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INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATIONS. 



sea-bed. It was proposed to lay the level of 

 the rails at a depth of 270 feet below the bot- 

 tom of the Channel, to approach and quit the 

 tunnel on each coast with grades of 1 in 60, 

 and to give to the tunnel itself a rising gradient 

 of 1 in 2,640 on each side toward the centre. 

 The total length of the tunnel would be 294- 

 miles, of which 7|- miles would be taken up in 

 approaches. It was intended that accommo- 

 dation should be given for a double line of 

 way, and for this purpose the tunnel was to be 

 28 feet wide, formed with a semicircular arch 

 23 feet in height from the rails, and the thick- 

 ness of the brickwork, sides as well as invert, 

 was to be 3 feet. 



In March, 1869, a report was laid before the 

 Emperor of the French, prepared by the influ- 

 ential committee appointed to examine into the 

 scheme, which had M. Thome" de Gamond as 

 its able representative and exponent in France. 

 This committee, while not hesitating to give 

 their opinion that the work could be executed, 

 although many grave and hidden difficulties 

 would probably beset the path of the engineer 

 in every step of his hazardous undertaking, 

 found great trouble in forming any conclusion 

 as to the possible commercial future of the 

 work, supposing it to be completed. The min- 

 imum estimate upon which they based their as- 

 sumption was $50,000,000, too large a sum by 

 far to sink with the hope of obtaining a profit- 

 able return. It was proposed at this time to 

 obtain a government grant of $10,000,000 (as 

 much as Mr. Fowler's first estimate for his 

 complete ferry scheme), to execute prepara- 

 tory works. This proposition, however, came 

 to nothing, and the storm, then gathering, 

 which subsequently swept across France, has 

 ended, for many years at least, any probability 

 of extensive government help from that coun- 

 try for this purpose. 



Mr. Hawkshaw has recently proposed a 

 means of improvement in the Channel service, 

 which consists in placing a fleet of fast boats 

 to run between Dover and Calais, of a type 

 similar to the Holyhead steamers, 350 feet in 

 length, and drawing 8 or 9 feet of water. 

 These would be simply passenger-boats, having 

 no accommodation for railway vehicles on 

 board, and requiring but little alterations in 

 the existing harbors to enable them to run 

 from side to side at all times. 



Of a totally different character, however, is 

 the last scheme, in which Mr. Henry Bessemer 

 and Mr. E. J. Reed are the chief movers, and 

 which, not wanting parliamentary sanction, 

 will not suffer the long and tedious delays 

 which would otherwise attend its execution. 

 The new boats proposed by Mr. Reed and Mr. 

 Bessemer to run between Dover and Calais 

 will be the same length as those suggested by 

 Mr. Hawkshaw, i. e., 850 feet, but they will 

 draw, when fully loaded, only 7 feet 6 inches 

 of water. The deck beam will be 45 feet 

 wide, and the width over the paddle-boxes 65 

 feet. A speed of 20 miles an hour will be ob- 



tained from two pairs of engines, developing 

 collectively 4,500 horse-power, and driving 

 four paddle-wheels. The vessels will be dou- 

 ble-ended, with a rudder at each end, so th 

 the necessity of turning will be avoided, mea 

 being provided to lock the rudders at w 

 They will be designed with a very low fre 

 board at each end, extending for a distance 

 50 feet, so that they may cut through th 

 waves instead of mounting them. The use 

 length of the vessels will thus be reduced to 

 length of 250 feet. Speed will rightly be 

 of the first considerations in designing th 

 boats, because, upon such a service as that f< 

 which they are intended, quickness of tran 

 is of the greatest necessity. Next to this qu 

 fication comes that of accommodation, and i 

 this respect the utmost attention will be pai 

 to the comfort of the passengers. At c 

 end spacious and well-appointed cabins will b 

 provided for the second-class passengers, wh 

 will, besides, enjoy ample deck-room ; but the 

 principal feature, and one for the developm 

 of which the boats are specially designed, wi 

 be a large, central, motionless saloon, con' 

 structed according to the plan proposed by Mr, 

 Bessemer. This saloon, which will be pi 

 in the middle of the vessel, will be TO f< 

 long, 30 feet wide, and 20 feet in height, fit 

 with some state-rooms leading off from th 

 main cabin. On top there will be a spacio 

 promenade-deck, 7 feet above the main d 

 of the vessel. To secure an absence of mod 

 in this saloon, it is suspended at each end an 

 at two intermediate points upon steel axes, 

 supported upon standards. The floor of 

 cabin, necessarily of great weight, is placed 

 low the level of the points of support, in o 

 to assist in keeping the saloon steady, and 

 counterbalance the disturbing action of the top 

 weight due to passengers on the promen 

 deck, as well as that arising from the action of 

 the wind upon the exposed sides of the cabin, 

 which, however, are partially protected fi 

 the action of the wind by the two paddle-box 

 es placed on each side of the vessel. By the 

 arrangement adopted, the suspended sal 

 which will weigh 70 or 80 tons, will alway 

 tend to keep in a vertical position, and the os- 

 cillations, which would arise from the ship's 

 motion, are to be counteracted by simple me- 

 chanical appliances. It is only contemplated 

 to neutralize the rolling of the ship, as vessels 

 of so great a length, and of such a form as 

 those to be built for the Channel service, will 

 be subjected to comparatively little pitching, 

 the motion from which will be greatly reduced; 

 by the central position of the saloon. To pre- 

 vent the saloon from being affected by the os- 

 cillations of the vessel, or its equilibrium fron 

 being disturbed by the movements of the pas- 

 sengers, it is fitted with hydraulic gc^r, b} 

 means of which its position with respect to th< 

 vessel is placed under perfect control, an at 

 tendant, having a spirit -level before him, beinj 

 enabled, by the manipulation of a single lever 



