The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1919-05-23

principal cities Of the continent, the tunnel
Is completed. And the traveller will be able, II sug-
gested plans carried out, to leave London at
regular intervals 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 Amiens, In
1902 the matter talked over in spirit of
friendly cooperation. In those days carriage
way was 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 soldery marching to the in
vasion of their little island through submarine
passageway.
Thome de Gamond. generation later revived
the proposal He was specialist in cross-chan-
mel traffic ideas, and also had scheme for con-
structing stone and iron bridge the straits
OF Dover. He also drew up plans for a stone-built
sthmus 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 if something
would indeed be done to realize the dream Of Ma
poleon and Gamonde. In that.year a 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 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
1900 soundings sank shaft, and actually started
n tunnel at Sangatte driving it mile and half
beneath the sea- according to present-day accounts
of the operation.
Experimental work carried on by the Eng
fish company for a year so. And then its
charter expired in 1880.
Ry vi two liSh irwin
secure sole rights in the construction of a 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 of the cliffs of
Dover opposition started by the Channel Tun-
nell Limited, group.
Stopped by Parliament
That same year decision in the British
Parliament which dashed the hopes of both CON-
panes. 1t was decided by joint select committee
of the lords and commons that ut was inexpedient
that parliamentary sanction be given to subma-
rine communication between England and France"
SO the 2.2OO-yard long tunnel that been completed
after reconciliation of the two companies inter
esed was closed by government order and the two
rival companies, combined the Channel Tunnel,
Limited, determined to keep the idea alive for
evermore, If they permitted to do moth
ing else.
Today the French and English engineers do not
known definitely that a 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 on the English side. The chalk cliffs
mt Cap Grisnes. in France, are of the identical
geological formation the cliffs of Dover in Eng
land, and rest, do the English cliffs on a sub
stratum of gray chalk POO feet in thickness
1t is assumed the gray chalk Is TO be
found in solid, water-resisting layer for the 30
miles that separate the two countries
The Southeastern railway of England is now in
terested in starting the tunnel once An official
of the railway has stated:
IF the British and French governments give the
word the channel tunnel can he started tomorrow
All the plans ready. and have been since 1907.
When this agitation of the tunnel idea start
ed in England a short time ago il was at first AS
sumed that thousands of demobilized soldiers
could find jobs with the enterprise. But 1t was
almost Immediately officially stated that n COM
paratiyely small number of men would be needed
several hundred at the most
In the meantime the reaction in France to the
plap was favorable. The Paris newspapers re-
called that suggestion came originally from France
In 1902; that realization of the plan would bring
immense benefit to humanity generally and that,
MS the Echo de Paris stated It, "Henceforth Great
Britain will be quicker TO realize her European
mission and her days of splendid isolation will
be gone forever
With trains running at five and ten minute In
teryals--which is the frequency Sir Francis Fox