AN IRISH CHANNEL TUNNEL
[TO THE EDITOR OF THE " SPECTITOR.1
ir„—You have for several years advocated the adoption of his undertaking, and the letter of Mr. Arnold-Forster in the pectator of November 12th, one of the representatives of the *ndustrial capital of Ireland, cannot fail to be of use in cawing the attention of her Majesty's Ministers to the im- ortance of the subject. Your correspondent observes that nless Government aid in some shape be forthcoming the rinnel will not be made, at least for many years. This is a eat opportunity for the statesmen who have already done O much to improve the industrial resources of Ireland by the xtension of railways into the remote districts of the Western eaboard, to add one other item to the debt of gratitude which bat country owes to them, and has most willingly accorded.
On one of the two points which Mr. Arnold-Forster states 2 being at present uncertain perhaps I may be allowed to )ffer an opinion,—viz., whether the geological formation, etween the two coasts will permit of the tunnel being made t all. On this point there can only be one answer. The eological formations under the channel can only be the same those which border the coasts themselves ; and, in this ..ase, they consist of Triassic and Lower Silurian rocks raversed by occasional dykes of basalt and felstone. Such ks will offer no serious impediment to tunnelling with odern appliances, nor will they present the dangers such as have been encountered in the cases of the estuaries of rivers, h as those of the Thames and Severn. In an address lelivered by Mr. James Barton, C.E., who has taken a lead- tg part in maturing the plans for a tunnel under the Irish 3hannel, he quotes the opinions of such eminent authorities the late Mr. John Hawkshaw, Sir Douglas Fox, and Sir enjamin Baker, all of whom are unanimous in expressing he view that there is less difficulty and danger in driving minds under arms of the sea than under rivers and estuaries.* It an influential meeting held in Belfast some years ago, it the invitation of Mr. Barton I gave an account, illustrated )y a diagrammatic section, of what I considered to be the prob. tble geological structure of the bed of the channel, and ex- 3ressed the opinion that there were no geological difficulties tkely to be encountered in the construction of the tunnel which engineering skill would not be able to meet. To this vinion I adhere; but would also add the hope that Govern- ment will give some aid by granting a small advance of funds 0 make an experimental tunnel and soundings, for which Mr. Barton has contrived special appliances, and thus give the lrst impulse to the development of a scheme which may be Taught with great advantages to both countries.—I am, Sir,
EDWARD HITLL,
late Director of the Geological Survey of Ireland. 20 Arundel Gardens, W.
[We gladly publish our correspondent's letter, and are rally convinced (1) that the tunnel could be made without ndue expenditure ; and (2) that the Government might uarantee interest at 24 per cent, on say 210,000,000, in order o secure the work being accomplished. We believe that the es.ults on Irish prosperity would be very great by creating is Physical union of a double line of rails.—En. Spectator.] "1"Trans. Fed. Inst. Mining Engineers, September, 1397.
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