ALPS, TUNNELS OF THE. 



11 



this at the rate of 243 cubic yards per second, 

 or 6,696,000,000 per year, twenty-nine years 

 would be necessary, without taking into account 

 the loss by evaporation. If this loss is taken into 

 account, the commission thinks, the sea would 

 never be filled at that rate. It furthermore 

 thinks that the formation of an inland sea 

 could not be undertaken, with any expectation 

 of success, if a longer time than ten years was 

 required to fill its basin. But, in estimating 

 the amount of water required, both for filling 

 and replacing the losses by evaporation during 

 the ten years, the commission arrives at a total 

 of 289,000,000,000 cubic yards. This would 

 necessitate a supply of 915 cubic yards per 

 second. As to the amount of the expense, 

 the commission estimated the cost of con- 

 struction at $145,539,800, other expenses at 

 $7,276,990, and interest on the capital for 

 twelve and a half years, at 5 per cent, at 

 $95,510,500 in all, $248,327,290. The sec- 

 ond sub-commission was of the opinion that 

 an inland sea would bring about a decided 

 improvement in the temperature, climate, and 

 sanitary condition of the country. The third 

 sub-commission reported that, in its opinion, 

 no international difficulties were to be appre- 

 hended in consequence of the formation of the 

 sea. It would offer but small advantages in 

 the military defense of the country, while for 

 the navy the most important result would be 

 the creation of a port at Gabes. It could not 

 be assumed that the sea would become the 

 means of creating a large commerce. If an 

 improvement of the climate should take place, 

 it might be possible to permanently settle the 

 Arabs, and to accustom them, under the direc- 

 tion of the Europeans, to regular labor. The 

 full commission, after haying received these 

 reports, passed the following resolution at its 

 last session, held on July 7th : 



The commission, while fully appreciating the in- 

 teresting labors or M. Koudaire. and admiring the 

 courage and perseverance which he has shown in the 

 course of his researches in the south of Algeria and 

 Tunis, is, in view of the fact that the expenses would 

 be out of all proportion to the benefits to be derived 

 therefrom, of the opinion that it is not advisable for 

 the French Government to encourage this undertak- 

 ing. 



ALPS, TUNNELS OF THE, In May, 1882, 

 the tunnel through the St. Gothard was fin- 

 ished and formally opened. This great work 

 was begun in 1870, by Switzerland and Italy. 

 These countries had entered into a conven- 

 tion for that purpose in 1869, which Germany 

 joined in 1871. The cost was estimated at 

 187,000,000 francs, of which 85,000,000 francs 

 were to be furnished by government subsi- 

 dies, Italy paying 45,000,000, and Germany 

 and Switzerland 20,000,000 francs each. The 

 length of the tunnel is 14*92 kilometres, or 

 about nine miles. It begins at Goeschenen and 

 ends at Airolo. With the exception of a curve 

 of 240 metres, it is perfectly straight. In ad- 

 dition to the tunnel, it was proposed to build 

 the following lines: Lucerne-Kussnacht-Im- 



mensee-Goldau, Zug-St.-Adrian-Goldau, Gol- 

 dau-Fliielen-Biasca-Bellinzona, Bellinzona-Lu- 

 gano-Chiasso, and Bellinzona-Magadino-Luino, 

 with a branch to Locarno. In 1876 it was 

 found that a very considerable deficit existed, 

 which was estimated at 102,000,000 francs. 

 At a conference of the three powers, held in 

 1877, this was reduced to 40,000,000 francs by 

 dropping the lines Lucerne-Immensee, Bellin- 

 zona-Lugano, and Zug-Art. The railroads be- 

 longing to the Gothard system, according to 

 this calculation, have a length of 186'6 kilo- 

 metres, or 116 miles. The deficit was covered 

 by subsidies from Italy and Germany to the 

 amount of 10,000,000 francs each, and from 

 Switzerland 8,000,000 francs, while the bal- 

 ance of 12,000,000 francs was raised by the 

 Gothard Railroad Company. The highest point 

 of the tunnel is 1,162-5 metres above the level 

 of the sea. (See ENGINEERING.) 



The St. Gothard Tunnel was regarded in 

 France, long before its completion, with feel- 

 ings of envy, as it was feared that a great por- 

 tion of the through freight from the North 

 Sea to the Mediterranean would be lost to the 

 French railroads; and when, therefore, in 1880, 

 the Swiss Federal Council inquired of the 

 French Government whether it would favor 

 an international conference on the subject of a 

 tunnel through the Simplon, a pass through the 

 Alps in the Canton of Valais, the latter an- 

 swered that the subject was even then being 

 considered by the proper ministers. The con- 

 sideration of this question was interrupted by 

 a ministerial crisis. Then a motion was made, 

 and supported by 109 deputies, in the French 

 Assembly, to assist the Simplon line with 50,- 

 000,000 francs. A commission was appointed 

 to investigate the matter, which made a tech- 

 nical examination of the proposed route, but 

 rather favored another which was spoken of 

 at the time, through Mont Blanc. The gen- 

 eral elections again put a stop to the work, as 

 it is a parliamentary custom in France, as else- 

 where, that a question proposed in one House 

 falls to the ground when the term of the As- 

 sembly expires. Nothing has since been done 

 by the French Government. The Railroad 

 Company of Western Switzerland, which is 

 largely interested in the proposed Simplon 

 Tunnel, has recently again applied to the Swiss 

 Federal Council, and the latter has addressed 

 the French Government. But, owing to fresh 

 ministerial complications in France, it ha3 

 seemed most prudent to postpone action until 

 the negotiations with France for commercial 

 customs were concluded. 



For the Mont Blanc route it is claimed that 

 it would secure for France the through freight 

 from Calais to Chamounix, on the Italian bor- 

 der, for 928 kilometres, and that the distance 

 by this route would be 85 kilometres less 

 than by the Mont Cenis route, which is now 

 used, between Calais and Piacenza. The road 

 from Calais to Genoa, through Mont Blanc, 

 would be 41 kilometres shorter than through 



