BORING UNDER LONDON.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 10479, 26 June 1897, Page 2 (Supplement)

BORING UNDER LONDON.

HOW THE CENTRAL RAILWAY IS BGIMUIADK. The recent announcement that several companies are contemplating the construetiun of now railways under London has been the cause of nob a little consternation in certain nervous households. The alarm may or may not be excusable ; but, for all that, nobody wants to feel himself 'suddenly sinking into mother earth, or to find » muddy pick.axo protruding through his dining-room carpet. . To alleviate all anxiety on this score, I recently (writes a Cajjsell'e Saturday Journal representative), Killed upon Mr. Graham, the manager of therCentral London Railway", which is now actively being, pushed along under our hearth? and homes." Said Mr. Graham r " There is not the slightest four. Wo hare burrowed about a thousand yards already tinder London, and no accident ha? happened yet to property." " Well, tell me what boring under London is like? ,, "I can only explain this In general terms, as I urn:not an engineer. We are nowhere hear tho houses. Indeed, wo are working; at) an average of 60 feet below the surface under the roadway, and at Notting : Hill Gate, on account of the rise on tho surface from Shepherd's Uuali, the shaft is at a depth of a hundred feet. Hundreds of people are living over our heads without the faintest notion that large gangs of men are burrow.lng; like rabbits underneath.. Wo are using hydraulic boring machines at several points, and making oar passage, at a fair average patp, but we, shal| 'geion faster ae ' soon as thcS men become inord accustomed to their jWKj arid 'it is'h'opedtlio 1 tunnelling will be finished at the end ofthia year." '• "■ ' COST OF THIS WORK. ; ':' There is no chance, as you seem to suppose, that the houses or shops up abpvo may fall.ii), became immediately a certain portion of the earth i? scooped out we replace it with iron segments, and these are grouted in behind by comon t. These segments form the tunnel.which is a solid, band, or rather, tube. There lias been, no cracking of the earth, up to the present, as we never go forward.with. oulj supporting the earth behind, Wβ are boring entirely through, tho London clay without the use of compressed air, and oxpect to work under tho same conditions right through. If, however, we do happen to oome across oifclnjr or water, it will be necessary for ua to. use. compressed air, Compressed air, «8 you know,, .tremendous power to resist incursion of water," ."What h the cost of all' this boring?" " About £«00,0D0 per mile, This includes the acquisition of property and equipment of the line as a first-class concern, I may tell you that we are boring two tunnels, one for the east; and one.for the west traffic, and thorp is a dip between tho stations—on starting, the down grade will give the.train the, send-off, while the up grade will assist its ; stoppage. The; trains running only in one direction, of course, drive the bad air out and draw, fresh air in. T|ie ventilation will thua be as good a? it is possible to make it." "Aro the tunnels .much wider than the trains? , ', " They are bound to be some- ■ whaji larger, and it is an interesting fact thab if the trains fitted., the; tunnel; almost to a nicety, there would, be it blast of air miffi'cioiit to carry.you off your feet if you hap. .penad to bo standing, on a platform when » I trad) came in.", , , ■.■.<■ ,'.; .'; ; i"vV