New-York tribune., 1918-06-30
War Proved Need Of
Quick and Easily
Guarded Route Long
Desired by France

Airplanes could do little material
damage, though they might muss mp
the terminals temporarily. 1t is a mat
ter Of speculation whether the sub
marine could accomplish anything
against it. 1t is conceivable that
German U-boat might crawl up the sur
face Of the Channel, plant caissons and
set up drill so as to bore to the crown
of the tunnel, many feet below sns
surface, and insert a charge of dyna-
mite. Such an operation would require
supreme mechanical ingenuity, however
and little dredging of the channel By
tugs would reveal and destroy the
whole game. All in all, it appears that
nothing but a divine accident could
make such submarine operation suc-
ceed.
The mechanical aspect of the tu~
nel's construction, though enormous
offers no particular difficulty ts
engineers. In no quarter has the
| feasibility of the scheme beeA
questioned. The geological forma-
tion of the Channel is remark
ably regular. Regular layers Of
Gladstone, imperv1sus to water, con-
meet France and England, but a few
feet below the bottom, and through
these the borings would be made. The
prevailing rock is almost ideal for the
purpose, being solid and homogeneous,
yet not too hard
Four Independent
Tubes Proposed
Four independent tubes are now
proposed, two for traffic each way.
Each would be circular in form and
about twenty feet in diameter. The
tubes would be some fifty feet apart.
| They would be lined with concrete.
When the project was first perfected
the cost (for two tubes) was estimated
at from $4O,0o0.o00 to $4,000, 900. This
is far too low figure for to-day, and
in any case the two additional tubes
would greatly increase the cost. The
estimated time of construction is from
seven to ten years. The completed tube
would run for fully twenty miles under
water and the terminal sections would
add four or five miles to the total.
The advantages of the tunnel in
peace times are obvious. The casual
tourist can sense the luxury of cross
ing from London to Paris in a single
run of three and half hours, without
stepping outside his luxurious car, in
stead of being obliged to interrupt the
trip with the bothersome channel voy-
age so dreaded by some.
An Estimate
VI Irafhc asyfT
Commercially the Channel route
would probably be more expensive for
heavy traffic than the water route. Il
would doubtless be confined to lux
uries, mails and perishable articles.
Certainly trade between the two coun-
tries would be immensely stimulated,
and England would capture much of
the commerce which otherwise would
go to Belgium or Germany. No esti-
mate can be made of the commercial
possibilities, but the following proph9
ecy, mace IN ISUb, may give hint:
1915. 1925.
Income Francs. Francs. =
Receipts .........33. 100000 50,s50,000
Operation ....... 9,375, 900 1925 600
Net .......:. .24,525, 600 SS,725, 900
Interest on bor- n
rowings at 5
per cent. 100000 10000, 900
Profit ......... IA ,525,000 28,725, ,0oo
Finally, the tunnel will promote So
cial relations between FraAce and LLg-
land as never before the war. 1t will
help to break down that very cultural
"insularity" Gf any more breaking
down is needed) on which large Sec
ton of Englishmen so prided them
selves at one time. The ultimate rea-
son for opposition to the tunnel has
| vanished in the cnmradeshin of max .