THE SEVERN TUNNEL

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume VIII, Issue 2439, 30 October 1886, Page 2

THE SEVERN TUNNEL

On September Ist was cuiuploted on« of themnststupendoußongineeringaehiovmenta of the woild's history, thoughlprobably many aro not yet aware of tho fact, It is fourteen years sinco the Great Wca torn Railway Company obtained thoir Act for tho boring of the Severn Tunnel ■; and for noarly the wholo of that timo. the work has been steadily proceeded with in the face of almost incredible difficulties. Four times have the works boon .flooded .by.rksea and by iand-apring*. On otto

occasion it was found nesfeisary-' to bull* .a. wall 16ft thicK'tp.protect ihe;;lijkiag'';• from the;laniwat()f : 6ii the side. Divers have,- by the'/necessity..<£■'' things, had; to be leal frequently, than havries j :VosfW, aftii, thirteen years of- labo? imaginable, the tunnel has' 'tffrtas'fc been opened for goods traffic." The actual is nearly'four and a half miles •exactly half that distance being undorihe}'; estuary of the; Severn. Over tho luiddlis. of tho tunnel during the.Highest tides/, there is'mow tlian-a-, huudved feet of waterifroriiallotwhichit'will bo soon that such 'undertakings as tho Mersey 1 Tunnel arcreally ehild'B playin comparison with Sir-John Hawkshiw's great achievement. .Some'idea of the wink may .be gathered : ,(r'oiii : thb'.. fact that 75,000,000 bricks liayolbeeu wed to linjA this giant bore,, ]t has bora thought necessary.'-.'to- oreot dunlioate pumps capable of discharging consiaorably more :.t!ia'n. .a'.million • gallons of water per hour. It is ospectod that ■passenger traffic"under .'tho'Severn will bo commenced by tbo Ist of November. '