A City Anchored in Mid-Ocean

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1052, 16 August 1930, Page 18

A City Anchored in Mid-Ocean

NEW Atlantis, a city anchored in the ocean between the Old and New Worlds —such is the daring proposal of Leon Foenquinos, a Marseilles engineer.

Briefly, Monsieur Foenquinos, who has some notable milita-y and naval Inventions to his credit, wants to nuild a circular steel ring large enough to contain a population of 200,000 that would be “the most majestic work of man.’’ It would be anchored at a shallow spot, less than 200 ft deep, that is located in the Gulf Stream about lialf-way between Paris and New York, namely, at 43 degrees longitude and 45 degrees north latitude. The ring would be 659 feet high, its internal diameter 3,282 feet and its external diameter 4,600 feet. "I have arranged for a handsome outer boulevard and also an inner one, as well as an intermediate street,” M. Foenquinos explains in a memorandum he has sent to French capitalists seeking £1,000,000,000 for the project. “These circular boulevards will be cut by 86 radial streets. Four fullsized Eiffel Towers will be erected at the four cardinal points to serve as radio masts, lighthouses and landing stations for Zeppelins. Skyscrapers will raise their noble heads in the intervening spaces. A subway will make the circuit of the ocean city in the lower caissons. The three boulevards will be lined with gorgeous tropical plants, always in bloom. "The central pool or basin, which will be entered through four broad pas-sage-ways, will serve as a harbour for transatlantic liners and flying boats. The pool will have no bottom except the ocean.” The principal purposes of this extraordinary project are as follow: First. A health resort—eternal spring-time. Second. A temporary or permanent refuge for wet Americans. Third. Landing place for transatlantic air services of the future. Fourth. Meteorological station.

Fifth. Fuel and freight depot for shipping lines.

Sixth. A gambling resort, like Monte Carlo, outside all international laws. Seventh. Base for life-saving services. ”1 particularly wish to explain that my steel island is not simply a land-ing-place for air lines across the Atlantic,” M. Foenquinos declared energetically. “It will be an actual city established on a far more substantial basis and serving far broader interests. The world has a very urgent need for such a half-way station, with all that it implies for the safety of navigation. The population will be permanent and will find the life and the climate there extremely agreeable.

“It is hardly necessary to add that we shall have luxurious hotels for tourists who wish to take a health treatment or break their journey for a few days; theatres, picture palaces, bathing beaches and every possible amusement, as well as a handsome casino.

“The principal shipping and commercial interests of all countries will have offices there. Ocean liners and air liners will be passing every day, every hour. Life-saving boats will be dashing out when appeals come. Mails, cables, radio, telephones—all will hum. Bands will be playing in the parks. One will simply tingle with excitement there. The new Atlantis will be the eighth wonder of the world.”

To protect this floating city from waves and rough weather, the inventor has devised a curious protective system consisting of radial and circular steel dykes, resting on floaters, that will be arranged somewhat like a spider's web. There will be five banks of the circular and concentric dykes, all 500 yards apart, thus forming a quintuple wall of steel against which the most powerful waves will hurl themselves in vain. This whole mass of steelwork, which will be semirigid, will be held together by steel braces and wire cables. The idea is to use rustless steel coated with tar. The field of dykes will be anchored to the bed of the sea, as at this point

New All-Steel Atlantis . . . jjfr Fascinating j Dream of French - Engineer . . . New State Midway Between Europe and America . . . Gulf Stream Paradise to Be Eighth Wonder of the World.

there happens to be a submarine plateau. The other dyke will have a diameter of about four miles and a circumference of about 12 miles. Owing to the great weight -of this vast bed of steel, the inventor believes that its movement will be almost imperceptible, even during heavy storms. There will bo passageways through the dykes for ships and seaplanes. ‘The city proper will be built on a sort of ring or crown that will be entirely metallic,” M. Foenquinos explained. “This ring will weigh about 12,000,000 metric tons and displace about 22,000,000 metric tons. Its surface will be 42 feet above the ocean. The base will consist of 96 hugh caissons more than 660 ft long, 100 ft wide and 100 ft deep, all being fastened to one another. These caissons will literally be the cellar of Atlantis, for they will contain power, heating and lighting plants, as well as all the shops and machinery required for repairing ships, also depots, warehouses and coal supplies. There will be a system of subterranean streets, all connecting with the highways above, and a subway making the round of the city. At least. 10,000 families will bo required to operate all these services. They will be provided with apartments somewhat below the upper levels, facing both the harbour and the open ocean. The estimated population of 200,000 is in addition to these families.

“On the surface of the r*ng, about 42 feet above water level, I will have an area of about 753,600 square yards for buildings, streets and parks. There will, be two groups of buildings, extending from the inner to the outer edge, on each occasion. The buildings will be alternately low and towering in order to distribute light and air. People will live just as normally on this island as they would on land, ex cept that the climatic conditions will >e far more bracing. The two princi pal boulevards, one on the inside and the other on the outer rim, will be about 100 feet wide. There will be ?very imaginary convenience and living should not be much more expensive than anywhere else. “The entrances into the harbour will be particularly majestic. Passagewaj s win be cut through the ring directly under the four full-sized Eiffel Towers, the ring being braced together at a sufficient depth under the water to allow the passage of the largest ships afloat. The gigantic arches forming the bases of the towers will serve as the gates.” M. Foenquinos estimates the cost of this floating city at £1,000,000,000. Ho realises what a tremendous investment this sum represents but ho is absolutely convinced that it would be a profitable affair. Ho estimates the annual gross revenue at the mere trifle of £200,000,000 and figures that the entire cost of construction would be amortized in less than 76 years. “I understand perfectly that everyone will think that I am mad to con ceive this floating city without mentioning the vast sums necessary to build it,” he told me, smilingly, “but I am no more mad than Eiffel was 40 years ago, and my scheme is no more impractical today than his was at that time. People don’t seem to realise that transatlantic air services will be commonplace within a short time and

that for safety and convenience they must have a halfway base, a place where they can take refuge from storms. Why not look ahead into the future and build something worth while instead of a floating chicken coop that may fall to pieces in several years? The air services will pay well to have a satisfactory base The same is true of future Zeppelin services. A meteorological station is also urgently needed in the Atlantic, as well as lifesaving boats. “The principal revenue, however, will come from the hotels. the gambling casino and performing ser vices for the navigation companies. Just imagine what a convenience it will be for tlio big liners if they can pick up solid or liquid fuel at the island. At the present time they must load sufficient for a voyage the whole way across the Atlantic, which means losing space and extra cargo. We shall also be able to make repairs of all sorts, even put big liners in drydock.

"I can also foresee many lesser sources of revenue, such as rents, taxes, banking services, port charges, international expositions and taxes of sojourn.” The inventor declares that his future Atlantis will be the most beautiful city in the world. He sees streets and sidewalks laid with mosaics, charming gardens filled with the most gorgeous tropical plants and birds, graceful statues, magnificent buildings, supreme cleanliness and, blowing gently through it all, the soft, balmy air from the Gulf Stream. “I don’t care what the sceptics say,” M. Foenquinos insists stubbornly,

“but I know that the whole world will flock to my city because it likes a new sensation. Every liner afloat will be forced to stop there to let the passengers see this eighth wonder in the world. We shall not be able to contain alt those who wish to come. Rich old Chinese mandarins will leave their homes, and African chiefs will quit their kraals to pay us a visit. The shops, hotels, casinos and health establishments will do a rushing business.

“The mechanical and engineering problems involved are comparatively simple, now that rustless and noncorroding metal is available. Any capable engineer would immediately take the job of building it.” Rather than appear too optimistic, M. Foenquinos does not mention another possible and important source of revenue, but he has given much thought to it. “I think that Atlantis should have a special internationel status rather than belong to any particular country,” the inventor says. “My hope is to find a committee of solid bankers from various countries who will act as a Board of Directors and guarantee to stock and bond holders that their interests will be carefully handled. This Board of Directors would act as a national council to pass on all matters .concerning the government and finances of the island and its relations with the world. “I must confess that I have little hope of seeing this dream realised during my lifetime, but my children or grandchildren will certainly live to see it.”