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Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XLV, Issue 12064, 28 May 1920, Page 8

Although sanction to construct the Channel Tunnel has not yet been given by Parliament, the task of moving ack the railway station platforms throughout the Great Northern Kailway system to allow the passage of Continental, trains when the tunnel is opened has been begun, "The work of making the stations to fit the trains will take several years," said an official. "It means tiiat everv platform in both goods and passenger stations will have to be altered." The distance the platforms are being set; back is two inches. This will allow a good Clearance for Continental "waggons lits" (sleeping cars), and also the larger goods trucks. The "gauge" (distance between the rails) of the Continental trains is roughly half an inch wider than tbo British standard. But the shaping of the tread of the wheel makes it possible for trains of" both British and Continental systems to r~n on the same track without risk of accident. It is understood that the first station to be completed will be Finsbury Park. The strange malady which the doctors call "encephalitis letbargica" which is popularly known as sleeping sickness, is brea-king nnt in all sorts of places (says a French correspondent). 'Recently itf was a yonng woman who fell asleep in the arma of her partner, into those of Morpheus, while dancing in Bordeaux, and then slept for four *days. Now there comes from Versailles the story of a 55-year old agricultural labourer name 3 Louie Merciar, who promptly went to sleep when landed 'in gaol for theft. Aftsr sleeping 10 days in the Versailles Hospital to which he w«s taken, ho has only just awakened. He will probably, claim that the 10 days should be deducted from his sentence and this will open op a nice legal point, or he may suggest that he* was in an irresponsible preliminary state of his