THE SEVERN TUNNEL. 



73 



under the Shoots and along the English section of the Tunnel, 

 where the original gradient of 1 in 100 should be maintained, 

 but that on the Welsh side it should bo made 1 in 90. The 

 directors consented to this, and. an Act was obtained accord- 

 ingly. 



After having got out the water, tlie contrac^tor pushed on 

 the works with great energy. Amongst other works, lie 

 had to di'ive a now heading from Sudbrook Shaft towards 

 the big spring at the 15-feet lowei' level. While driving this, 

 and when still ninety yards from the old spot, the big spring 

 broke in again in d(nil)lod (inantity, and in such foi'ce that 

 the miners and their half-loaded ti'olley wei'c all washed out 

 into the shaft together. A door had been built there, but 

 no one could get near it, for the water poured out at the 

 rate of 27,000 gallons a minute. Large pumping power was 

 available at that time ; so the head of water was gradually 

 lowered until the heading was bared, and tho water from 

 the spring ran down it nearly breast deep. 



Three of the most powerful of the miners then tried to 

 shut the door by creeping up against tlie side of the heading, 

 tlie two hinder men shoving the leader up against tho 

 current. He got up to the door-frame ; but the moment he 

 put out his arm to grasp the door, the three of them were 

 whirled round and washed out into the shaft. 



Lambert was again brouglit thei-e. Tho head of water 

 was allowed to rise in the shaft until it had sufficiently sub- 

 dued the flow of water to allow him to go up against the 

 cniTcnt ajid chise tlic door. He said that when tho door 

 slammed the concussion was tci'rific, and made liim see all 

 the stars of heaven inside his helmet. 



The contractor had also some other ti'oublesomo woi-ks to 

 d(i. The new dra,inage culvert from the pumping shafts to 

 tlie Shoots, at tlie ir)-feet lower level, was very troublesome 



