In 1858, a French engineer, Aime Thome de Gamond, arrived in England with a plan for a twenty-one-mile tunnel under the English Channel. He said that it would be possible to build a platform in the centre of the Channel. This platform would serve as a port and a railway station. The tunnel would be well-ventilated if tall chimneys were built above sea level. In 1860, a better plan was put forward by an Englishman, William Low.
1858年，法國工程師埃梅·托梅·德·干蒙，帶著修建一條21英里橫穿英吉利海峽的計劃來到英國。他說在海峽中間建造一個平臺是可行的。這個平臺可以作為一個端口和火車站使用。如果高高的煙囪伸到海平面上，隧道的通風(fēng)性會很好。1860年，英國人威廉姆斯·樓提出了一個更好的計劃。

He suggested that a double railway-tunnel should be built. This would solve the problem of ventilation, for if a train entered this tunnel, it would draw in fresh air behind it. Forty-two years later a tunnel was actually begun. If, at the time, the British had not feared invasion, it would have been completed. The world had to wait almost another 100 years for the Channel Tunnel. It was officially opened on March 7,1994, finally connecting Britain to the European continent.
他建議建立一條雙火車軌道的隧道。這個會解決通風(fēng)問題，當火車進到隧道時，會把新鮮空氣帶進去。24年后一條隧道開始動工。如果此時，英國不怕被侵略的話，它馬上就會完工。世界等待這條海底隧道超過100年。最終隧道于1994年3月7日官宣開放，最終連接了英國和歐洲大陸。