EXCITEMENT OF TUNNELLING 271 



in 79 S. Hanssen, snow-hut builder by profession, 

 went to work at it. He built it quite small and solid, 

 and extended it downward, so that, when at last it was 

 finished, it measured 12 feet from floor to roof. Here 

 we should have plenty of room to fit up a vapour bath. 

 Meanwhile the tunnellers were advancing; we could 

 hear the sound of their pickaxes and spades coming 

 nearer and nearer. This was too much for Hanssen. 

 As he had now finished the hut, he set to work to dig 

 his way to the others; and when he begins a thing, it 

 does not take him very long. We could hear the two 

 parties continually nearing each other. The excitement 

 increases. Will they meet? Or are they digging side 

 by side on different lines? The Simplon, Mont Cenis, 

 and other engineering works, flashed through my brain. 

 If they were going to hit it off, we must be hullo! I 

 was interrupted in my studies by a glistening face, 

 which was thrust through the wall just as I w r as going 

 to dig my spade into it. It was Wisting, pioneer of 

 the Framheim tunnel. He had good reason to be glad 

 he escaped with his nose safe and sound. In another 

 instant I should have had it on my spade. It was a 

 fine sight, this long, white passage, ending in the high, 

 shining dome. As we dug forward, we dug down at 

 the same time so as not to weaken the roof. There 

 was plenty to take down below; the Barrier was deep 

 enough. 



When this was finished, we began to work on the 



