Evening star., 1915-11-14

n MOTHER great railroad tunnel has
~ been bored. and accounts Of 1t
have represented it as the long
est railroad tunnel on the American
continent. In light of the fact that
nearly every new and important rail-
road bore is chronicled as the longest,
it is interesting to consult the records
that have been compiled on this sub
ject. The new bore, to which much
publicity has recently been given. is
the Rogers Pass tunnel under the Sell
kirk range in the Canadian northwest.
This tunnel is five miles long, quarter
of mile longer than the Hoosac tun-
mel. The new tunnel is twenty-nine
feet wide and twenty-three feet high
and follows straight line under
Mount Donald, emerging in the Beaver
valley at point about 1000 feet below
the present line. The eastern entrance
is directly below Hermit, Il station just
east of Rogers pass. The highest point
reached on the tunnel is 3,795 feet
above sea level and 4.065 feet below the
summit of Donald peak. The passage
through the mountain has a grade OF
1 per cent up to the interior summit
The great American railroad tunnels
are the Bitter Root tunnel through the
Bitter Root mountains of Montana and
Idaho. the Cascade mountain tunnel
through the Cascade mountains in the
state of Washington, the Cumberland
tunnel through the Cumberland noun
tains in Tennessee, the Gunnison tunnel
in southwestern Colorado, the Hoosac
tunnel through the Hoosac mountains
in Massachusetts. the St Clair tunnel
under the st Clair river from Sarnia.
Ontario, to Port Huron; the Strawberry
tunnel through the Wasatch mountains
and the transandine tunnel which
gives direct communication between
Valparaiso, Chile. and Buenos Aires, Ar.
gentina.
Perhaps the most famous of the rail-
road tunnels in the United States, or
at least that about which middle-aged
Americans have heard most. is the
Hoosac tunnel. which occupied a good
mZny years in building and which,
when 1t was opened in 1878. was ac-
claimed one of the wonders of the
world. 1t remains today one of the
long and important tunnels of this
continent, being four ald three quar-
ten miles long.
The Continental divide tunnel in
process of construction for several
years and not at last reports com
| pleted, will be six and four-tenths
| is five miles long, 12,OoO feet above
sea-level and was opened with i'm
pressive ceremonies in April, 1910.
The Cascade tunnel is three miles
| long The Gunnison tunnel. which was
opened in 1909. is SIX miles long; the
| Sutro tunnel. which drains the Com
| stock lode in Nevada and which was
| opened in 1879, is four and half
miles long; the Big Bend tunnel. which
drains the Feather river in California
and which was opened in 1856. is two
miles long. and the st. Clair tunnel is
two miles long.
Among the great tunnels outside OF
| America are the Mont Cents between
| Italy and France under the Col de Ere
jus. which is eight miles long and was
| opened in 1871: the st. Gothard
through the Alps. connecting Goschenen
with Airolo, Switzerland, which is
opened In 1851. AMI the Simplon tunnel
through the Alps. which is the longest
| of the Alpine tunnels, being twelve
and one-half miles long and which was
| opened in 1905. There is another i'm
portant Alpine tunnel. the Wasserfiuh
between Bunnadern and Lichtensteig
in switzerland, which was opened in
1909 and is two miles long. The Alberg
| tunnel under the Alps at the Arl
mountain is six and three quarter
| miles long and was opened in 1884
| There are also two other impressive
Alpine tunnels. the Loetschberg, which
passes through the Alps in Oberland
| switzerland. for nine and quarter
miles and which was opened in 1913
and the Mont dor tunnel between
France and Switzerland, which bores
! Fresno to Vallorbe. 1t 10 three and