11

E.—No. 2.

MELBOURNE POSTAL CONFERENCE.

And the above figures for 1865 were in spite of a severe attack of cholera at Bardonneche during the months of November and September, which seriously retarded the works at that end and, indirectly also, those at the Modane end; in spite of two accidental explosions, which tended greatly to alarm the workmen—one at the face of the excavation, and the other outside the tunnel; and in spite of the quartz rock encountered during tho latter half of the year at the Modane end. The cholera, indeed, retarded the full-sized excavation and the masonry lining at the Bardonneche end much more than the heading, and much ground has to be made up in this respect. Two extra water wheels are however being constructed at that end, in addition to the five already at work, for the improvement of the ventilation ; and, this being provided, there is no reason why, if money and labourers be forthcoming in sufficient quantity, this backward condition of the permanent work should not be made up. The question as to when the tunnel is likely to be completed depends principally upon (1) the thickness of the quartz, (2) the thickness and quality of the rock which is interposed between the quartz and the schistose rock of Bardonneche, and (3) the supply of money and labour. Unfortunately 400 men, and amongst them some of the best workmen, were leaving the tunnel works for the army whilst I was on the spot; and the financial condition of Italy, at present most unsatisfactory, must depend upon the duration of tho present war. As quartz rock does not lie in strata with parallel sides, there can be no good reason for believing that the thickness of it, 500 metres, which has been observed on the surface of the mountain, will also be found at tho level of the tunnel; and tho question of its extent at that level must remain an element of uncertainty until it has been completely bored through. The rock which succeeds it has been called compact limestone, and its thickness has been stated at 2500 metres ; but the engineers of the tunnel believe it to. be gypsum, more easy to work than the schist of Bardenneche, or the anthracite rock of Modane, aud 300 metres thick. Supposing an average distance of 800 metres a year to be pierced for the next five years at the Bardonneche end, and an average of 513'1 metres a year to be pierced during the same period from the Modane end, then the headings would bo driven through so as to meet each other in five years from May, 1866, or by May, 1871, and the permanent tunnel might be completed, say, by the end of that year. But there are also the approaches to the tunnel to be constructed on the Italian side by the Italian Government, and on the French side by Victor Emanuel, now the Paris, Lyons, and Mediterranean Railway Company. These approaches, comprising other tunnels and heavy works, and being altogether about thirty-five miles long, have not been yet commenced. The shortest time, looking at the matter solely in an engineering point of view, in which the permanent line can be completed, will be therefore, as far as can be foreseen, towards the end of 1871; and it is impossible to calculate at present upon the future financial condition of Italy, and the effect it may have upon the progress of the works. After the construction of the whole permanent line, the tunnel route will be an immense advantage to the mail traffic as well as to all other traffic between France and Italy, inasmuch as the break of gauge, and therefore change of vehicles and consequent inconvenience and delay, which must be incurred in the use of the summit line at St. Michael and Susa will be avoided. The gradients will indeed be very steep, even on the tunnel line, there heing a rising gradient from the French side, half way through the grand tunnel of one in forty-five and a-half, and the steepest gradient on the line being one in twenty-eight. But it may reasonably be expected in a few years, and not long after 1871, mail trains will run through from Calais to Brindisi for 1,390 miles, without break of gauge, in about fifty-four hours. The railway from Susa, via Turin, Alessandria, and Piacenza, to Bologna, forms part of the system of the Ferrovie dell ' Alta Italia; out of 387 kilometres between Susa and Bologna, 253 are laid with a single, and 134 with a double line of rails, there being ninety miles of double line between Turin and Alessandria, and forty-four (out of 147) between Piacenza and Bologna. Of the gradients, two and a half kilometres are between one in seventy and one in 100, and thirty-nine kilometres are between one in 100 and one in 200, and the remainder are less steep than one in 200. Of the curves there is one with a radius of 500 metres, 819 metres long, between Piacenza and Bologna; and there are only two others, with a total length of 834 metres, which have radii of less than 600 metres ; the permanent way differs in different parts of the line, and altogether 281 kilometres, out of 387, have the joints of the rails fished ; dog-spikes only are used to secure the flat-bottomed rails (where these are employed) to the sleepers, as commonly on the Continent, though I observe that through-bolts are now being employed in place of them on the Chemin-de-fer du Nord of France. The fences are inefficient in many parts of the line, and an iron chain attached to two posts, or a swinging bar frequently takes the place of gates. It is not the practice to use either chock-blocks for the security of vehicles standing on the sidings, or indicators for the facing points, on the single line as in England. The Company offer to run a mail train from Susa to Bologna in seven hours forty-five minutes, including forty minutes of stoppages at the various stations, which is ten minutes less than the " direct" trains of the summer service; and from Bologna to Susa (the greater rise being in that direction) in eight hours and eight minutes, including the same total amount of stoppages. I shall

Teak. Bardonneche. Hodane. 1861 ... ... 170 ... ... 193 by hand labour. 1862 ... ... 380 ... ... 243 ditto. 1863 ... ... 426 376 1864 ... ... 621'20 46665 1865 ... ... 765-30 458-40