~icinitt 40 Dover and Calais. where III
Channel H. about twenty ono miles Wide.
ON either side the tunnel would Iene
tratc into thu land about seven miles.
The graz chalk " the Channel bed lend
itself ~ the successful boring If the
tunnel. aal the maintenance NJ pumps
at either end wnnld prevent the acen
mulatifn ~ water IN the dips" cau>ci
is the falling gradients from the land aud
tho slightly rising gradients a. the jane
iinn Of the French and English sections
Nj midchanHrl whrr the tunnel would
have 2 towering of gray chalk about lJo
feet IA Thickness. "A 40 point wnull The
gray chalk cover hc less thar 100 feet
thick. Ventilation would w. ui,taincd y,
artificial air currents. anil a. Gully clec
;rir trains would o. allowed - operate
there would be- no smoke nuisance.
Although known under the general
name Of The tunnel there would actually
~ Two tubes. one tor nurthhnund anl unc
for southhound traffic. Thi.. II II le
licVe,l. would 10 safer Than one large
tube capable 81 accommodating two
tracks. Passages would connect the tun
nel> IL regular intervals. hut The, would
lr sufficiently far apart not 40 cndanrcr
the stability nf the roof. There would
also BE- Il third small tube for drainage
purposes. Each ~ the main tunnels
would ie eighteen feet in diameter. which
would provide sufficient space for work
men helween the trains and the side. of
the tube.
Preliminary work would take anywhere
from three ON four and i half wears. and
the iunneliing would occupy from four
and Il hall tO five wears mote. This H.
ON the basis Of employing 12.m0 work
men. with M estimated ranatitv ~ 0nn
tons Of dirt cNcasaied per day. The time
might he improved upon. hut ID ~ m
likely that the tunnels could H. opened
% traffic m less than ten wears from the
date cf omucncemeni. The promoters
~aA that the outside cost would h. about
so uOn. am.