OPENING OF THE MONT CENTS RAILWAY.

West Coast Times, Issue 697, 18 December 1867, Page 4

OPENING OF THE MONT CENTS RAILWAY.

The two Alpine railways, the one through and the other over Mont Corn's, are both bold engineering projects. The first started project for connecting France and Italy by railway was by the route which includes a tunnel of about seven miles and a half long through Mont Ccnis, with nearly thirty-five miles of very'difficult approach to the tunnel, twelve miles from St. Michel to Modane on the French, and twenty two and a half miles from Susa to Bardeneche on the Italian side. The works for this important communication are of almost, if not quite, unprecedented magnitude and costliness, and were from the commencement expected to occupy the labors of a considerable series of years. They were commenced, backed by the imperial and royal resources of France and Italy, in 1857. Of the forty-two miles of this mountain railway, only about five inilea of tunnel has been in part made up to this time, and this portion, being driven from the openings on each side of the mountain, is of course the easiest of execution. On the most favorable estimate the next decade will be far advanced before the tunnel line can be opened. A company of Englishmen stepped in after these works were commenced and persuaded theimperial androyalpromoters

that they could give them the advantages of railway communication for a number of years before the route could be ready. This they proposed to accomplish by going over instead of through the mountain, and almost all that they needed in the way of concession was the use, to a certain extent of the Government roads through the pass, facilities which they duly obtained, and now their line, only about six and a half miles longer than the " direct" tunnel line, is practically finished, and was inspected on Monday, , 28th August, by Captain Tyler, R.E. Official intervention is called for, inasmuch as the Mont Cenis Railway will form part of the route by which the Eastern mails will in future be sent, at a saving of about forty hours. The experimental trip, which was most successful, was over the entire length of the line from St Michael to Susa, forty-eightniiles. The serious injury caused by the inundations of the last autumn to tHe Government road upon which the line is for the greater part laid, is now completly repaired, and the works throughout give the best promise of stability. Between St Michel on the French and Susa on the Italian side, the ' village of Lanslebourg is perched about half-way. St Michel is 2493 feet above the £ea, Lanslebourg 2099 feet higher, and the summit, about six mile's from Lanslebourg, and between it and Susa, is 6332 feefc above the sea. On this section, 2240 feet is ascended by an average gradient of one in fourteen. From the summit to Susa, fourteen miles, the average gradient one in seventeen, but three miles being comparatively level, the prevailing gradient on this length is really one in twelve. The Fell system of traction, adopted upon the line, was tried on this occasion upon what may be pronounced an adequate scale, and gave conclusive evidence of its safety and efficiency. The existing traffic across the Mont Cenis is very great, and may be expected to be largely increased after the opening of the line. The average passengers both ways daily by road is about 220, with about 120 tons of goods daily. The number of horses engaged in the conveyance of passengers and goods across Mont Cenis is about 1200, which, allowing ten miles a day to each horse, gives a daily average of about 12,000 miles travelled. In the event of the system of traction proving indisputably safe — as there is the best reason to believe it will — there can be little doubt that this overground line will prove the preferred permanent route, as there are few travellers who will not prefer a slight detour, an hour or two's detention, and a pretty stiff gradient, to a seven and a halt" mile tunnel. Captain Tyler was accompanied in his trip by Mr Brunlees, engineer-in-cliief of the line ; the Duke de Vallanibrosa, Mr Alex. Brogden and Mr Fell, directors ; Mr Bell, resident engineer ; Mr Blake, who has carried out the works for the railway and the reparation of the road for Mr Brassey ; Mr Alexander, who has superintended the construction of the engines ; Mr Barnes, locomotive superintendent ; Captain Bcrnout, R.E., and others. The most lively interest was manifested in the trip and inspection at St. Michael, Lanslebourg, Susa, and along the whole route. With the formal opening of this line in October, railway communication will be complete between Calais and the south of Italy.

We are informed (3ays the " Grey River Argus") by a gentleman who returned to Greymouth by the s.s. Otago that 'the Panama Company's agent, at Melbourne, charges L 2 more for a passage to Greymouth than to Hokitika. If this course is usually adopted it is no wonder that the bulk of the passengers for the West Coast go to Hokitika.