The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1919-06-28

principal cities of the continent, once the tunnel
is completed. And the traveller will be able If sug-
gested plans are carried out, to leave LONDON at
regular intervals on through trains for the far
East the near East, as well as Petrograd, Rome
Vienna, and the Balkans.
When the first channel tunnel was discussed In
formally by Napoleon with the British ambassa-
dor to France during the peace of Amens, in
1902, the matter was >llked over in spirit of
friendly cooperation. In those days carriage
way proposed. Two years later, in 1904 when
a different spirit prevailed between France and
England, the British champion of the tunnel idea
had visions of French soldiery marching to the in
vaSiOn of their little Island through submarine
passageway.
Thome de Gamond a generation later. revived
the proposal. He specialist in crosschan
mel traffic ideas, and also had scheme for con-
structing stone and iron bridge the straits
OF Dover. He also drew up plans for stOne-built
isthmus across the channel. with openings through
which navigation might pass He also suggested
the building of gigantic pontoon bridge. These
numerous schemes and their possible notifications
were discussed in England and France for years.
BY 1874 1t commenced to look as If something
would indeed be done to realize the dream Of Ma
pOleOn and GamOnde, In that year company was
formed in France which obtained concession to
start work. One year later, in 1875, another COM
pany formed in England, known as the Chan
mel Tunnel, Limited" which obtained permission
of the British parliament to begin work
The French company, which was called the
French Submarine railway, took many samples of
the silt from the channel bottom; made more than
1000 soundings; sank shaft and actually started
a tunnel at Sangatte. driving 1t mile and half
beneath the sea. according to present-day accounts
of the operation.
Experimental work was carried on by the Eng
lsh company for a year or so. And then its
charter expired in 1880.
BY 1888 there were two English concerns trying
to secure sole rights in the construction Of tube.
The second concern went by the name Of the
Submarine Continental railway, in which Sir Ed
ward Watkin and the Southeastern railway Of Eng
land were interested. When Sir Edwards company
tried to begin work beneath one Of the cliffs Of
Dover opposition started by the Channel Tun-
mel. Limited. group.
stopped by Parliament
That same year saw a decision in the British
Parliament which dashed the hopes Of both COM
panies. 1t was decided by joint select committee
Of the lords and commons that ut was ine1pedient
that parliamentary sanction be given to a subma-
rine communication between England and France"
So the 22O0-yard long tunnel that been completed
after reconciliation Of the two companies inter-
ested was closed by government order and the two
rival companies, combined as the Channel Tunnel,
Limited, determined to keep the idea alive for
evermore even if they were permitted to do moth
ing else.
Today the French and English engineers do not
known definitely that continuous stratum Of firm
chalk exists beneath the entire channel from the
English to the French side.
They do know however, that to all appearances
the stratum is continuous, because drill holes have
shown that the formation Of the French side Is
very much as the English side. The chalk cliffs
at Cap Grisnes, in France, are Of the identical
geological formation as the cliffs of Dover in Eng
land and rest as do the English cliffs, on a SUBJ
stratum of gray chalk 200 feet in thickness.
1t is assumed the same gray chalk Is to be
found in a solid water-resisting layer for the %
miles that separate the two countries.
The Southeastern railway OF England is now in
terested in starting the tunnel at once. An official
of the railway has stated:
eff the British and French governments give the
word the channel tunnel can be started tomorrow
All the plans are ready, and have been since 1907
When this new agitation of the tunnel idea start
Cd IN England short time ago it at first as
cumad LAT thousands of demObilized soldiers
could fl Jobs with the enterprise. But it was
almost immediately officially stated that a COM
naratiyeIy small number of men would be needed
several hundred at the most.
Tn the meantime the reaction il France to the
zion was favorable. The Paris newspapers re-
coned that suggestion came originally from France
T.; 1902. that realization of the plan would bring
immense benefit to humanity generally, and that,
- tho Echo de Paris stated it, "HencefOrth Great
pr;tain will be quicker to realize her European
n,;ssion and her days Of splendid isolation will
be gone forever
with trains running at five and ten minute in
tervals-which is the frequency Sir Francis Fox,