The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-03-12
PUT SOLDIERS TO WORK
BUILDING BIG TUNNEL
Connect British rslo with the
Continent Try Under Channel
Route.

London March Io.--The decades
oiS dream of cross channel tunnel.
~ s't'-s, @az.es'.4 ~ ey"e II y.
become a reality AT last, Fonar Law.
chancellor Of the exchequer, announc-
ed IN the house OF commons that the
government was considering imme-
dia'e inception OF the construction OF
the tunnel and proposed to employ
demobiiized soldiers In the work. This
would provide Jobs for hundreds of
thousands OF returned "Tommies"
on and on, for more than cen
fury. the project of building a tun-
mel under the English channel has
been under consideration In England.
several times II approached materi-
aliz@ don. but invariably was discarded
again, due 10 political opposition. has
ed ON unwiilingness to give up the ad-
yanta ges of the tight little island ="
lust before he war there seemed q
chance that the entente cordlale had
finally done away with this opposi-
ton. but tho outbreak of hostihties
again killed the plan. while the big
conflict was on. the people OF both
countries regretted more than once
that such a tunnel did not exist, had
II existed, Belgium might never have
been invaded.
AZ far back as 1912. NJ Matthew. a
famed French engineer made known
his plan for a tunnel between Eng
land and France which could he used
Ivy coaches. His proposals serve TO
show the great advances of engineer
Ing In n little over a century He
proposed to have tho bore ventilated
h f.F., i.rl-
face of the water and the tube itself
was 10 he lighted by oil lamps. His
scheme was termed visionary, ob3ec-
lions being raised that the waves
could destroy the shafts which also
were inimtcal TO navigation.
Two British engineers brought the
proposal forward again in 1870, but
the opposition again could not be over
come. Three years later a French
company actually did go to work on
q tunnel, but the British government,
alarmed over the possibilities. brought
the activities TO q halt. The company
had raised u capital of about s400. 900.
Shafts were sunk on both sides of
the channel and q horizontal bore OF
about mile had been excavatcd un-
der water on the French side.
! Queen Victoria gave her support TO
introduced in parliament suthoriz-
ing it. Again the project was talked
to death. it's opponents admitting the
friendly relations between England
aud France, but adding that the best
thing between them was the sea"
+ In 1913 tunnel seemed assured.
Companies were organized on both
sides of the channel and strong efforts
were made to win the whole hearted
Endorsement of both governments. The
engineers proposed two separate sets
Of bores, one set serving as auxiliartet
OF the other. or the main set The
latter was to be equipped with single
tracks and were TO be eighteen feet
in interior diameters. Engineers in
etanccd their success with the deep
tubes IN London and estimated that
tho proi\Nt would cost 100000, 600
The outbreak of the war caused this
plan to be shelved.
Today's announcement indicated
that the new plan is part OF England's
program of providing work for dis
charge soldiers. Bouar Law, In MAX
Ing announcement of tho project. said
discharged warriors would be employ
eel on Il.
The distance between England and
France at the point of the channe
tunnel is about twenty miles.