THE GREAT ALPINE TUNNELS. 629 



tool, when it encountered the steel phite, would simply urind awtiy on 

 the top. 



But, to the mutual surprise of both the engineer of the existing 

 company and of the contractors for the new work, no drill was 

 encountered, although it had gone to a lower depth than was necessary-, 

 some 90 feet. The engineer thereupon lowered, in a foolhardy man- 

 ner, an explosive charge, and blew in the side of the heading, the 

 tool having meandered several feet to one side. Fortunately no one 

 was hurt, but the engineer was still in ignorance as to what had hap- 

 pened. A bright idea struck him — namely, to lay on the town tire 

 supph' of water down the hole to see if he could till it. The result 

 was, he nearly washed the men away in the heading! 



Electric traction. — It is desirable to point out how ver}" necessary 

 it may be, in the case of this and other long tunnels, that electric trac- 

 tion should be adopted. Abundant power close at hand already exists; 

 the air of the tunnel would not be vitiated — a matter of great impor- 

 tance where briquette fuel is used — and the rapidity of conducting the 

 traffic would be improved. 



In Baltimore an electric locomotive is attached to the through 

 expresses, which takes them through, steam engine and all, at 50 to 60 

 miles an hour. No stoppage of the express is required at the farther 

 end, the electrical locomotive running ahead into a siding; and some of 

 the very heaviest freight trains, including the locomotive and tender 

 (far heavier than are ever seen in Great Britain), are hauled against a 

 gradient of 1 in 138 at 15 miles an hour. 



In fact, in England, we are most lamentably backward in the 

 emplo3'ment of electricit}', and unless the central and the local authori- 

 ties can be aroused from their letharg}", and from their opposition to 

 all such enterprises, England will continue to lag in the rear of other 

 nations, instead of, as in past years, teaching them a more perfect 

 method. 



In conclusion, may I ask for the sympathy, na}' more, for a silent 

 prayer on behalf of our tunnel and railway heroes, when we are pass- 

 ing along some of the great railw^ay works of the country or of the 

 world. 



Need I refer to that j^oung resident engineer who, when a length of 

 a certain tunnel during construction through quicksand fell in, burjnng 

 11 men. volunteered at the risk of his life, in consequence of the men 

 being panic-stricken, to go down the shaft and rebuild the damaged 

 work with his own hands and alone? And to that ganger who, having 

 held back for a time, seeing that the engineer was determined to do 

 the work, jumped into the bucket with some strong language to the 

 effect "that he wouldn't see the master killed alone," and went down, 

 and the}" two completed the next length before the men would return 

 to work. 



