| Show THE ENGLISH CHANNEL THE distinguished engineer sir edward reed beed proposes a plan for running a railroad under the english channel he believes it has all the merits of the tunnel minus its effects what he suggests is to lay on the sea bed on proper supports two parallel tubes similar in con st ruction to the double bottom of a large ship the space between each of the double coverings to be filled in for the most part solid with portland cement which aich preserves iron and steel for a long period th these tubes are to be sunk stink in sections of about GOO feet and to have strength to withstand the tidal action the bed of the channel is said to be sufficiently smooth to admit of this construction which would require in the opinion of sir edward a period of five years time and involve an expenditure of about the merit from a national point of view that the tube has over the tu tunnel D del is that I 1 in n case of war a dynamite torpedo could be letdown let down upon these tubes and entirely destroy them so that there 4 would be no danger of their use by an invading army while in the thew opinion of their the sub marine tubes would have all of the merits in carrying two lines of railway track that would be possessed by a tunnel the boston herald herala suggests that there is a possible defect which does not appear to have presented itself to those who in england have commented upon this plan and tills this is the possibility that the tube might be broken in the case of a railroad accident it if the train through some defect in machinery the breaking of a wheel or axle should run off the track in a tunnel the accident might result lat in some damage to the passengers of a tr ainas a similar accident under or binary conditions though in all probability of a less serious character but it is to be feared that an accident of this kind taking place in one of these proposed tubes would lead to the rupture of the enclosing co cohering ering its prompt filling with water and the immediate death not only of those who happened to be on the wrecked train but those on any other train which was at that time going in the same direction tio n between england and france |
