less than miraculous. But the work is often hindered and
rendered greatly more expensive by the sudden appearance of evils
against which no amount of human wisdom or foresight could have guarded.

The Kilsby tunnel of the London and North west Railway is a case in
point. When that tunnel was proposed, it was arranged that it should be
about 3000 yards long, and 160 feet below the surface, with two great
ventilating shafts 60 feet in diameter. It was a gigantic work. The
engineer examined the ground in the usual way, with much care, and then
advertised for "tenders." The various competing contractors also
examined the ground minutely, and the offer of one of them to work it
for 99,000 pounds was accepted. Forthwith the contractor went to work,
and all went well and busily for some time, until it was suddenly
discovered that a hidden quicksand extended 400 yards into the tunnel,
which the trial shafts had just passed without touching. This was a
more tremendous blow to the contractor than most readers may at first
thought suppose, for he believed that to solidify a quicksand was
impossible. The effect on him was so great that he was mentally
prostrated, and although the company generously and justly relieved him
from his engagement, the reprieve came too late, for he died. It then
came to be a question whether or not the tunnel should be abandoned.
Many advised that it should. At this juncture Mr Robert Stephenson,
son of the great George, came forward and undertook the work. He placed
his chief dependence on the steam-engine to keep the water down while
the work was in progress. At first he was successful, but one day,
while the men were busy laying their bricks in cement one of them drove
into the roof, and a deluge of water burst in on them, and although they
tried to continue their work on a raft the water prevailed and at last
drove them out. They escaped with difficulty up one of the air-shafts.
The water having put an effectual stop to the work, the directors felt
disposed to give it up, but Stephenson begged for a fortnight more. It
was granted. By means of thirteen steam-engines, the amazing quantity
of 1800 gallons of water per _minute_ was pumped out of the quicksand
night and day for eight months. With the aid of 1250 men and 200 horses
the work was finally completed, having occupied altogether thirty months
from the laying of the first brick.

Two very singular accidents occurred during the c