THE LONGEST TUNNEL IN THE WORLD.
The opening of the first railway is spoken of as a memorable event, but every one seems to forget that centuries before this occurrence loads were transported on rails in mines, and the fact is equally over, looked in regarding tho piercing of whole mountains, such as Mount Cenis and Saint Gothard, that similar works had been effected ages ago in mines on a far larger scale. The longest subterranean construction of this kind in to be found tn the mines of Freyberg, in the kingdom of Saxony. Already at the end of the year 1835, the galleries had attained a leDgth of 102 miles, or 163 kilometers, A( tho name time th»
works, commenced at the end of the twelfth century, had reached such a depth, that any utther descent was found to be impracticable. From 1224 to 1834 they had produced 6,504,481 marcs (1 franc 25 centimes each) in silver along of a value of 200,000,000 thalers yearly. Consequently a new gallery had to be opened. This was to lead from the village of Rotsohceberg to a dirtance of 12,882 meters ; its cost was estimated at 1,300,000 thalers (3 francs 75 centimes each), and 22 years was calculated as the time neccessary to carry out the undertaking. The werk was completed a year ago, and its execution had oocupyied thirty-three years, and necessitated an expenditure of 7,186,697 marcs. That considerable increase on the original estimates was caused by the rock to be pierced turning much harder than had been expeoted, and the fact that the quantity of water yielded by the mountain was far larger then had been calculated upon. Other circumstances helped to swell the cost ; the rise in wages, and the prico of materials greatly augmented the expenditure, and the delay in the execution increased the general costs and these of superintendency and administration. Moreover, the gallery had become longer than was originally intended. It rises, generally speaking, at a gradient of three in 1,000. Including the secondary galleries, the shaft of Rothschcenberg has now an extent of tunnelling of 29,900 meters, which will soon reach 50,800 meters ; or nearly thirty- two miles. This length far surpasses any railway tunnel in the world. — Galiguani's Messenger.
THE LONGEST TUNNEL IN THE WORLD.
Otago Witness, Issue 1449, 30 August 1879, Page 8
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