Improved Means of Communication between Countries or Places Separated by Water, such as a Strait or the like.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Nov., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 21st Aug., 1893-Accepted, 23rd Sept., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Means of Communication between Countries or Places
Separated by Water, such as a Strait or the like.
I PHILIPPE JEAN BUNAU-VARILLA of 21 Boulevard Poissonniere Paris in the
Republic of France Civil Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
I have proposed a mode of communication between two countries separated by a
strait such as for instance is the case with France and England by establishing on
each side of the strait, an artificial island in the open sea and connecting these two
islands by a tunnel and establishing a bridge between each of them and the neigh-
bouring shore. Trains could pass to and from the tunnel and bridges by raising
and lowering devices such as inclined planes. This arrangement could if desired be.
limited to the one side of the strait, the tunnel going directly into the opposite
shore in the usual way. In cases however such as where the one country is an
island as is the case with England and it is desired to preserve its insular character
the bridge of access between the artificial island and the corresponding shore of the
country whose insular character is to be preserved may be dispensed with and there
be substituted for it as a means of passage for trains, a ferry-boat of the type used
in the United States of America for carrying whole trains over wide rivers or
even seas.
This arrangement would necessitate the addition to the island where the tunnel
debouches of protective works against the action of the sea so as to allow the ferry-
boats to receive and discharge the trains. This arrangement would not do away
entirely with a sea passage but would reduce it to but a few minutes and have the
considerable advantage of leaving the insular condition of the country undisturbed.
Dated this 23rd day of November 1892.
J. H. JOHNSON & Co.,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Means of Communication between Countries or Places
Separated by Water, such as a Strait or the like.
I, PHILIPPE JEAN BUNAU-VARILLA of 21 Boulevard Poissonniere, Paris in
the Republic of France, Civil Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
I have proposed in the Specification annexed to Letters Patent granted to me
and dated 23rd May 1890 No. 8258 a mode of communication between two countries
separated by a strait such as for instance is the case with France and England by
establishing on each side of the strait, an artificial island in the open sea and
connecting these two islands by a tunnel and establishing a bridge between each of
them and the neighbouring shore. Trains could pass to and from the tunnel and
bridges by raising and lowering devices such as inclined planes. This arrangement
could if desired be limited to the one side of the strait, the tunnel going directly
into the opposite shore in the usual way. In cases however such as where the one
country is an island as is the case with England, and it is desired to preserve its insular
character the bridge of access between the artificial island and the corresponding
shore of the country whose isular character is to be preserved is dispensed with
and I substitute for it as a means of passage for trains, a ferry boat of the type
TDi Q7

page_text: used in the United States of America for carrying whole trains over wide rivers or
even seas.
This arrangement necessitates the addition to the island where the tunnel
debouches, of protective works against the action of the sea so as to allow the ferry
boats to receive and discharge the trains. This arrangement does not entirely
obviate a sea passage but reduces it to but a few minutes and has the considerable
advantage of leaving the insular condition of the country undisturbed.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :
The system of communication between countries or places separated by water
such aş France and England consisting of a tunnel which starting from one shore
such as the shore of France ends at a certain distance from the opposite
shore such as the shore of England, in an artificial island created in the sea the'
said island being provided with works of shelter to enable ferry-boats to receive on
board the trains passing between the said island and the adjacent shore substantially,
as hereinbefore described.
L
3000
J. H. JOHNSON & Co.,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.