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H03080"CHANNEL TUNNEL QUESTION" 9/25/03 HARDY FORUM ARCHIVE
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Date: Thu, 25 Sep 2003 08:42:41 +1000 From: "David B. Cornelius" <dcorney@midcoast.com.au> Subject: Channel Tunnel
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In 'A Tradition of Eighteen Hundred and Four' the narrator talks of ÔThe widely discussed possibility of an invasion of England through a Channel TunnelÕ. Does anyone know whether there had been discussions, as far back as the beginning of the nineteenth century, as to the construction of such a tunnel? Regards, David Cornelius |
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Date: Thu, 25 Sep 2003 08:24:51 +0100 Subject: Re: Channel Tunnel From: Angelique Richardson <A.Richardson@exeter.ac.uk>
Dear David In February 1875 Queen Victoria wrote to Disraeli 'she hopes that the government will do nothing to encourage the proposed tunnel under the Channel, which she thinks very objectionable.' In June 1881 the Times warned 'the silver streak is our safety', and in 1889 Lord Randolph Churchill declared 'the reputation of England has hitherto depended on her being, as it were, virgo intacta'. Sir Edward Watkin gave up his Channel Tunnel Bill in 1894. See Norman Longmate's excellent Island Fortress, The Defense of Great Britain 1603 ?1945 (London: Harper Collins, 1993) for further information, and on earlier times. All best Angelique -- Dr Angelique Richardson Senior Lecturer in English University of Exeter Email: A.Richardson@exeter.ac.uk Telephone: ++(44) (0) 1392 264354 www.ex.ac.uk/english/staff/staffinfo/richardson.htm |
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From: Jcphardysoc@aol.com Date: Thu, 25 Sep 2003 10:35:47 EDT Subject: Re: Channel Tunnel
Dear Forum Readers The first known suggestion for a tunnel under the English Channel linking France with England was in 1802 from French engineer Albert Mathieu. The idea was periodically resurrected from the 1830s onwards. I doubt whether it would have been technically feasible in the early 19th century, but would probably have been within the capabilities of the late Victorian engineers. The scheme by railway magnate Sir William Watkin mentioned in Angelique Richardson's contribution was abandoned after almost 2 kilometers of tunnel had been constructed from Shakespeare Cliff, Dover, as a result of pressure from the military fearing its use for a French invasion. I would have thought an army trying to emerge from a narrow tunnel would have been sitting ducks and anyway it could easily have been flooded to forestall any such invasion attempt. However, it is open to doubt whether Watkin's scheme would have been financially viable - shareholders in the present Channel Tunnel have never received any dividends and it would be bankrupt if the funding banks had not accepted equity for debt. Best wishes John Pentney |
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From: Charles.Anesi@wellsfargo.com Subject: RE: Channel Tunnel Date: Thu, 25 Sep 2003 10:18:06 -0500
e "The earliest recorded designs for a fixed link between England and France came by French engineer, Nicolas Desmaret in 1751" http://www.hotchkiss.k12.co.us/hhs/English/webfolios/mattjen/chunmj.htm with a bibliography. http://home.t-online.de/home/aristo/f3.htm And so forth. Objections in the 19th century came from the military. I recall reading of a plan that had the surface approaches to the tunnel pass through tubes several thousands of yards long that would be exposed to concentrated artillery fire, permitting an invader to be dispatched before he emerged onto English soil. Groovy! Chuck Anesi Charles.Anesi@wellsfargo.com office 612-667-9518 pager 888-278-6532 cell 612-940-3345 |
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Date: Fri, 26 Sep 2003 11:03:24 +1000 From: "David B. Cornelius" <dcorney@midcoast.com.au> Subject: Thank you
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Thank you to all whom kindly responded with information regarding the Channel tunnel. It would seem that, when Hardy wrote his story, the topic would have been of interest to the current reading public. Regards, David Cornelius |