Show Simplon Bore Is Longest Railway Tunnel in World The longest railway tunnel in the world and one of the greatest bor bor- boring boring boring ing enterprises of any age is the Simplon Tunnel connecting Switzer Switzer- Switzerland Switzerland Switzerland land with Italy through gh the Alps It is approximately twelve and a half miles long and was completed in 1905 after about six and a half years' years work and at a cost of 3 says Tit-Bits Tit Magazine The tunnel consists of two paral paral- parallel lel leI passages sixteen and a half haIr feet wide and from feet to feet below the top of the mountain above it The two t tV w V o 0 ways passageways passage passage- ways are connected by transverse galleries gall ries at intervals of feet for ventilation and trans trans- transportation transportation transportation purposes The chief difficulties encountered by the men who bored it were the intense heat which wl often rose to degrees Fahrenheit and the large number of springs especially hot springs that turned the tunnel at times into a veritable canal and necessitated the suspension of work for months at a time To fo over over- overcome overcome overcome come the torrid atmosphere cold coldwater coldwater coldwater water was pumped into the borings through pipes pierced with small holes so that the water sprayed the side of the tunnel and the men menat menat menat at work as well Through this spray fresh air was W forced |