Meeting in the Bowels of a Mountain.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLVIII, Issue 7, 14 August 1912, Page 57

Meeting in the Bowels of a Mountain.

The bore of the l-ioctschbcrg tunnel, which is nearly 91 miles long and the third longest of the great tunnels of Europe, was lately completed, the meeting of the two working divisions occurring in the -lieart of the mountain, says ‘’Popular Mechanics.” The blast which opened a breach was followed by wild enthusiasm, the engineers and miners of both sides repeatedly embracing each other. Engineer Rothpletz, in charge of the Northern division, handed a buiK'h of Alpine flowers to Chicf-E-ngineer Moreau, in direct charge of the southern division, then the chief engineer passed through the opening, followed by the workers. The tunnel is 3| miles shorter than the Simplon tunnel and a quarter of a mile shorter than the *St. Gothard. When the tunnel is officially opened in 1913. the time between London and Genoa will he shortened three hours.