TUNNELS IN GENERAL AND THE ST. GOTHARD IN PARTICULAR. 665 



Tunnel was constructed to provide a direct route to the Hudson River. Until 

 the cutting of this one, all rock tunneling in the United States was effected by 

 hand-labor. It was commenced in 1858, and after several delays, arising from 

 pecuniary difficulties and a serious accident in October 1867, it was finished in 

 1874. Under Lake Michigan there is a tunnel, or rather aqueduct, constructed 

 to convey pure water to the city of Chicago This important work was begun 

 in 1864, and completed' in 1867; and a tunnel under the Hudson River at New 

 York is progressing rapidly. In August, 1857, the celebrated Mont Cenis Tun- 

 nel — incorrectly so. termed, because it is sixteen miles from that mountain, the 

 tunnel actually passing under the Grand Vallon — was commenced by manual 

 labor, and continued so to be worked until 1861, when rock-boring machinery 

 came into use, in consequence of which rapid advances were made. The First 

 Napoleon constructed a magnificent military road over Mont Cenis Pass, and 

 this was used regularly by travelers. At length, when the French railways had 

 arept close to one flank of the range, and Italian railways close to the other, 

 plans for a railway tunnel to connect the two were formed. The French and 

 Italian Governments agreed to share the cost between them. The tunnel is near- 

 ly eight miles long, and as much as 5,000 feet above the level of the sea. After 

 working from opposite sides of the mountain, the workmen at length met in the 

 centre, December 26, 1870. On the 17th of September in the following year the 

 great undertaking was inaugurated in state, the ceremony being graced by the 

 presence of the Empress Eugenie. 



And now, in spite of the German prophecy, that " a large lake would be 

 met with which would put a sudden end to all the work," we are able to record 

 that on Sunday, February 29, 1880, the St. Gothard Tunnel, another gigantic ef- 

 fort of engineering, was accomplished. Thus for the second time have the hoary 

 Alps been pierced through their very heart. 



The St. Gothard, until the present century, had been one of the least fre- 

 quented passes, although the hospital of the monks of St, Gothard was founded 

 in 1331. In 1816, however, a regular post between five Swiss cantons and. 

 Milan was established; yet up to 1820 the path was only practicable for horses 

 and pedestrians, and until lately the journey from Lucerne to Turin occupied 

 twenty-five hours and a half, whereas the same journey henceforward will occupy 

 but eight hours. The convention for the construction of this railroad was signed 

 by Italy and Switzerland in 1869, and in 1870 the North German Confederation 

 adhered to the convention. Engineer Gelpkeand the geometrician, Koppe, were 

 the chief designers. At first seven companies sent in their estimates — one Swiss, 

 one Franco-Swiss, one Italian, one German, two English, one American. Final- 

 ly L. Favre, of Geneva, and the Italian Society of Public Works in Turin, head- 

 ed by Grattoni, the constructor of the tunnel through Mont Cenis, were the only 

 competitors, and to Favre the contract was assigned, his offer being considered 

 the most advantageous. 



( Meanwhile, the administration of the St. Gothard railway had arranged for 

 the commencement of the excavations of the grand tunnel, begun in June, 1872, 



