Brighouse & Rastrick Gazette. — 1891-01-03 (Brighouse, West Yorkshire, England)

THE PROPOSED CHANNEL BRIDGE.  The preliminary scheme for the construction of a bridge between France and England was prepared from incomplete and, to some extent, old hydrographic and geological documents. As the previous. surveys did not appear sufficient to the promoters of the enterprise, it was resolved, says the Times Paris correspondent, to make a complete exploration of the Straits of Dover, in order to collect precise information with ."; reference to the hydrography and sea bottom of the. Straits. With the authority of the '.Minister of Marine the management of the surveying company was intrusted to M. Renaud, hydrographic engineer, to whom was added as assistant M. Duchanoy, mining engineer. In the preliminary scheme the bridge started from the Cran aux (Eufs, south of Cape Grisnez, went on over a bottom which sank to 55. metres as far as the Colbart Bank, touched the. north point of the Colbart, and the southern point of the Varne, and finally reached Folkestone. From the observations made, M. Renaud ha* come to the conclusion that the most advantageous line for the bridge is not that fixed on in the prelimi-nary scheme. The line he recommends is straight. It starts from a point 350 metres northeast of the light to the west of the South Foreland, and it terminates 300 metres north-east of the entrance of the tunnel near Cape Grisnez. Its length is 33,450 metres. The greatest depth of water met with on the line was from 50 to 51 metres, a depth extending only over a distance of 1,700 metres. The length of the bridge along the line now proposed is shorter by 5,150 metres than that suggested in the preliminary scheme. Moreover, it avoids depths of 55 metres, and those over 50 metres extend only over a comparatively short distance. The soundings show that the submarine soil is solid everywhere, and that there is in no place mud or soft clay. The study of the fauna made for the survey proves that between Cape Grisnez and the Colbart only • rocky bottom occurs. The apparatus only brought up animals which live on rocks, and none which live in gravel, sand, clay, or mud. From this it is concluded that there is no chance of the Straits ever being silted up. As regards the bridge itself, the line being shortened and the height of the piles diminished in consequence of the greater shallowness of the water through which it passes, considerable diminution of expense is secured as compared with the first scheme. Instead of four millions of metres cube of masonry there will only be three-and-a-half millions. About 50,600 millions of tons of metal will be saved. Lastly there will be 92 piles instead of 112, and of these 92 piles 17 will be sunk in depths of 30 to 40 metres, 31 in depths of 40 to 50 metres, and the others in depths of less than 30 metres. In summing up the advantages of the new scheme, the report says the new line gives greater facility for sinking the piles, a better shelter from the wind and seas from the south-west along the French coast, a slight lowering of the height of the bridge, and a considerable diminution of the masonry and weirlit of the metallic structure. y nuts W.A.  Great excitement was caused in a Board school at Portsmouth, onMonday, by an assistant mistress, named Stead, rushing into the schoolroom with her clothes ablaze. Several children, in alarm, jumped through a window, but the head mistress had the presence of mind to throw some clothes round Miss Stead, so extinguishing the flames. Miss Stead was, nevertheless, very much burnt, and was removed to the hospital. Her clothes became ignited while she was standing with her back to the lire. A very interesting exhibition is about to be opened in the Museum at Vienna. All the costumes of the past and present obtainable will be placed in chronological order on suitable wooden or wax figures. Prince Esterhazy, Schwartzen berg, and Liechtenstein have lent quite a collection of valuable objects, the oldest going back as fir as Mattbras Corvinus, 1443. A room full of Bosnian and Herzegovinian dresses and weapons and. the national costumes will be lent by the provincial museums. A miller, namel Goddard, and his wife, who lived at Little Creasingliam, a village near Swa,ffham, have been found dead in bed. On Christmaseve, owing to the cold, they made a fire of charcoal or coke in `lleir bedroom, and as they did not make their appearance next morning, the house waa entered and C.. ft V were found suffocated  William (711:irle4 Squires and Albert Johnstone, driver and fireman of the light engine in the Broadstone Junction accident, were charged on Tuesday, at the Winihome Sessions, with causing the death of Elizabeth Worti.ing. Mr. Hampton, solicitor to the Amalgamated Society of Engineers, defended. The case was adjourned till Saturday, prisoner! being bailed in one surety of £lO and themselves in £2O. A fire broke out late at night on the Wellingborough premi aof Messrs. Hope and Sons, manufacturing diem ,Als. It originated in a warehouse over the mihei al water factory at the back of the truggists' shop and the warehouse, which contained mugs and agricultural preparations, was completely gutted. The damage is estimated at £2,000.  Thomas Millett, a sick boy attendant at Melville Naval Hospital, Chatham, committed suicide early on Tuesday morning by taking a strong dose of strychnine. It transpires that deceased had previously been detected by others in the act of smuggling spiri• into the hospital, an offence which is regarded as a serious breach of the regulations. lie was to have appeared before the captain of :the steam reserve on Tuesday, but preferred to take his life.