THE CHANNEL TUNNEL

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume XLV, Issue XLV, 31 August 1917, Page 4

THE CHANNEL TUNNEL

A correspondent who is familiar "with the latest plans of the promoters of the Channel tunnel wrote last month to the ' Sundav Observer ':

The valuable article published in the ' Observer ' of A lay 27, emphasising, under tbe title of " High Time/ the urgency of reconstruction, to prepare for industrial and social settlement after the war, mentioned three great schemes which " can be and must be made " —the Channel tunnel, the tunnel between Scotland and Ireland, and the Forth and Clyde canal—each of which would undoubtedly find immediate employment for large bodies of workmen. With regard to the first named—the proposed Channel tunnel, to couneet the railway systems of Great Britain with those of France. Belgium, Italy, Russia, and the Far East—l am in a position to state that the very moment His Majesty's Government make known their decision to encourage and support this scheme steps will be taken to arrange for tke vigorous prosecution of the work simultaneously from .England and from Frauce. Our closest Continental neighbors already possess till the powers that are in this respect needed, and, despite the financial dramage consequent upon three years of incessant' lighting, their portion of the required capital has been definitely guaranteed. Under the convention granted by the French Government many years ago land is available from .Sangatte "to Wissant, as •also in other places, for the connections between the tiumel lines and the Northern •of Fiance Railway, and the old works, of tin? French Channel Tunnel Company at Wissant can, in a brief space of time, be •considerably enlarged and brought into •effective operation.

On the English coast the first duty of the promoters would be to make ample satisfactory pro vision lor the men by whom the tunnel would be built. At the outset several hundred hands could be advantageously" employed in the extensive clearances and other preparations demanded on shore, and as the work ad.vaiieed the number would gradually increase until a total of 1,500 or more was reached. It would be essential that this extensive laboi* force should be housed within easy distance of the shafts, and for the purpose a model village would be established to accommodate a population of at leaset 5.000.

Still closer to the sea buildings" of a temporary character must be erected for engineering purposes, and there would, in ■addition, be sheds where the men could luivo free hoL or cold baths, and leave their working clothes to be kept dry under lock and key when they were themselves resting. Iji the same "vicinity the contractors would have a fully equipped and officially staffed hospital always readv for the treatment eft cases of accident "that might ocur even under the vevv best regulations. These establishments would be tu telephonic communication night and day with the gangs engaged in the headings, as also with the superintendent's quarters at the model village, so that the whole ot the vast operations connected wit-h the construction of the British seclion ot the tunnel would be controlled by the chief engineer and his staff, acting in considtatiou with the local military authorities. In the most favorable circumstances the work would occupy six years. Its \altie, from the point of view of "constructive revolution." will, therefore, be realised bv evervone