TUNNEL BETWEEN ENGLAND AND FRANCE.

Patea Mail, Volume I, Issue 102, 1 April 1876, Page 3

TUNNEL BETWEEN ENGLAND AND FRANCE.

(vhi)M THU “ lit ,M H NEWS.”) M. Ferdinand De Lesseps, who it in iv he said, on passant, is always to the lore in scientific undertakings, even when not immediately concerned in t'l dr success, has presented the Academy o' Science with an interesting 1 report on the projected submarine cable between .England and France. The perusal of t lis document enables one to form a pretty correct idea of the scheme as it now stands, after the iuvestigi.ti ns carried on (.luring the summer. According to present plans, the tunnel will have its starting point somewhere between Siingatta and Calais, and will run as far as St Margaret’s Day, a bout six amt a half kilometres east of Dover, thus encompassing an extent of nearly 85 kilometres. On each side of the Channel it will he' made to incline so as to join the Chatham, Dover, and South Eastern Railroads on the Enand the Chemin de Fer dn Nord on the French hank. 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 Frenchmen deprived of the excuse they always urge favor of home sickness—la mal do mcr. London will be placed in direct 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 rosearchs, and constituted—such at least is the opinion expressed by competent engineers—the very knot of the question. Compared with it what remains to he done is easy. The chalky rock that foims the bed of the sea can he worked without any serious difficulty, thanks to the Brunton machine, which will make even porphyry fly before it, and the engineer 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 French and English geologists expressed the fear that the stratum in question might offer an irregular surface, and form a zig-zag. swelling in some places, sinking in others, and wandering, for aught they knew, like all things which know not the check of human hand. Had such been the case, there would have been little need for further investigation. A committee, composed of Messrs Lavalljr, Potier, de Lapparent and Laronsso, one of the engineers who seconded M. de Lesseps’ efforts for the piercing of the Suez canal, wore appointed to take soundings of the stratum and immediately set to work.- The instrument employed was Sir John Hawkshaw’s fathomTinCj the weight of which was increased for the purpose to about 60 kilogr aminos.- The geologists having

embarked on board the Lem!, began launching the fathom line at internals of about 40 ) or b<)o yards, and thus nnived within six kiloim-lres <d tin* English coast, af which point the inclemency of the weather compelled them to suspend their investigations. They had been engaged in this laborious task from August 10th to September 2bth, and and thrown the fathom line 17)‘22 tim 's, each throw iiirnishiug them with fivsh evidence that their anxiety was unfounded, and methodical course, at least as far as it had been examined — vi/,,, within six kilometresof the English coast, it may he concluded from this that the entire layer of chalk can be pierced. Early next year the geologists will complete their researches, after which the piercing of the tunnel will be begun in earnest. Another point •which has long been under discussion is whether the tunnel is likely to prove a success os a commercial speculation, M, Loyally replies in the affirmative. “ At present,” he remarks, “ the channel fare is excessively high, much higher, as a matter (if course, than railroad fare, which is usually fixed at an average rate, of per kilometre. After raising the tariff to 0.20.0. per kilometre, the Submarine Tunnel Company will realise a net profit of over o. like, per kilometre, or tU.f. on each fare, the aggregate distance to be accomplished being estimated at bO kilometres. Such a combination will prove ns profitable to the company as to the travelling public, who will be enabled to perform the journey for the modest sum of 12A ’ M Lavally is confident that the number of passengers travelling between Palis and London will soon reach 1,000,000 annually, so that the submarine tunnel will prove the source of auaiiuual income of 100,000 L, realised solely from the profit on passengers’ fares.