Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1917-08-04
FAMOUS TUNNELS
The Simplon Is the Greatest and
CostleSt OF Them All.
LONGEST HOLE EVER BORED.
This Road Through the Alps is More
Than Twelve Mies In Length and ia
Cost Exceeded Fifteen Millions-our
Own Hoosae Tunnel.

Cost Exceeded Fifteen Millions-our
Own Hoosae Tunnel.
Tie cuStiirst aS Well rs the biggest
railroad tunnel IN the world Is the long
hole burrowcd below the Alps between
Brgnr, switzerland. aud lscllc Italy.
This tremendous tunnel the Simplon
is T. miles So yards in length and cost
more than Sl5.WuuO. Several mil
lions more VIII Lc spent IN completing
the second chamber Work was begun
on It In lN!lS. aud traffic began TO move
through in 1906
The Siinplon is about three mile.
longer than the 81 Gothard and the
Luct>rhbcrg tunnels and more than
four miles longer than the Mont Cents
the three next longest OF the worlds
railway tunnels
The Mont Gents Was the first OF these
big borcs. Il was completed in 1871
and NJ once diverted passenger aud
freight transportation away from Swi:
zerland. as 1t furnished u direct rout,
to Italy from southeastern France
The Swiss determined to win back
their lost traffic. aud In 1871 work wa,
started on the ST. Gothard. which wa.
not finished until eleven years later
The st. Gothard is about nine and one
third miles IN length aud cost S1i,5OO..
utu
IN IT'S toll Of lives II was the costliest
of nll. Faulty ventilation. the terrific
heat and the lack of care Ia keeping
down the dust caused the deaths OF 80
lnborcrS This tunnel is wholly ia
Swiss territory. aud eight years ago II
was bought from the owners by the
government
The Simplnn located about halfwa,
between the Mont Cents and the 81
Gothard. IL u double tunnel, although
only one chamber las been wholly eN
cavated The other VIII be enlarged
and put into service when the first lie
comes oycrtaxcd. Better arrangements
for ventilation kept the death roll
down To- sixty. twenty five cubic feet
OF fresh air being supplied 10 the labor
crs for every one blown into the -
Gotharl.
mcndous. The Simpluu is not only the
longest. but the lowest Of the Alpine
tunnels. aud the rock temperature
sometimes reached IL; degrees
When the wnrhmen from the Swiss
side reached the center az the great
bore they were halted 10y al enormous
spring Of hot water Then the Italians
looked a. though the whole work might
have 10 bc abandoned Eu. the cnei.
neers refused To- Ice daunted. although
SIX months were required 10 dig oui
the last :;oo yards ~ the tunnel
So slight were the errors made IN
the digging that the headings from q.
Their side met with dcvinti0ns Of hut
eight inches internally and three and
nehalf inches vertically The total
length Of the tunnel was thirty.slA
inches less than had been calculated
Trains are pulled through the tunnc
In eighteen minutes. at the rate Of
forty-two miles M hour. hy powerful
electric locomotives
Tie Luct>chbcrg is the latest Of the
biz Swiss tunnels This is about the
same length ~ the 81 Gothard and
is also wholly IN Swiss territory. bcin.
located a. the north of the Simplun
Ii Is n part nf the lrrncse Alps rall
way. which has thiity -four tunnels IN
its forty eight miles between Thun and
IriglIc
The Simplon VIII apparently remain
the biggest Of railway tunnels until
submarine one 1. driven under the Eng.
lish channel or perhaps under Bcrinr
sea Al present the longest projected
mountain tunnel IN Europe is French
undertaking. which IS planned io pass
directly undcr Mont Blanc. the high
est mountain in Europe, and to form
another highway between France and
Italy. l;ut this tunnel will he only n
little over eleven miles long. So that
Il will b" merely second IN rank Il Il
is carried out
The lluosac tunnel IN western Mas.
sachuSrttS. was the first rcully big tun.
mel In the United states Begun Ia
1870. it was net finished until 1876.
Air drills AMI nltroglyrcrin were used
in this work Tor tile first time on a
big seal" IN amy American engineering
work The ll"us8c tgnpl Is four and
thrrc-lunricrN miles in length Bo>ton
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