Columbian Cyclopedia Volume 30 (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1897 Excerpt: ...enterprise, was begun 1871, Jan.; and 1880, Feb. 29, the borings from the Swiss and Italian sides met, though much time and labor were still requisite to prepare the T. for railway traffic. The total length is in., width 21J ft. The average rate of progress was 18 ft. per day; the improved M'Kean drill, latterly used, cut its way at the rate of 12 in. per minute. The contract of the T. was for a cost of nearly $10,000,000; but the actual cost, including approaches, is stated at several millions more. France proposes a tunnel through the Simplon. A T. connecting England and France beneath the English Channel, for which a company was formed 1872, would eclipse all former undertakings; its length would be 31 m. But in 1883 the Brit. govt, declined to sanction the undertaking. The Arlberg T., begun in the middle of 1880, was completed 1885; it is 6J m. long, and gives direct railway TUNNEL. communication between the Austrian province of Vorarl. berg, touching Lake Constance, and Innsbruck in the Liverpool, m. from station to station, was finished 1886. The most noted adits in the world are the ones at Schemnitz, Hungary, begun 1782, finished 1878, 10 27 m. long, built to carry off the waters from the mines; and the socalled Sutro T., in Virginia City, Nev., 20,000 ft. long, built to ventilate and dram the Comstock lode mines. In the United States, the largest T. is that extending through the Hoosac Mountain in Mass., near the N. Y. and Vt. boundary-lines, controlled (1892) by the Fitchburg Railroad Company. It was projected 1825 for a canal, but the scheme was abandoned soon afterward on account of the introduction, of the railroad system. In 1851 some experimental work was done; 1856 tunnelling was begun; 1862 the state assumed control of the work; and 1876 th...