SUB.MARINE TUNNEL BETWEEN ENGLAND AND FRANCE.

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume IV, Issue 382, 26 February 1876, Page 3

SUB.MARINE TUNNEL BETWEEN ENGLAND AND FRANCE.

M. Febdinahd db Lessbps, who it may be said en passant is always to the fore in scientific undertakings, eveu when not immediately con' cerned in their success, has presented the Academy of Sciences with an interesting report on the projected sub-marine tunnel between England and France. The perusal of this document enables one to form a pretty correct idea of the scheme as it now stands, after the investigations carried on during the summer. According to present plans the tunnel will have its starting point somewhere between Sangatte and Calais, and will run as far as St Margaret's Bay, about cix a half kilometres east of Dover, thus encompasing an extent of nearly thirty-four kilometres. On each side of the Channel it will be made to incline so as to join the Chatham, Dover, and South-Eastern railroads on the English bank, and Chemin de Far dv Nord on the French bank. The tunnel, will, in fact, follow the declivities of the sea in such a manner that it will sometimes fall at a depth of 125 metres below the level of the sea, and rise at other moments in almost equal proportions. A long-vexed problem will thus have been solved, and Frenohmen deprived of the excuse they always urge in favour of homesickness — la mal de mer. London will be placed in direot railroad communication with the Paris Boulevards, and vice versa. It must not be imagined that this outline has been planned without difficulty. It is, on the contrary, the result of numerous and lengthy researches, and constituted — Buch at least, is the opinion expressed by competent engineers — the very knot of the question. Compared with it what remains to be done is easy. The chalky rock that forms the bed of the sea can be worked without any serious difficulty, thanks to the Bruntoa machine, which will make even potphyry fly before it, and the engineers having discovered a sound stratum of stone wherewith to protect the tunnel against inundation, the question may henceforth be considered as virtually solved. For a long time both Frenoh and English geologists expressed the fear that the stratum in question might offer an irregular surface, and form a zigzag, swelling in some places, sinking in others, and wandering, for aught they knew, like all things which know not the check of human h ind. Had such been the case there would have been little need for further investigation. A committee, composed of Messrs Lavalley, Potier, de Lapparent, and Larousse, one of the engineers who seconded M. de Lossepß* efforts for the piercing of the Suez Canal, was appointed to take Boundings of the stratum, and immediately set to work. The instrument employed was Sir John Hawkshaw's fathomline, the weight of which was inoreased for the purpose to about fifty kilogrammes. The geologists having embarked on board the Pearl, began launching the fathom-line at intervals of about 400 or 500 yards, and thus arrived within six kilometres of the English coast, at which point the inclemency of the weather compelled them to suepond their investigations. They had been engaged in this laborious task from August 10 to Septsmber 25, and had thrown the fathom-line 1522 times, each trial furnishing them with fresh evidence that their anxiety was unfounded, and that tho stratum followed in almost methodical course, at least as far as had been examined — viz., within six kilometres of the English ooast. It may be coucluded from this that the entire layer of chalk can be pierced. Early next year the geologists will complete their researches, after whioh the piercing of the tunnel will be begun in good earnest, Another point which has long been under discussion is whether the tunnel is likely to prove a success as a commercial speculation. M. Lavalley replied in the affirmative. "At present," he remarks, " the Channel fare is excessively high, much higher, as a matter of course, than railroad fare, whioh is usually fixed at an average rate of 7£c per kilometre. After raising the tariff to 0.250 per kilometre, the Submarine Tunnel Company will realise a net profit of over 0.190 per kilometre, or lOf on eaoh fare, the aggregate distance to be accomplished being estimated at fifty kilo* metres. Such a combination will prove as profitable to the company as to the travelling public, who will be enabled to perform the journey for the modest sum of 12£ f." M. Lavalley is confident that the number of passengers travelling between Paris and London will soon reach one million annually, so that the submarine tunnel will prove the source of an annual income of 10,000, 000 f, realised solely from the profit on passengers' fares.