UNDER THE STRAITS

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 409, 19 December 1932, Page 7

UNDER THE STRAITS

GIBRALTAR TUNNEL PROPOSAL TO LINK EUROPE WITH AFRICA REVIVED POSSIBILITIES CONSIDERED The proposal to tunnel under the Strait of Gibraltar frorn Spain to Afvica has been resumqd in Spain with the ereation of a semi-official Commission charged with an investigation of its possibilities (says the San Francisco Chronicle). The projeet of linking the two eontinents was originated six years ago by Coloncl Pedi-o Jevenoih, who interested the Primo de Rivera Government in the undertaldng. The former Dictator ordered a detailed study of the plan and its feasibility, but when Governinents changed in Spain the scheme was dropped. Alejandro Lerroux, well known in Spanish politics, is chairman of the new Tunnel Commission, and Colonel Jevenois is secretary. If constructed, the tunnel will be the greatest submarine tube in the world. Its cost is estimated by the Commission at 300,000,000 gold pesetas, or about £12,000,000. If the route now outlined for the tube is followed, it will be twenty-thre.e miles long, and the proposed diameter is twelve rnetres. While Spain in its present economic cireumstances could hardly finance the' undertaking, its promoters say that when political conditions becoiue settled in the country no difficulty should be eneountered, and in the meantime they are continuing the j nc cessary preliminary studies. It has ; been suggested by economists v/ho i have studied the projeet that the i Spanish Government, through bond ! issues, could pvovide one-half the necj e. sary capital, while private interests, preferably but not necessarily Spanish, would furnish the remainder. In their judgment the projeet prornises conimercial profit. j Eranee has long cast interested eyes toward the Strait of Gibraltar, i'or a linking tunnel would enable her to move troops to and from her African possessions without incurr- . ing the hazards of sea travel. While rival nations might object to French ! ownership of the tunnel, they are expeeted to look with favour upon Spanish control, sinee Spain is not deemed a contending military power. Chosen Route The route chosen hy the Commission runs from a point five miles west of Tarifa on the Spanish eoast to a point almost exactly opposite on the shore of Spanish Morocco. The African terminus lies jhalfway hetween Ras el Buaza and Punta de Alcazar, and about fifteen miles east of Tangier. Engineers asscrt that no insurmountable difficulties exist, and refer to the fact that there are many mining tunnels longer than twentythree miles. The Hudson tunnels havc been studied, because they more nearly approximate the Gibraltar projeet than any others. Geologists assert that filtration of water is unlikely. Such problems as ventilation, lighting, and method of construction yave heen considered. Construction would be simplified if the great depth did not make it im-p-ossible to dig the tunnel at the narrowest point between the two coasts, whieh is a stretch of only ten miles. There the water exceeds 600 metres in depth, while at the point seleeted the greatest depth is 402 metres. Sinee strong currents prevail, enginis eers deem a perfectly straight line inadvisable, thus mfiking necesisary an even longer tunnel. Besides Deputy Lerroux and Colonel Jevenois, the Tunnel Commission includes Luis de la Pena, director of the Spanish Institute of Geology and Mining: Odon de Buen, director of the Spanish Institute of Geology and the Spanish Institute of Oceanography; Jose Galnis, of the National Geographic and Statistical Institute; Pedro de Novo, of the Academy of Sciences, Enrique Depuy de Lorne, and about fifteen others.