Discussion on the Proposed Channel Tunnel. 57 



The line of tunnel chosen by Mr. Macassey appears to me to 

 be the most unsuitable of all : — the idea of taking a trip through 

 the Highlands of Scotland in order to reach London quickly 

 seems absurd, only to be equalled by Mr. Barton's sharp curve 

 in the depths of the ocean. 



Mr. M'Cullough's line seems to be the best; it is straight, and 

 gives a proper connection with the English and Scotch railway 

 systems. But to my mind the difficulties of any such scheme 

 are so great that no Company would be justified in undertaking 

 the work. 



The advocates of these schemes seem to think that the 

 bottom of the channel is a bed of concrete, through which you 

 have nothing to do but to bore. Unfortunately there is little 

 known of these rocks, and this is not favourable, these rocks 

 being of a slaty and pervious nature, with many faults and 

 fissures. 



In former ages vast masses of molten matter have forced them- 

 selves up through these rocks, pushing, twisting, and disturbing 

 them, and forming faults and fissures through which great 

 quantities of water would flow. When the tunnel comes to 

 such places it will be submerged, the miners drowned like rats 

 in a hole, and all the pumps in the world could not clear it by 

 raising the water 1000 feet high, as must be done. 



The Panama Canal, engineered by the greatest talent of the 

 day, is a dismal failure and a national loss to France. Yet it is 

 doubtful if its difficulties were greater than those of a channel 

 tunnel. 



Great public works do not always pay the cost of construction. 

 The Central Pacific Railway had a large mileage grant from 

 Government, which was stretched to the utmost, but the line 

 would not have paid working expenses were it not for the 

 enormous land grants along the Railway. It is the increased 

 value of such lands that pays the company. 



The advocates of these tunnels agree on one point, that a 

 paternal Government should undertake the work — knowing 

 well that such schemes would be too much for even the gulli- 



