TO CUT CHANNEL TUNNEL

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 17, 15 October 1917, Page 6

TO CUT CHANNEL TUNNEL

IN THIRTY-FIVE DAYS. A machine for tunnelling the English Channel in 35 aays has been brougut to llio attention ot tue juritish Government by ill'. John K. Henclteu, a civil engineer, of Filth Avenue, who states that nil has official of his 'scheme, says tne "Daily Lxpress." The scheme contemplates boring four tunnels by means ot eigK machines that will cut through earth and rock at the rate of lOUlt. per hour; and provides not only Jor a traeihvay in eacn tunnel, but a driveway along which .motor-lorries could be "driven from England to the supply bases in France. *=. Mr. Henckeu's plan is to lmve eight of. the tuimels complete and ready for operation within a few months' time, ana declares that should tne sqheme be carried through it would release most of the shipping now used between England and Francc, thus making available for other uses more ships than could bo built in the shipyards of the world ill several years. He offers to finance by float : ing a bond issue, which could be paid off within a few years, and then to make the tunnels a "present to Britain and France by the United States, and states that he has the snnction of the American Uoverniuent in making this offer. Mr. Hcneken'ti plan is to have eight of his machines in use, undor engineers of the three nations concerned—one machine at each end of the four tunnels, and another set boring the approaches at.the same time. Ic ■ describing his machine, Mr Jlencken fays it consists of a series of swinging hammers rotated at a peripheral speed of about 500 ft. a second, striking several hundred thousand blows a minute on tlie spaco to be excavated, and pulverising the material "from sin. in greatest dimensions down to impalpable powder."