Omaha daily bee., 1919-12-13

u.sts.h Horse ~ Commons Channel Tunnel
oom,nitfee, In charge Of the parliamentary
preparations 70 unite Frn nn Ana si"""
by tunnel under the Enghsh onanne''
London, Dec. 12.-For the chan
mel tunnel we now have the support
Of the British government, includ-
ing that of the prime minister. Brit,
ish governments formerly opposed
the scheme for reasons OF insular
defense.
The railroad companies--the Lon
don. Chatham and Dover and the
Southwestern on the English side,
and the Chemin De Fer Du Nord
in France-have been for some years
going carefully into the scheme with
their engineers, considering, among
other things, where they would
place the mouths of the tunnel on
each side of the channel; how they
would connect the English and
French railway systems, and the
arrangement for the great power
station which will be placed some
10 miles inland from Dover.
Use Electric Power.
Through the, tunnel the line will
Be run by electrict power. This will
save all the trouble with the fumes
from the engines which was one OF
the serious objections to the long
tunnel through the Alps. :.
In addition to the London and
Paris service, there will be great
world trains. They will run to all
the great capitals of Europe. some
passing through Paris and others
through Brussels. There will be, OF
course, the Orient Express to Con-
stantinople, starting henceforth at
London; and it is anticipated, after
IN world has settled down, that
IRE will be an immense tourist
kffic to Egypt and Palestine.
Great special trains will be built
for the journeys across Europe, in
which travellers will live in the
greatest comfort for the two or
three days they will inhabit them.
VIII Protect Luggage.
sAll the worry OF looking after
and perhaps losing ones luggage.
: worry which is very acute in
Europe at the present tinie--will be
avoided. The luggage will be put
On the train 1t London and it will
70 right through to the passengers
destination.
Forty-five minutes will be occu-
pied in going through the channel
tunnel. and in order that the time
may pass pleasantly it is proposed
that one Of the meals should be
taken in the restaurant cars, either
lunch or tea Or dinner, according
10 the time of day. Passengers, in
fact, will pass through the tunnel
almost without realizing that they
are passing beneath the stormy
straits.
The tunnel will be about 80 miles
long. It will not be exactly in =
straight line; but beginning at a
SPOT two or three miles on the in
land side of Dover it will follow the
gray chalk bed of the channel. which
IS imprevious to water and very
suitable for tunnel construction and
come out at a point between Calais
and Boulogne, near the little village
Of Marquise.
Five Years Work.
There will be, as on the London
underground railways, two distinct
tubes, below them, about nine feet
in diameter, will be drainage tun-
nes, The whole work will take five
years to complete and will employ
400 men on each side.
The French, who are proud OF
their share of the tunnel will do half
the work and furnish half the money
There is bound to be much friendly
rivalry between the two sections OF
workers, which will 60 ahead the
faster. According to the exact cal
! cuiations Of. the engineers, the
French and British workers who
! will begin the construction OF the
tunnel so miles apart. will meet with
in an inch or two.
The cost will be between $780,
An on eod %160 mn nm