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The Simplon Tunnel.” by Francisfox, M

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The Simplon Tunnel.” by Francisfox, M Proceedings. J ELECTIONS. 61 Associate Members-continued. CHARLESWILLIAX HARRIS. WILLIANGEORGE NELVIN. JOHNEDWARDHENSXAN, B.A.(Madras). ALFREDWILLIAM OKELL, B.A. (Can- DANIELPETER HONELLS. tab.) HERBERT RICHARD HYATT. ARTHURPOPE. EDWARDROBERT HOULTON JACKSOX, ROBERT SIYOND RAXKEN. Stud. Inst. C.E. DOUGLAS HENRY RENFRT. COSMO REYNOLDJOSES. THOMAS CASSELLSRow. THOYASJOHN RANSOY KIERNAX, B.Sc.ALFRED ERNEST RUFFHEAD. (Engineering) (Load.), Stud.Inst. WILLIAMHAMILTON SHORTT, Stud. Inst. C.E. C.E. FREDERICKOSCAR KIRBY, MSc. (Han- HENRYJOSEPH TRIVEBS SXITH. chester and Leeds), Stud. Inst. C.E. GEORGE HIAM WHITEHOUSE. CHARLES DELACOUR LE MAISTRE. EDWARDPARNELL WIDDICOXBE, B.A. JAMESLUSK, B.A. (Cantab.) (Cantab.) NORMANROWE LYTH. WILLIAMROWANWILSON, B.Sc. (GZas.) JOHNMCLEAN. JOHNWOOD. HAROLDBERTXUI MATHEN, Stud. HERBERTJAMES YOtESG. Inst. C.E. Associates. LYNDENLITINCSTOS MACASBEY,M.A., JOHNMACAWLAY. LL.D. (Dubl.) I (Paper No. 3651.) “ The Simplon Tunnel.” By FRANCISFox, M. Inst. C.E. THErouteover the Alps, by way of the Simplon Pass, has existed in one form or other since time immemorial ; and, although it originally consisted only of a footpath, yet there are remains of Roman culverts and bridges. Documents dating from the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries show that a toll-bar and a hospice were in existence in those days ; but up to the end of the eighteenth century the road was neither safe nor convenient. In March, 1801, soon after the battle of Marengo, the present roadway was commenced by order of Napoleon, and it was finished in September, 1805. The length of the highway is 37& miles, andits construction necessitated the building of 611 bridges and culverts, together with seven galleries for protection from avalanches, or through rock. The costwas 2303,000, in addition to the compulsory labour, or “ CorvQes,”of about 700 peasant,s. Between the years 18521 and 1893, no less than thirty different proposals for traversing the Simplon by railway were put forward. Of these, two were designed to scale the mountains without sub- Downloaded by [ UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD] on [13/09/16]. Copyright © ICE Publishing, all rights reserved. G2 FOX ON THE SIMPLON TUXSEL. [Minutes of terranean work ; and the remaining twenty-eight proposed tunnels of various altitudes andlengths. In 1891 the Jura-SimplonRailway Company brought forward their project, and subsequently, in 1893, the one which has now been completed, namely, a low-level line with easy gradients, as being the only rational method of enabling them to compete with other Alpine railways, and affording a prospect of a return upon the capital required. Plan.-By adopting thelevel of the railsof the existing railway at Brigue, all expense of heavy approach-lines and helical tunnels on the Swiss side is avoided ; and the railway enters the mountain a few feet above the level of the Rhone. It passes infour places beneath the Simplon roadway, one being under the picturesque village of Berisal ; after which point the gallery attains its greatest elevation at about 9 * 1 kilometres (5 ~65miles) from the northern entrance, between the Wasenhorn and the Furggenbaum Pass, and goes through rock and under glaciers at a depth of 2,100 metres (6,888 feet). The greatest depth below the surface attained is 7,005 feet, namely, beneath the slopes and crags of Monte Leone, the highest mountain of the Simplon range, 3,561 metres (11,684 feet) above sea-level : this is by far the greatest depth to which man has ever been below the surface of the earth. After passing under the Lake d’Avino, it proceeds to its southernportal at Iselle, a distance of 19,803 metres (21,657 yards, or 12 miles 537 yards). This length includes two short curves, one at each end ; but the “gallery of direction,” which for triangulation purposes is driven in a straight line from end to end, is 19,729 metres (21,576 yards) long. The following Table gives the comparative lengths and altitudesof the Alpine tunnels :- 1 Mont Cenis. ! St. Gothard. 1 Arlberg. 1 Simplon. 1 12 819 m. I 14,981 m. I 10,240 m. 19,803 m. ‘((14,b52 yds.)(16,387 yds.)(11,199 ycls.)(21,657 yds.) Altitude of the highest 1 1,294 m. 1,151 m. ’ 1,310 m. 705 m. point above the sea .]l (4,245 ft.) 1 (3,786 ft.) I (4,299 ft.) 1 (2,313 ft.) Maximumthetunnel gradieut . 1 in45 i”)i 1 in172 1 in 66 1 1 in 143 1 Not only is the Simplon the longest tunnel in the world, but it is also the lowest in altitude of these four. The position of the entrance onthe southside was determiced by two things, namely, the dimate, and theextremely narrow characterof the valley of the River Diveria. As regards the climate, it was well known that sleighs could reach Iselle erery winter, the depth of snow up to Downloaded by [ UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD] on [13/09/16]. Copyright © ICE Publishing, all rights reserved. Proceedings.] FOX OS THE SIMPLOS TUNNEL. 63 that point not being formidable, whereas a short distance higher up the valley becomes impassable. With reference to the width of the valley, this increases somewhat at Iselle, and although the valley is still very narrow, and consequently inconvenient, it was found possible toarrange there the various buildings and installations necessary at .the terminationof the tunnel. Gradients.-The position of the portals having been thus fixed, the gradients also were practically settled. It wasobvious, from the experience of previous tunnels, that the gallery must be driven on an ascending incline from both ends, so that the water might flow away by gravitation. In the Mersey tunnel a minimum gradient of 1 in 500 was found to give the water a sufficient flow. In 1893 the same gradient of 1 in 500 was adopted for the northern half of the Simplon. tunnel, involving agradient of 1 in 143 for the southern half, and a length of 526-9 metres (577 yards) has been provided in themiddle, for the passing and shuntingof trains, by the construction of two complete single tunnels (Fig. 1, Plate 3). At the point of culmination, however, the Brigue gradient of 1 in 500 has been connected with the Iselle gradient of 1 in 143 by a vertical curve of 10,000 metres (497 chains) radius for a length of 80 metres (87.5 yards). Cross Secfion.-Instead of making one tunnel for a double line of way, as in the St. Gothard and Mont Cenis tunnels, two single-line tunnels, 17 metres (55 8 feet) apart between centre-lines, with cross oblique passages connecting them at every 200 metres (218- 7yards), were designed. It was arranged that one tunnel only should be built at first, witha rarallel gallory, and thisgallery is to be enlarged for the second tunnel when, according to the internationalagreement between Switzerland and Italy, the gross receipts exceed 23,218 per mile per annum. Each tunnel was designed to have a minimum internal area of 23 20 square metres(249 73 square feet), witha width at rail-level of 4-50metres (14 feet 9 inches), and at the carriage-windows of 5 metres (16 feet 5 inches), the height above rails being 5-50 metres (18 feet 3 inch) : thus ample space has been given on both sides and above the train for air, and1 for carrying out repairs when necessary (Figs. 2, 3 and 4, Plate 3). The importance of providing two single-line tunnels in this case cannot be over-estimated, and experience hasfully justified their adoption. In fact, the Author has no hesitationin saying that had not thisbeen arranged originally, the work would hare proved impossible to carry out, and mould have had to be abandoned for reasons given later on. Galleries.-Two galleries were excavated, No. 1 forming the present tunnel, cnd No. 2 being parallel to it, and the latter was Downloaded by [ UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD] on [13/09/16]. Copyright © ICE Publishing, all rights reserved. 64 FOX ON THE SIMPLON TUSNEL. [Minutes of used as the“ in-bye ” for the fresh air from the outside, which blewthe vitiated air from the workings through the last transverse gallery (Fig. 5, Plate 3). Each of the previous “ cross cuts ” was provided with double doors, so that the air-currentscould be regulated in any way desired ; but it was found that so mach air escaped through them that they have been closed by masonry, with the exception of one such gallery at each kilometre, where a door is provided of sufficient size to allow one man at a time to pass. It was only the most advanced transverse passage that was left open for the air to circulate freely, thus securing good ventilation. These galleries formed the bottom heading, and were kept 500 to 1,000 yards in advance of the“break-ups ” andtop headings. The second gallery now provides for one of the channels for conducting the water from the springs to the outside of the mountain, and also for the pipes and conduits ; and it served for transporting material during construction(Fig. 6, Plate 3). Wheneverrepairs may require to be executed in the arching of the work without stopping the traffic, they can be far more easily effected in the case of two single-line tunnels than in one of double line ; for the trains would be diverted forthe time being, andthus the timbering for the repairs would not have to be so arranged as to allow traffic to pass. In the event of derailment of a train, the passing vehicles would not be exposed tothe danger of collision ; and, finally, where great pressure comes on tothe lining of the work, it would be far less in a single-line than in a double-line tunnel, a matter whose great importance has been proved by actual and very anxious experience.
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