498 The Channel Tunnel. [October, 
three landing stages of different heights, and alongside 
which the ferries would run according to the state of the 
tide. A paper on this subject was read by M. Dupuy de 
Léme before the French Geographical Society in 1873. In 
1871 the Society of Arts appointed a Committee to consider 
and report how far the existing means of crossing the Chan- 
nel could beimproved. In their report several modifications 
in existing vessels, and new boats about fifty feet longer 
than the existing boats, were suggested, but an opinion was 
expressed that no large measure of improvement could be 
effected in the Channel passage unless with vessels of much 
larger size, which would involve, in the first instance, con- 
siderable improvements in the French harbours of Calais 
and Boulogne, and subsequently the extension of the low- 
water pier at Folkestone. 
Mr. Fowler again brought forward his ferry scheme in 
1872, and Mr. Hawkshaw at the same time was supporting 
an alternative design for an improvement of the existing 
means of communication by the establishment of a service 
of vessels of considerable size, to which the existing harbours 
might be adapted without an excessive cost. 
The Bill for Mr. Fowler’s project passed the House of 
Commons in 1872, but it was thrown out in the Lords by avery 
small majority. From this date comprehensive schemes for 
a railway ferry across the Channel appear to have been aban- 
doned, and in their place projects were started, the one by 
Mr. Dicey and the other by Mr. Bessemer, for constructing 
steamers of special and novel design, on board of which 
passengers would be enabled to undertake the passage across 
the Channel without fear, no matter how bad sailors they 
might be. Both of these vessels have now been constructed, 
and as they have been described in former pages of this 
journal it is not necessary to enter into any detailed descrip- 
tion of them on the present occasion. 
Having now made a rapid review of the general question 
of improved communication between England and Europe, 
and of the several projects that have from time to time been 
proposed for the purpose, it remains only to enter somewhat 
more fully into detail with regard to the-great tunnel scheme 
which, to all present appearances, is about to be commenced. 
In doing this we shall purposely avoid all reference to the 
probable traffic and commercial results of the undertaking, 
and shall confine our investigations to the proposed line of 
route, the geological features of the strata to be pierced, 
and the general engineering features of the work. 
Two principal schemes have been proposed for a tunnel 
