A BIG SUBMARINE TUNNEL SCHEME.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1683, 7 January 1888, Page 2

A BIG SUBMARINE TUNNEL SCHEME.

A big submarine tunnel scheme is at present under the consideration of the Dominion Government, the promoters being an English syndicate, The proposal is to connect Prince Edward Island with the mainland bymeans of a tunnel, the advantages of which would be enormous, as for several months navigation is closed by the ice. By the terms under which the Island entered the Confederation in 1873 the Dominion of Canada undertook to maintain communication between the Island and the , mainland all the year round, and this has to be done by means of ice boats At‘a heavy expense; In the winter mails and passengers are carried laeross the Strait by these boats from Cape Traverse in Prince Edward Island to Cape Formenton in New Brunswick. Two alternative plans have been drawn by Mr Grsatnead, C.E., 'Westminster, on the principle en which he designed the underground tramway which is being built from the city to (he Elephant. The length by one plan would be about five miles, and by the other about nine. It is estimated that the cost to the Dominion of the existing service is about £40,000 per annum, and the syndicate offer to construct the tunnel for on annual subsidy to that amount for fifty years, so that the annual payment would not be greater, and it would cease at the end of half a century. A counter scheme £ of a Yankee syndicate is also spoken - of. Prince Edward Island is nearly 150 miles long by 34 miles broad and has a population of over 100,000. ~