A Transatlantic Tunnel, Hurrah! Read Free Page B

raised his hands for silence.
    “They saw the blowout on the sur-face, blowing muck and spray forty feet into the air when it first holed through. They went as close as they dared to the rising bubbles then and were right on the spot when Fighting Jack came by. Rose right up into the air, they said, and they had him al-most as soon as he fell back. Uncon-scious and undamaged and when he came to he was cursing even before he opened his eyes. Now back to the job, men, we have twelve feet more to go today.”
    As soon as the rhythm of the work had resumed, Captain Washington turned to Drigg and put out his hand in a firm and muscular handshake.
    “It is Mr. Drigg, isn’t it? The mar-quis’s private secretary?”
    “Yes, sir, and Secretary of the Board as well.”
    “You have caught us at a busy moment, Mr. Drigg, and I hope you were not alarmed. There are certain inherent difficulties in tunneling but, as you have seen, they are not insur-mountable if the correct precautions are taken. There is a trough in the ocean bottom above us at this spot, I doubt if more than five feet of sand separate us from the water. A blow-out is always a possibility. But prompt plugging and the use of the Gowan stabilizer quickly sealed the opening.”
    “I’m afraid it is all beyond me,” said Drigg.
    “Not at all. Simple mechanics.” There was a glint of true enthusiasm in Captain Washington’s eye as he explained. “Since the sand is water-soaked above us the compressed air we use to hold back the weight of the water blew an opening right through to the sea bottom. The wooden bar-ricade sealed the opening temporar-ily while the Gowan stabilizer could be brought up. Those drills are hol-low and as soon as they were driven home liquid nitrogen was pumped through them. This fluid has a tem-perature of 345.5 degrees below zero and it instantly freezes everything around it. The pipe you see there pumped in a slurry of mud and wa-ter which froze solid and plugged the opening. We shall keep it frozen while we tunnel past this dangerous area and seal it off with the castiron sections of tunnel wall. All’s well that ends well—and so it has.”
    “It has indeed, and for your head ganger as well. How fortunate the boat was nearby.”
    Washington looked at the other keenly before answering. “Not chance at all as I am sure you know. I do believe the last letter from the directors drawing my attention to the wasteful expense of maintaining the boat at this station was over your sig-nature?”
    “It was, sir, but it appeared there only as the drafter of the letter. I have no responsibility in these mat-ters being just the vehicle of the directors’
    wishes. But with your per-mission I shall give a complete report of what I have seen today and will stress how a man’s life was saved because of your foresight.”
    “Just good engineering, Mr. Drigg.”
    “Foresight, sir, I insist. Where you put a man’s life ahead of money. I shall say just that and the matter will be laid to rest once and for all.”
    Washington seemed slightly em-barrassed at the warmth in Drigg’s voice and he quickly sought to change the subject.
    “I have kept you waiting too long. It must have been a matter of some importance that has brought you personally all this distance.”
    “A communication, if you please.” Drigg unlocked the portfolio and took out the single envelope it con-tained. Washington raised his eyebrows slightly at the sight of the golden crest, then swiftly broke the seal and read the letter.
    “Are you aware of the contents of this letter?” asked Washington, drawing the folded sheet of paper back and forth between his fingers.
    “Only that the marquis wrote it himself and instructed me to facilitate in every way your return to London on a matter of some impor-tance. We will be leaving at once.”
    “Must we? The first through connection on an up train is at nine and it won’t arrive until the small hours.”
    “On the contrary,”