The patriot. (Glenmora, La.) 1918-1955, 1919-05-23
1cS0EIZ4L CZ1fT CL16nVE11ZZ1W
COPYRIGHT 1872 WESTERN hEsUiAPER

principal cities Of the continent, ONCE the tunnel
is completed And the traveller will be able, II sug
gested plans are carried out, to leave LONDON AT
regular intervals on through trains for the far
East the near East. as we'll as Petrograd, Rome.
Vienna, and the Balkans.
When the first channel tunnel was discussed In
formally by Napoleon with the British ampassa-
dor to France during the peace of Amiens. In
1902, the matter was talked over In spirit OF
friendly cooperation. In those days carnage
way YVES proposed. Two years later, in 1SO4, when
a different spirit prevailed between France ana
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 generation later, revived
the proposal. He was specialist in crosschan-
mel traffic IDEAS and also had scheme for con-
structing stone and iron bridge across the straits
Of Dover. He also drew up plans for stone-built
isthmns across the channel, with openings through
which navigation might pass. He also suggested
the building of a 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 IL something
would indeed be done to realize the dream OF Ma
poleon and Gamonde. In that year company was
formed In France which obtained a concession to
start work. One year later. in 1875, another COM
pany was formed In England, known as the Cham
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 soundngs; 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
lish company for d year so. And then its
charter expired in $780,
BY 1883 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 was started BY the Channel Tun-
mel. Limited. group
Stopped BY Parliament
That same year saw decision In the British
Parliament which dashed the hopes Of both COM
panies. It was decided by joint select committee
Of the lords and commons that 1T was inexpedient
that parliamentary sanction be given to o subTna-
rine communication between England and France. :"
So the 2200-yard long tunnel that been completed
after q 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 IL they were permitted to 90 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
me stratum is continuous because drill holes have
shown that the formation of the French side Il
very much as on the English sides The chalk cliffs
at Cap Grisnes, IN France. are Of the Identical
reolog3caI formation as the cliffs of Dover in Eng