The Detroit River Tunnel

.. Krrm the Chicic" BWJ Rrlew. MarchSl. Plans lor moro spedy, cert:iin, r.nd ndcíjuato means cf railwny transit acros. tho Dofroit River at Detroit, dnto from tTio lnviiiprof tho tliinl rail on thc Gie;it ■Voiicrn Railwiiy, coDStituting a lick in t!;it route betwean Chicago and tbe seboard, on whiuh (lie problem of throtigh traffic was first decisively solved. Tbe present mearía of transfer beUveen tbe tivn linea consist of two largo and poworfnl stam ferry-boats - una for tr.-msferriDg through trains; tbeother (former iy umú tor passenger, freigbt, and baggage) more paHiculírlj for local business ending ut Detroit. Tlio Crst definite propogiiion - as well os tlie íirst euggeslíon of tlico projeets, we believe - carne from thi de ; and t is larpely lúe to tho euergy and sagacity oí Ihc Michigan Central innuagemeut that a dinVruut plan is now proposed, wlncli meotswith liearty favor, aud will receive al! necessnry legialation in Canada, and to tbe realization of nhiu'ionly moncipal authorization from a city vitally interested t'ierein is needed on thi4 úc. Tliis ia the plan of a railwny tunnel connecting th termini o f o 11 railway liaes ruuuing t Detroit and Windaor. iVlr. K. a. Cbesbrougb, of Chicago, Civil Eogineer, wns instructed ly Jas. F. Joy, Esq., to inrestigate tho feasibilibility oftíie project, aud hi assistants have wítbin tbe year completed thc detiils of the work,'nnd the final plans hare rii;eutly becti submtttcd. A practical crossing bolow the city was ürst sought - part'y fur the reaton tliat certain new raihvays projeoted in Canada would tlius be best aceommodaed ; bat the grouud was unfavorable, and uo cortainly good grouud cntirely cerosa wns found till tbe present Iccatiun was reached. Tlio pinposed line (inelmling approsehes) niay be said to begin at the Btalion of tho Michigan Central Raüway in Detroit, and will be on tho surface of Fiist Btrftet. IJetwein First Street and Casa street tbere will bc an op-.n ciitting ; but. by a favorable grade of tho street, the line wijl get tinder cover at Cass street, and for u short distance will be under a girder covering. But the rising grade of the utreet, and the descendiDg grade of the tunnel render it practicable to cominenco archiag at a distanca of forty-seven fect, whicli will tirst bo open cuttiug; then a doubla track tuuncl, or covered way, Hl be built. At a diKtance'of nincty-two fect from the Detroit portal, the circular form of the tuunels will begin. Thence by two single track tunnels to thn Canada portal on tho Canada sido ; thence by open cutting for about halt' a mili; ; and thence, en surfuce, for about one-tliTd cf a niile to the junution with tho Gruat Western Railway, two mües from the Windsor Stiltion. ïhe details of the plan are ns follows : Two sinale track tunnels. Length of tunnels, 8,568 feer, portal to portal. Grade, 1 in 50 on each f de of river, wiih 1,000 feet level below bed of river. S.za, IS fuet G inches interior diameter. Shapc, cylindrical. Thickness of cbell not under rivcr, 1 ft 0 in, The niain tunnels to be 50 fejt apart. It is expected that one will be constructed ürst. Drainage by a fmall circular tunnel - 5 feet interior - built rnidway beiween the main tunnels-, aud below grado. This tunnel is to extend across the river tunik], but (along its line, and by brauohes up to ilio oiain laanels) to dovelop as far bb poisible the nature of the Bi il before their couiuieucemeiit. Tuis iil prove of' greai utiliiy io liio lo;tii:g of the coutracts, cuabling t!ic coutracio's to form cstimates, and prooced with ceriainiy. Everytlüug, however, indi catts goed grouod - tbc boring hoving been made ut distauccs of uot more llian 5üü (eet. There will be 294,000 cubic yarda of exeavution in open cutiing; 233,000 cubic yards of e.veavaiion in tuimel' (58,000 cubic yards of brick masonrv exclusivo oí drainage tunnel; 3,700 cubic yards of shore uiasonry Tfo. working fhafts, 10 feet interior diameter, aro t be construoted, one on each Itde of the river, betwcen main tunnc'.s, and cooneetiog bj meaos of lateral drilts 9 ft interior dwraeter. W'iiliout BOjr shaft iu tho rivcr, the wotk can be exeeuted in t vo years, allowing a margin tbr extra precaution undcr the deep part of tlie rivcr. Tbc capital proposcd to accomplish the work- 83,000,000- allows a margin over tl:e engincer's eftimate, wbioh is 2,650,000, and iucludc permanent doublu track, with steel rails, rigbt of way, etc. The obaraoter r.f the soil, as indicated by borbga made to the full depth of the tunnel, ia stifl', blue clay, with occasional pnekets of sand and gravel, so cotumon in the drift fermatiun of this section of tho country. The Detroit surf;"ce line will probably follow Jctl. raod avenue from the present depot, uutil the grade is sufikiently bo. low ihe surface to pass beneath the Bfighboniig buildiugs without lug llicm. The Oandian Pcrlianient have under considera! ion a bill-"an iet to incorpórate the Detroit ltiver Transit Cotnpany." The bilí- after a premnble, rooiting ihe pelitioni of tliose iiamed in il and the Great Western Kaüroad Compatiy, claimiog corpornte riglits to construet a tunnel under the Detroit Itiver, and asking tbat tbo petitiouers be intrustee! with tbo ciiterprise - uaraes as oorporalors : Hoo. Wm. MeMaster.ofiheCanadiaD Seríate; James F. Joy, Deiroi' ; llenry P. Baldwin, Detroit, GoTernor of Michgaff; C. II. Buhl, President Second .National Bank, Detroit; Donald Mc Imiesp, Hamilion, Ont. ; N. T hayer iioston; Hou. John Carli-g, Lmidon, Out. ; Joseiih Prioe, Hami tor, Ont. : Hugh Allun, Montreal : Gcorge Stephuo iMoülica!; Wm. . Wetsoi.; Detroit Frencois Oaron, Windsor; J. O'Onoor n,dLor ; MorrU K. Jessup, New York; Frank Smith, Toronto, Ont. ; Lewia Moffat t, Toronto, Oot ; c ustituting lliem a bcdy corporate and politie by thu 'Detroit Transit Conipany," with power to consiruot, uiainiain.and mnnape a lunnel lor railway purposos (tlie Rail way act df 1SG8 bciny incorpoiatcd wi'h tbl8)t), hetweeo Windsor andvDelroit; aid tutinti] to be open, uuder uniform tanff iat(B, to all ruilways, turmiuating at its pointe of beginoing, and to be Worked by tho Transit Company.'if ilJCy po detenmue, tither by stcam (r liorstpower for local bunfEs between the tvo citie8, Tlio capitnl slock to be $3,000,000- 30,000 shuscfSlOOfach. ïlu woik --hall lic commcnccd, and 8100,000 paid in, within two.yerg, and the wíirk complt-ted witliin six ycars i'rom tïio possage cf tliis act. Tlio inli-ibitrints of the Sandwich Islands propofo a monument (o tlic man Uicir grandsires ob3wcd up - CïPtain Conk.